Masters of the Veil
MAGIC FAQ + A SHORT LESSON FROM BARIV THE CONDUIT

*Congratulations! You can do magic!*

*Here’s what you need to know about your exciting new ability:*

*Q: WHAT IS MAGIC? AND WHY CAN I DO IT?*

This can be a very thrilling, confusing, and even frightening time for a
young sorcerer, so let’s start with the basics. Magic is just another way
of saying, “Connecting with the Veil.” As you may already know, the Veil is
an ancient energy that lies all around us that some fortunate few (YOU!)
can even use.

The Veil gives the sorcerer communities everything we need to survive. The
more the Veil is used, the more She gives us. All sort of wonderful plants,
animals, food, clothing, and shelter… they’re all there, waiting to spring
forth.

There is no conclusive evidence explaining why some people can use the Veil
and some people cannot. Some speculate it’s genetic, while others believe
it’s spiritual. Alas, we will probably never be sure, so just be thankful
that you are one of the lucky few.

*Q: HOW DO I DO MAGIC?*

There are two methods of doing magic: A “grip” and a “drape”

*A Grip:* Connecting with the Veil to perform a specific feat.

*A Drape: *Essentially it’s wrapping the Veil around an object to give it
extraordinary properties.

As you may have seen from the older sorcerers in your magical community, we
use something called a “Second-Skin” to access the Veil. A second-skin is
a covering for your hand that allows you to grip the Veil. Second-skins *
must* be made from materials that have sprung from the Veil in order to
work. One of the first things that you will be instructed to do is create
your own second-skin in order to create the deepest connection. You can use
anything from dried aansi leaves to the bark from a zigzag tree, just know
that attempting to do magic that is beyond your reach with break your
second-skin.

*Q: HOW SOON WILL I BECOME A MASTER SORCERER?*

Whoa there! Don’t get ahead of yourself. Magic is extremely difficult and
it’s going to take some time for you to become proficient at it. You have a
magnificent, bumpy road ahead of you.

*Q: BUT WHO IS GOING TO TEACH ME?*

The sorcerer community doesn’t take your new ability lightly. We will
provide you with the finest teachers available. Train hard enough and you
might even get to be in Rona’s group (but don’t get your hopes up)!!! You
will be matched up by your skill level and organized by the type of magic
you’ll be pursuing.

*Q: IS MAGIC DANGEROUS?*

It can be if used wrong. To avoid causing unnecessary pain, make sure you
study hard, respect your clan elders, and eat your vegetables.

*Q: VEGETABLES?*

Yes, vegetables.

*Q: WILL I HAVE TO LEAVE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY?*

For a short time, yes. Whether you’re from the flathand (those who can’t
grip the Veil) world or a magical community, you will be brought to Atlas
Crown to study with Bariv. Bariv is the conduit to the Veil, and he will be
the first—and probably the most influential—teacher you will have. After
learning about your ability from Bariv, you will have the choice of
returning home or staying in Atlas Crown.

*Special note for those who come from the flathand world. In the rare
occurrence that you choose to return to the non-magic world, you will be
draped with the inability to speak of our world or perform magic outside of
a magical community. Sorry. The good news is that if you choose to join a
magical community, your immediate family will be invited to come with you
and will be provided for.

*NOW TAKE A SEAT AND ENJOY A QUICK LESSON FROM BARIV ON THE THREE DISCIPLINES OF MAGIC*

Welcome. Please have a seat. Before you are three second-skins that I have
created for choosing purposes. As you may already know, there are three
disciplines of magic that come from the Veil.

First, there are natural magics, which are best gripped with the aid of
plants. The green second-skin is made from the leaf of the grampith tree.

Natural magics are very useful. They feed, they clothe, they help us
interact with the world around us. We would not survive without them.
Nature is dough and you shape it to your desires—if you are skilled enough.
Mountains can be leveled and water can fall upwards. Nature’s secrets will
whisk you away to another plane where you can realize the awe-inspiring
connections we hold with the world around us.

