AN Exercise in POV

I belong to a Group Blogging Experience group and this week's exercise is to write from different points of view.
I am placing my submission on this site because I am making it all up.

The brothers faced each other as they had in their father's practice arenas since they could walk. Tonight they were near a copse of trees. They had trained with numerous masters, a new one every five years just so this day would come. Only, Deepa did not know it. As the younger brother and the true subject of the prophecy he had been lead to believe for all these years that Sanji would become king. With his wife's urging, his father arranged the lessons in various combat styles and weaponry to prepare the both of them to become warrior kings. He refused to favor one son because of a prophecy. All the while, Sanji knew that one day only one son would walk away from a match. 

Aldin had been more than a loving step-mother, she had protected their family for years from assassins who would stop this night. Without this sacrifice Alders would remain in another 100 years of madness and not begin 100 years of enlightenment. Their covetous neighbors meant to enslave the people for their magical gifts after ensuring that the brothers could not fulfill the prophecy. Aldin had prepared him for this day and he would be strong.

Their mother, Sylvan, abandoned her sons having no desire see the prophecy to its end. Only she knew the entire prophecy before sharing it with Corel, Aldin's father and Sanji seven years ago. For that Aldin would never forgive her and never be more thankful to her.

Although no one knew how Deepa would come to kill Sanji and thereby claim the legendary throne of the Anders, anger and betrayal had never been considered.  

His final words to his brother would be, "Know this brother, I did not do this thing. Kisela is unharmed. You have been mislead. But for what you do next, I will forgive you."

As anger cursed through Deepa, he mistook Sanji's slow ominous tone for arrogance. His sigh of resignation for this fate as boredom. His confession of innocence as lies. And as his rage overtook him, he did could only vaguely recognize that in addition to feelings of anger and betrayal, jealousy about who deserved to be king of the Anders was compelling him to attack his brother.

Today,would be the day that the second son would destroy the elder, become King of the Andres and save that xenophobic culture from the madness their own mysticism had created.

"Where are they? I can only hear Sanji." Kisela asked in hushed tones almost too low for me too hear.

In the distance, I heard Sanji say,  "Know this brother, I did not do this thing. You have been mislead. Kisela is unharmed. But for what you do next, I will forgive you." I knew that these would be his final words as he said them with ominous tones.

"They are where they should be." I answered her hoping she would ask no more of me. We peered through the trees to see the brothers facing each other.

"We should you stop this. This is wrong. Sanji did not hurt me. He told him so, but I can see that Deepa does not believe." 

If I did not tell her the truth she would ruin this and condemn Andres to another hundred years of madness. Their neighbors would enslave them and use them for their magical gifts after murdering the brothers.

"This is as it should be regardless of how. Deepa must fight his brother and destroy him. This is the sacrifice that will break the curse." Kisela understood curses and she understood sacrifice. We had been trained to serve and guide men and women through prophecy, fate and accident of birth.We could see the outcomes of a thousand different choices as clearly as we could see the petals of a flower.

"You never told me that Sanji would die." Despite her affection for Sanji, Kisela would not  interfere. I knew that her anxiety was for me. I had raised the sons since their mother abandoned them after telling our father about the prophecy. Selfish woman had no desire for a family, only to fulfill her role in the prophecy. He had ordered that I protect the family from assassins who feared an enlightenment age for the xenophobic Anders.  For my part, I fell in love and married Taru. I comforted the young Sanji after the whore Sylvan told him the truth 7 years ago. I made him strong. I am the reason why he will not run from this night and his brother, even though the betrayal which fuels Deepa's rage against his brother was contrived by an enemy.

"Today, the second son will destroy the elder, become King of the Andres and save them from their own madness. Deepa's  anger, feeling of betrayals and, I fear, jealousy over the prophecy will compel him to attack. But I will see to it Sanji does not die."

Things were so much nicer before the demon hunters moved here

Demon Hunting in the Deep South by Lexi George
A sort of review

From the book jacket

Evie Douglass doesn’t know what’s worse—the demons secretly infesting her small Alabama hometown. . .or human belle-from-hell Meredith Starr Peterson, who’s made her life miserable since high school. But when the “Death Starr” is brutally murdered and Evie is the number-one suspect, she’s suddenly besieged by the evil-not-dead-enough and Meredith’s furious specter. The only way she can clear her name is to get out from under demon hunter Ansgar’s grim protection. He’s blond, breathtaking, and the most lethal of all his kin, but after years of teasing, Evie is wary of anyone who swears her plus-size self is beautiful. However, having Ansgar all over her is sparking outrageous powers Evie didn’t know she had. And she’ll face any ultimate evil to keep this sexy slayer in this dimension and in her bed for all eternity...

When I read a book, I often refer to the book jacket artwork to focus my imagery of the characters or the location. The book jacket artist must have given the book a light perusal and pulled out "alien sexy warrior clad in leather" and "pretty Southern red head." I have helpfully pointed out the errors for you.
In this book we get to know a character introduced in the short story The Bride Wore Demon Dust. Yes, this book is about Nicole, AKA Mullet Woman,  the former pole dancer and more recently former gas station attendant who cannot be separated from her Allihuahua, Frodo. She has decided to bring her unconventional attire and mullet hairstyle to Hannah the birthplace of weird stuff. Poor Nicole has been chased out of town by a Chihuahua killer. Unfortunately, said Chihuahua killer has arrived in Hannah to continue his rampage of canine murder.

It is really a shame no one can see the bitchy ghost. 

Meredith, AKA Deathstar, as a character was unredeemable. A former high school mean girl, then society harridan who tormented small business professionals, and currently a ghost suffering from PTDD. Post Traumatic Death Disorder is normally something only seen in newly raised vampire, but Ms. George does a fine job of applying here. As I read about Meredith, I understand that creating this character purged some pretty angry emotions for the author. I had one gal that bullied me in high school, another who attempted to bully me in college, and I worked for one for a few years. I can see me writing either into a book, having her murdered then doomed to watch her friends slink after her husband while being forced to attend group therapy for being too bitchy to revel in the peace that comes with the afterlife. 

Yeah, Ms. George, I am totally feeling you on this.

You are probably wondering when I will start writing about the plot and its love story. You can Google reviews of this book for that. I want to tell you about the quirky inhabitants of this book who had me laughing two nights in a row while reading it. Because, well, this is a silly book. For example, poor Evie can no long see her beloved fairies but everyone else can. I didn't get a clear explanation for this. And why does Evie do her best cursing in the closet? And just how stupid is Trey, the widow, who openly covets his wife's accused murderer even though, Ansgar, the demon killer, is clearly attached to her curvy hip at all times? Writing of Ansgar, what compels a demon hunter to buy a monster truck? What will our small time law enforcement do with a murder investigation and a serial dog killer on the loose with big dance coming up? 

Another minor character favorite of mine is Lenora. Lenora, AKA "an inter-dimensional emotion-stealing hoochie mama, is in love. She is really a former sex slave who fed on the emotions of demon hunters like Ansgar. What she said to her boyfriend's ex-wife, AKA the Birth Canal, upon meeting her should be mounted on a plaque or made into one of those E-cards.

Lenora's story line mingles with Evie and Ansgar's affair quite hilariously.

I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I can not wait to learn what becomes of Meredith's counseling sessions? Will Lenora marry a demon hunter, too? Will Nicole eschew her man hating ways and fall for the dog whisperer? Will Evie ever curse in a well lit room? These are questions to which I want answers.
Rating :
If this book were a peach, I would eat it. B+