An unapologetic libertarian fantasy with a kick-ass protagonist
Yote Diamondback gets her ass kicked every now and again. But in this libertarian fantasy, she’s a scrappy little thing with a chip on her shoulder.
Yote Diamondback’s a small girl with forgettable facial features, dull brown eyes, pale skin, and long, frizzy, rust-colored hair. She may fit (no pun intended) my fit protagonists’ criteria, because I’m not one who practices tokenism to include overweight heroes.
Seriously, Paul Blart’s bad enough. But case in point, I’m a fit libertarian who prioritizes body image in my work, so you won’t see any of that woke garbage that’s tarnished mainstream literary media. Yeah, much-needed refresher, right?
If so, then good. Keep reading. If not, then go directly to your nearest safe space. Don’t pass go. Don’t collect $200. All of that said, I’m a fan of kick-ass female protagonists who can be bad to the bone when they want to. Want proof? Just meet Liza Fury.
As for Yote, our insecure high school freshman who plays second fiddle to her sister, Jett? She’s kick-ass? Once she’s got Jett off her back and can step outta her shadow, she is. Hell, The Arcane Prophecy (coming September 2026) will drive that point home.
A free girl amidst a libertarian fantasy backdrop
Yote’s no libertarian. At least she ain’t immediately. Like most kids propagated in government schools or in her case, those mainstream private schools that are basically government schools with a price tag, Yote thinks a good school is one that does the following:
- Tells kids to sit down, shut up, and recite what they’re told
- Ranks success/failure with letter grades
- Teaches a set, one-size, fits-few curriculum
- Hands out hordes of homework
So, when Yote starts living in Aurora Village, she’s shell-shocked, even if she likes the idea of choosing Scorpii School over at the Arcane Elemental Academy.
Still, she wonders: Why doesn’t this place give out homework or letter grades?
Hell, why is it optional to attend gatherings? Side Note: You may call gatherings classes, if you want the equivalent.
And why am I, the new girl, a cut above everyone else?
No, not because government (or heavily-regulated private) schools do a better job than those entrepreneurial-run schools. Just open up Unschooled by Kerry McDonald and it’ll tell you all you need to know.
But it’s because Yote trains her ass off, thanks to her father’s and mentor’s intense training program, something you’ll find her going head-to-head against Jett in the book’s opening chapters.
Now that Yote’s free from her sister, she comes into her own and shows up even the top students at this school. Or, better yet, one of many schools within this academy.
Yote’s got some special powers, too
I recently compared Yote to Harry Potter. Kind of, anyway, since she’d be a Slytherin and I can’t stress that enough. But she’s one hell of a gifted athlete on top of her talent for controlling the four elements.
With a rune-laden magical system that allows elementals to control said elements, Yote’s got a special relationship with markings like Tiwaz, Laguz, and Sowilo. Yeah, she struggles, but Yote’s ambitious, never-say-die mentality makes up for her shortcomings, and she just goes balls to the wall when she discovers a little more about herself.
Until, well, until she crosses something she just can’t figure out. But once you get to know Yote, you can bet your life that she’ll do all she can to crack a code and harness something even she, an Elemental, never knew existed.
Ready to meet Yote? Check out my free prequel to the Arcane Elemental Academy, Arcane Awakenings, and get a head start on this libertarian fantasy series.
