The Story and Characters
In the land of Gorlen, 15-year-old Lyla is sent on a quest by her uncle to rid her inborn powers of sorcery because of the dangers they possess to her, but on her journey she is hunted by the ruling tyrants, and protected by the Fehren, villagers who are plotting to overthrow the tyrants. Lyla has to choose whether to follow her uncle’s command, or betray him, risking her life to embrace her powers to aid the revolution.
We meet Lyla gardening in The Sleeping Forest, where she and her caregiver, Ivan, live hidden from the rest of the land of Gorlen. Lyla is content in the forest, but unaware that she lives a half-life, devoid of excitement, passion, or deep emotional connection. As she cares for her favorite dahlia flowers, they grow beyond their natural size. Soon after, Lyla discovers a rash on her finger, which, seeing by Ivan's devastation, has serious implications. Ivan sends her on a journey to find the tree-witch, who he hopes will have a cure.
On her journey, she is pursued by The Guard, the protectors of the oligarchy and distributors (or withholders) of the only clean drinking water in Gorlen. Lyla is protected by unexpected powers, thorny vines that rise from the ground around her to pull her pursuers away, but the rash upon her finger spreads more rapidly the more powers are used.
Lyla
Ivan has been caring for Lyla for longer than she can remember. He spends his days purifying Gorlen's toxic groundwater to provide enough for Lyla and himself. His only care is keeping Lyla safe. He has her recite a mantra every night before bed: "I am content. I follow the current away from struggle, toward comfort and safety." His leg was injured by an alchemist's magic before he came to The Sleeping Forest. He is opposed to the use of alchemy because of the danger it poses.
Ivan
Morimur spent his life pursuing alchemy, despite magic being taboo in Gorlen. He had sought to prove himself with his powers of alchemy, showing the world that they were wrong to shun magic, and, more importantly, wrong to look down upon him, but time and time again, his attempts to show his skill failed. As he became an old man, he gave up his hope of proving his worth, and came to accept himself as the failure the world saw him as. But when he learns of a new type of magic that has the potential to overthrow the The Guard, the spark to prove himself is reignited with a last hope before age does him in.
Morimur
Jeel is Ivan's brother. He studies alchemy with all of his time, and is therefor at odds with his brother. Jeel and Morimur become friends, sharing their love of alchemy, practicing and studying together. Despite Morimur's far greater experience, Jeel is the cleverer alchemist. Jeel observes the rebels pursuit to overthrow the oligarchy, but sees that they lack the resources to succeed. He believes alchemy can give them the power they need to win. In an ancient text, he discovers a rare and long forgotten bit of magic; creating a being that can harness the powers of nature. It requires using the body of someone recently deceased, infusing them with the glowing golden sap of the ancient tree, the source of all magic in Gorlen, and burying the body among the roots of a tree in a forest with restorative powers. This being, an alour, will be brought back to life, but with the roots of the trees growing within them...
Jeel
Loramelle was an old woman in Gorlen. She lived a long life, and found the rare wisdom of accepting that death would come; and so it did. But... as her body lay freshly in the earth, Jeel and Morimur pursue the creation of an alour, and so Loramelle is brought back. Though Jeel had planned to use her powers to free the land of Gorlen, Morimur sneaks her away, brings her to Gorlen's main courtyard and unleashes her powers, sowing such fear in both villager and Guard alike, that he takes a seat as ruler of Gorlen. But as the chaos ensues, Jeel arrives and brings Loramelle away to safety. Though Morimur had already proven "his" power, knowing that Jeel and Loramelle were still out there, likely to return to unseat him, he feared his power wasn't secure. Jeel did plan to return, but before he could, the tree-curse within Loramelle spread rapidly, and she was ultimately rooted to the earth, without the ability to return to unseat Morimur. So Jeel had to find another way...
Loramelle
Ronan is the youngest member of the Fehren, the rebels plotting to overthrow the tyranny. She was raised a child of The Guard. Since fleeing, she has kept detailed tabs on the whereabouts and practices of the guard, as a means of self-protection, knowing that as a traitor, she will be a key target for them. This knowledge of the guard led Ronan to be of great importance to the rebellion, the first time she has ever felt important to anyone, and so she became obsessive about her work, out of fear that she will lose her importance if she no longer has valuable info for the guard. When Lyla embarks on her journey, Ronan becomes her guide, and they form a close friendship; the first either has had amid the strife of Gorlen.
Ronan