Kaarina Taivalkoski is that foxy teacher you always wanted

We always wanted that one teacher who railed against the establishment. Well, Kaarina Taivalkoski fits the billing. She’s a foxy one.

Kaarina’s not foxy in the way you might think. Oh, wait. Never mind. She is. The girl’s a kick-ass 10 outta 10 if you like lean bodies, delicate features, long, dark hair, and someone who’d drink a high-calorie protein shake with you and burn off the calories later.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, so get that sick thought outta your mind. She’ll be working out beside you. Challenging you. And, ultimately, bring out the better version of yourself.

But she’s also the greatest master of infiltration you’ll ever meet. No, she won’t screw you over. She’ll love you, so long as you’re a dissident 100 percent of the time, and you’ll do anything to disrupt the two-party establishment.

Kaarina knows a thing or a few about what’s really going on, and the girl ain’t scared to operate in the shadows, waiting for the right time to expose her true colors.

Kaarina Taivalkoski was that kind of soldier

I’ve had a sh*t ton of high school friends join the military either when we graduated or shortly after. Most became unapologetic sheep. The “America’s overseas for humanitarian reasons” types.

I literally had one say that to me years ago. He ended his quip with, “But believe what you want.”

Hey, bro, I don’t believe. I know. And until the bombs stop falling, I ain’t falling for the humanitarian B.S. Especially when U.S. tax dollars, in one form or another, fork the bill.

Luckily, Kaarina ain’t that kinda soldier. Enlisting in the Vimsinewian Military (think the U.S. Military equivalent of my fictional world) was honor, duty, and sacrifice for the girl. Until it wasn’t.

But Kaarina didn’t return to her home soil, quit, and talk about how much Vimsinew lies to its people and allies abroad. No, she kept going back for more, observing and taking mental notes, calculating her next move.

Kaarina’s the establishment’s biggest threat

The establishment that you’ll read about in Cursed Mage, (where Kaarina’s absent), and Astray Mage, (where she’s a major supporting character), loves lying to the masses.

They claim the other major political party and their minions are threats. That creates chaos, unrest, and distrust in one another.

But they’re scared to death of people like Kaarina Taivalkoski, who act like their best friend and plot against them behind the scenes.

She’s that girl slowly building up a network of dissidents, all while keeping herself close to the most dangerous people in the world. And in Astray Mage, you’ll see her hard at work, especially during interactions with my protagonist, Kaija Jokiharju, who is also her student.

If you wanna meet Kaarina in passing, catch her in Deceived Mage. She briefly appears, but within seconds, you’ll know exactly who she’s working against, and why.