Sunday, October 12, 2014

Tricksters - If I Should Rule

Name: Kayley Freshman-Caffrey

Genre: YA Fantasy

Title: If I Should Rule

Word Count: 82,000


Hero: This particular MC (there are four main POV characters) relates most to Loki. He abhors his abusive father and wants to steal the throne from him. That type of power means no one can ignore him or disobey him again.



Pitch: When 17-year-old Niall learns his father wants to award Saol's crown to a worthier candidate, he vows to secretly eliminate other prospects. Then the king is killed and murder becomes Niall's threat, not his weapon.




250:  As my father walks toward the edge of the stage, his crown glints in the mid-day sun, a sign of wealth that stands stark against the cesspool of our kingdom’s poor. Being the biggest district in our kingdom of 100,000, their collective stench is impossible to ignore. The rank smell of sweat, urine, and whatever else they deem to lie in would be enough to make me vomit if I wasn’t so repulsed by the act.

“Greetings, citizens of Saol,” my father starts. “As your sixteenth king, I have traveled here to issue a proclamation.”

The peasants press toward us, trying to better hear their king. I tune him out.

Then my father says one of my favorite words, one that I’ve never heard him say before: competition.

That gets my attention.

“I am reaching an age at which I must appoint an heir,” my father continues. “In Saol, the crown is traditionally passed to the first born son. However, I do not believe this tradition best suits the needs of the kingdom. The person who rules should be the person most fit for the task. I am proposing this competition as a means of finding the most deserving ruler. Young adults between the ages of fourteen and twenty from all walks of life are encouraged to apply for this opportunity. Applicants will be judged on their ideals, intelligence, and dedication to the kingdom. The top ten applicants will be invited to stay at the castle for the final stages of the competition and the most suitable candidate will receive the crown.”

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