Young Rubyo Hant, a poor bastard, never imagined that one day he would be called king. Sole heir to the kingdom of Minalkar, he grew up a refugee in an enemy kingdom after the orc attack that resulted in the death of his father, King Edmund VI. Despite not having believed in his possibility of coronation, the Minalkarians placed all hopes on his return and the recovery of their lands.
In In Search of the Crown, the first volume of The Game of the King trilogy by Reyves Lorenzoni, Rubyo will do everything to find the ring that proves the legitimacy of his coronation. His quest will take him back to his birthplace, but he is captured by enemy troops and faces the king of the orcs, Inak Trodar. Betrayed by a spy infiltrated in his group, Rubyo is imprisoned by the queen of Alferes, his former stepmother, who sees him as a symbol of her husband’s betrayal. After years in prison, an ancient master offers Rubyo a plan to reclaim his kingdom.
With illustrations and detailed map, In Search of the Crown offers readers a rich and engaging literary experience. Reyves Lorenzoni further enriches the story with details of the characters on their social networks, explaining how each one contributes to the plot.
Reyves Lorenzoni is a cardiologist from Taubaté (SP), a city that was home to great fiction writers such as Monteiro Lobato and Mazzaropi. He considers himself one of Final Fantasy’s biggest fans and loves playing music, taking pictures and having barbecues with his wife, daughter and dog.
Promoting a true journey between kingdoms, his new book “Em Busca da Coroa”, tells the story of Rubyo Hant, who, being a poor bastard, ended up taking refuge in an enemy kingdom, even though he was the only heir to the kingdom of Minalkar. Could you tell us a little about how you came up with the idea of developing this narrative?
When I started writing the story of this book, I was going through a very complicated personal and professional moment, as it was the height of Covid-19. As an emergency physician, I was losing patients every day, and writing this book was, above all, a kind of therapy for me. For this to work, the basis of the story had to be one of overcoming, of someone with few resources to fight, but with a noble motive that would not let him give up.
His writing is very reminiscent of some epic stories, such as “Prince Caspian” (Lewis, CS), among others that talk about reigns. Does writing a narrative that at the same time deals with real stories from the medieval era and at the same time unites elements of fiction to keep the reader active in history, becomes a difficult task?
I think it makes it easier. Using elements that exist in the real world saves several pages that would explain concepts and situations, for example, which leaves you more time to describe the fantasy part, such as the magic system, for example, and the fantastic beings present in the work’s own mythology .
In history, as the son of the late King Edmund VI, Ruby Hant was given as the biggest bet on which the people placed their hopes for one day to recover their kingdom, and armed with his strength, he does everything to return the lands. for your nation. How was the development of this character conceived and how did his creative process work for the story?
From the beginning, I wanted Rubyo to live with a feeling divided between his own desires and his duties as heir to the kingdom, and for that, it was important to point out that he never wanted to be a king, but that responsibility ended up falling into his lap. There was no specific creative process, as this book was not scripted. I started from that premise and started writing, following a technique known as the “Gardener Writer”, described by George RR Martin (author of Game of Thrones).
One of the great ones used to mark the story is precisely the “climax”, the one that would be the most intense moment of the narrative. In the middle of the journey, Rubyo Hant, leaves in search of a ring that would prove the legitimacy of his heart, however, he is captured by enemy troops. In your opinion as an author, what was the main moment that marked you when writing this story?
Trying to avoid spoilers, I’ll say that it’s the end of the fight between Rubyo and her father’s tormentor. I hadn’t planned the events that would follow immediately after this scene, and it turned out to be so impactful for me that after writing it, I didn’t go back to the book until about two weeks later.
His book actually ends up going through several memorable moments, including the famous “plost twist”, where one of his friends turns out to be an infiltrated spy and Rubyo ends up becoming a prisoner of the queen of Alferes, who, in addition to being his ex-stepmother, is also says the boy is the biggest symbol of shame in her life – her husband’s betrayal. How was the development of that moment worked? Did you used to write with your head or had you already pre-developed a script?
As I said before, this book was not scripted, so I wrote as ideas popped into my head. Previously, I only had Carbium’s conception of the world, as well as its religious, political and geographical background, so practically all events were developing gradually. I wanted Rubyo to be betrayed, as that would be part of his development as a person, and even more so as a king, who needs to choose exactly who to trust. Other than that betrayal would have to have a high price, which ended up being his own freedom, and almost his life.
After years spent with him as a prisoner, he does not give up helping his people, and ends up facing a battle with other convicts to embark towards a new continent. The big question ends up being whether the love for the people and family will make him become king one day. Can you imagine how you, Reyves Lorenzoni Batista would act in such a situation?
My conduct would probably be quite similar. Not that Ruby or any other character is autobiographical, but the values contained in this book are exactly what I believe in and what I try to live with my family, friends and patients, especially the central issue of the book, which is Sacrifice.
Regarding the release of “Em Busca da Coroa”, this is the first volume of what will become a trilogy entitled “O Jogo do Rei”, and that in addition to the book’s story, the experience is enriched with maps and illustration , as well as images of the characters on social networks. What are your expectations for the two sequels and do you believe they managed to surpass this first volume?
I particularly believe that this story tends to only get better. My original idea for The King’s Game is the story I will tell in the second book in the series, scheduled for next year. All the events in that first book were supposed to be just four or five chapters of a single work, but the story developed and I didn’t want to cut down on places, characters or events that were so important. With the characters more mature, even deeper themes can be tackled, and I am very excited to share the events to come with my readers.
Although the book is a story that involves us in a fictional way, do you believe that there are many lessons in your work that can be used in our lives?
No doubt. When I started writing this story, I wanted a refuge from my own problems, and I couldn’t find anything from the content of books, movies or series that could get me out of that state I was living in due to the pandemic. So I decided to write my own story, and for that, it had to be a story worth telling. Before any Fantasy or Fiction label, Rubyo’s journey is about Family, Friendship, Honor, Duty and, above all, Sacrifices for those you love.
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