Next, there are the mystical magics. The metal second-skin you see on the
left was mined from beneath Grus’ pass and made from silver-palladium mixed
by my own hand. A mystical sorcerer would use this second-skin. The
mystical magics keep true to their namesake. Even *I* don’t fully
understand all that can be accomplished with this, and I have been close to
the Veil for a very long time. Those who excel at the mystical arts can
reach into the deepest, darkest parts of the mind and cast dreams into
reality. They can navigate the vast and powerful river of time. Reap gold
out of metals like a glorious harvest. Harness fear, and ride on its back
until it tires.

And last… there is the second-skin made from the hide of Sectus remisican,
the skull-wolf. This is a tool of power magics. These tools work best if
taken forcibly. In Atlas Crown, we do not kill when we do not have to;
however, in this particular case we had to. The power sect is a dangerous
one, yet it brings with it the ability to forge oneself into the greatest
ruler and purveyor of dominance. Authority is a given. Supremacy is taken.
The true power sect is scarcely found here. Those who have chosen it, or
rather have been chosen, usually take the road down another path, a false
path that can only lead to death and misery. However, when applied for
good, the power sect can be the most useful of them all. An iron body has
no need for a suit. That is what the Veil is at Her heart. She is power.
She holds possibilities so grand, we can never understand, only observe.

Now why don’t you try one on?

Life can’t get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer.Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who’s the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who’s pretty sure Sam’s an idiot.As it becomes clear Sam’s meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown, but all humankind.

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Adult or YA? You Decide

First I want to say I’m thrilled to be guest posting on Bibliosaurus Text, as I think Audrey writes great reviews. And I’m a little jealous of her job as a rare book librarian.

When I wrote my novel The Earthquake Machine, I didn’t think about whether the book would be marketed as a Young Adult novel or as an adult coming-of-age novel; I didn’t self-censor the material so that it would be considered “appropriate” for a younger audience.

I was living in a basement room at the Desert Rose Horse Ranch outside of Durango, Colorado and working construction outside all day in the cold. I would wake up at the magic hour before dawn to draft the novel. And when I sat down at the keyboard I thought about nothing more than how to write a wild, fantastical story one word at a time.

What I created was a novel that in many ways pushes the boundaries between fiction marketed as YA and fiction pitched to an adult audience. The reactions to the novel have been strong—and I think it’s because the book portrays a young protagonist trying to come-of-age (both emotionally, sexually, and spiritually) while experiencing remarkable (and sometimes very adult) situations.

One reviewer to whom I sent the book wrote me that she was “appalled that this book might be picked up and read by thirteen–fifteen year olds.”

But a review in the Huffington Post said, “Lowry…has created a story that belongs on bookshelves next to other fine literature…The Earthquake Machine moves Lowry into an elite group of young female writers who know that the feminist movement is about more than equal pay for equal work and that a girl has a right to be a grrrlllll, if she chooses.”
So is the The Earthquake Machine for adults or is it YA? I’d have to say that’s up to the reader to decide.

Book synopsis:

The Earthquake Machine

The book every girl should read,
and every girl’s parents hope she’ll never read.

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda’s world, but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda’s life is her family’s Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation.

Determined to find her friend Jésus, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends to Big Bend National Park. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Milagros, Mexico. There a peyote- addled bartender convinces her she won’t be safe traveling alone into the country’s interior. So with the bartender’s help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that fulfills the longing of readers eager for a brave and brazen female protagonist.

Author bio:

Mary Pauline Lowry has worked as a forest firefighter, screenwriter, open water lifeguard, construction worker, and advocate in the movement to end violence against women. Due to no fault of her sweet parents, at 15 she ran away from home and made it all the way to Matamoros, Mexico. She believes women and girls should make art, have adventures, and read books that show them the way.

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