My own upcoming novel Spirito, the Canid Warrior, sports a depth of corruption as he, his sister, and his father tangle with the themes of Fate, Power and Corruption, good vs evil and I’ve even thrown in a little hero’s journey.

Here is a quick example of the Scaveen Mages revealing Spirito’s destiny during his initial reading at the age of 4.  

Salor soon stood at the balcony edge, scanning the field to find his son below. Spirito stood in front of another statue alabaster statue. Salor looked closer and his eyes widened. It was Asterina, keeper of the skies and stars. Her paws raised high in supplication as she gazed at the sky. Salor looked up as well and felt his stomach clench. High above the planet, something bright moved in the darkness beyond the planet’s gravity, the brightness of a star but in motion, passing in a black ocean, a clear sign of life beyond their world. 

 Spirito stared at the statue, fascinated. He pointed to the sky, and they looked at the shooting starship.

“She is the goddess of light and stars; my mama told me.”

“She is also the mother of worlds,” the younger Skaveen acolyte said, smiling. His dark eyes and speckled pelt identified him from the southern regions.

Even at the distance they were parted, Salor did not have issues hearing the conversation. 

“Do you like learning about the stars?”

“I like it.” Spirito nodded his head rapidly. “The stars are all animals, you know. The Breek-bea is up there, even the wings. And the Torti is too. I like that one a lot, ’cause Mama says the outer three stars at the end are its tongue and it reminds her of me when I am eating melting cream.”

“The stars are the blanket above the world and tell its stories. Did you know other planets have different stories?” The acolyte questioned.

“You mean like Alka or Miro?” Spirito mentioned the planets nearby to this solar system. The visitors to the Royal house have arrived from there. I hope I can visit them one day. My father says I am to be bonded as a protector like Shasis. She is a protector to potentate Litak. My mama says Shasis will have to take a lot from him.”

“Do you know what that means?”

Spirito tilted his head to the side and squinted. “I’m not sure.”

“Perhaps it means your sister will work hard?”

“She is a good protector, my da said so.”

Salor frowned at the turn of the conversation.

“What is a good protector?”

“Well, my sister looks out for potentate Litak to make sure he stays safe.”

The acolyte leaned his head forward, listening. 

Spirito looked at him and away, he rubbed his cheek. “She keeps bad people away from him. And she can fight really well.”

“This is what you are going to be? A protector of a royal subject? Is this what you’d like to do? Become bonded with another to protect them for the rest of your life.”

Salor’s frown deepened. There was no choice. His son was the next protector of the royal house. Why would the Skaveen ask this?

Spirito picked up a pebble from the ground and looked at it closely. He turned it over and over, hiding his gray eyes from the curious gaze of his companion. 

“I will be a good protector. I know how to fight and my da and sister will teach me. I want to do good.”

The Skaveen remained silent.

“So, what animal does Alka tell about from the stars?” Spirito tossed the pebble away and looked up at the Skaveen.

The Skaveen chuckled and told Spirito about a sharp-toothed beast called the Koon. Salor listened as the two continued to discuss various topics in some random manner. When they spoke of the other two statues Spirito encountered in the open field, Salor shivered. Spirito’s engaged telling was completely excited toward both. The boy recounted every detail of the outfit Gias wore and what he thought the items meant. His guesses were not far off. Salor felt his wife’s training in every word. Then he recited Valerian quotes as if he were already in his training. 

“Don’t make moves unless there is a gain.” His child’s tone was more serious. “Water flows through the hand like the state of any battle.” His ear twitched for a second. “A warrior must understand the enemy because the exact moment to win in battle is determined by the enemy themselves.”

Salor was amazed, knowing he must have spoken those phrases either to Shasis or his cousin during a hard-won game of Chittel. 

“Yes, I worry about my sister.”

Salor refocused on their conversation.

“She is very brave, but does not talk about stuff like Da does.”

“What do you mean? How is she different?” The young guide sat with his hind legs resting behind him on the grass.

Spirito did as well. “She mostly says things when she is angry. Da sometimes doesn’t hear it, I think. But Shasis is angry a lot.”

The questioning guide remained silent.

But Spirito did not expand. Salor was thankful. People outside the protectorate role should not hear things within. Not that it was a hard fast rule, but Salor could not remember a time his father gave voice to someone who held naught but another protectorate or someone with direct relation to the ruling king.

“Do you like what your sister and father do?”

Salor leaned forward and rested his hand on the balcony rail.

Spirito’s little shoulders shrugged. 

The guide tried again. 

“Do you have anything else you’d like to share?”

The boy scratched his ear. Salor recognized the delay tactic he himself often used. He worried about Spirito giving voice to most of his mother’s fears—war, growing tension of the peerage toward the Protectorate role, the acts of violence that entail the job. But he still had confidence Spirito would find his role as protector as fulfilling as his father once did. 

If this sample intrigues you, please sign up on my website for future chapters.  I’m writing this one on the fly and have already posted almost twenty chapters that you can read for free.

As a wrap to understanding epic fantasy themes and motifs, we can see that the reader resonates deeply with the human experience brought forth by the complex characters within these classic portrayal themes. From the eternal struggle between good and evil, the hero’s journey, or the intricate dance of fate and free will, these narratives offer profound insights into our own lives and choices. Themes of power and corruption, through the impact of personal decisions, merge to create stories that are as complex as they are captivating. By exploring examples of these epic tales, we gain not only a greater appreciation for the genre but also a mirror through which to reflect on our own quests, challenges, and transformations. In the end, epic fantasy serves as both a grand adventure and a powerful exploration of the themes that shape our world, inviting us to ponder the nature of heroism, morality, and the forces that drive our destinies.

Please read and review my serial publishing novel, Sparrow’s Legacy, on Kindle Vella. You can read the first three chapters free on Amazon by searching for “Sparrows Legacy Kindle Vella” or clicking here. My debut SFF novel, the space opera Drayton’s Discoveries is available on Amazon. For the love of all fantasy and SFF, if you read something please leave a review. Feedback is my sole sustenance for writing. Don’t let me starve.