{"id":232,"date":"2025-04-24T23:22:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T23:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christidarling.com\/?page_id=232"},"modified":"2025-12-28T02:23:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T02:23:01","slug":"these-vicious-games","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/?page_id=232","title":{"rendered":"The Queen of Graves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Status: Currently Editing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Currently at 74,000 words and 273 pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For ages 18-25<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Genres: fantasy, steampunk, speculative fiction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hoping to publish in late 2026 or early 2027<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Willow Elmstone, raised in the undercity of Victorian London, is suddenly thrust into a seat of power when her kingpin father is brutally murdered. With the help of her sister, Laurel, she seeks to hunt down the killer who is slowly taking out the leaders of the families who run the undercity. As things escalate, and secrets are revealed, will the sisters survive? And more importantly, will their relationship?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cast of Characters (listed by family\/gang)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-063b53a6\" class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion exclusive\">\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div>Majike &#8212; magic users<\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Merlin Elmstone\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head of Majike<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Father of Willow and Laurel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protecting his daughters is his reason for living<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Willow Elmstone\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most powerful witch in London<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Very protective of her sister and that loyalty is the only thing that gives her purpose<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laurel Elmstone\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Potions master, also skilled with poison. Nicknamed the herb witch by those that don&#8217;t respect her.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Soft and gentle, stands out from the rest of the gang, but she still has a hard edge<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rosaline Krane\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ward of Merlin Elmstone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Like a sister to Willow and Laurel, but Laurel&#8217;s closest companion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The yin to Laurel&#8217;s yang<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div>Lamia &#8212; vampires<\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kirin Targoth\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Younger vampire but full of teeth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Psychopath<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Karisine Targoth\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kirin&#8217;s twin sister<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Has major beef with but also cares for Willow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div>Mortom &#8212;  necromancers<\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Morgatha Wraith\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Has visions of the future, can feel the presence of spirits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fiery Scotswoman<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mary Wraith\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Morgatha&#8217;s mother and chief supporter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Addict<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div>Alchimia &#8212; alchemists<\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alexander Moore\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Emotional, not really built for the undercity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Son of the leader of Alchimia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thomas Moore\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alex&#8217;s power hungry uncle who acts in a regent style role, running Alchimia for Alex.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112-640x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-370 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112-640x1024.png 640w, https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112-188x300.png 188w, https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112-768x1229.png 768w, https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112-960x1536.png 960w, https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112-1280x2048.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_1112.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Front cover displaying a scene from a fresco referenced in the book but also showing the duality of Willow and Laurel. The card design is a reference to the idea that the villain is playing a devious game with our heroes. The coffins and the title of the book are a nod to the theme of grief throughout the book. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Status: Currently Editing Summary Willow Elmstone, raised in the undercity of Victorian London, is suddenly thrust into a seat of power when her kingpin father is brutally murdered. With the help of her sister, Laurel, she seeks to hunt down the killer who is slowly taking out the leaders of the families who run the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-232","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=232"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":407,"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/232\/revisions\/407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cldarling.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}