Hello! As I try to navigate the endless world of social media and self-marketing, I finally have a moment to settle down and write a post about Arrian's Lion, specifically the origins of the title.
If you haven't picked up your copy of AL yet, that's quite alright, but I will be referencing a crucial quote that lends itself to the course of my story well. You've been warned.
Arrian's Lion begins with two epigraphs, one from Machiavelli's The Prince, and the other from Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II. In The Prince, Machiavelli references the importance of leading as both a fox and a lion in what I would describe as the world's most famous job application (he wrote the book as a guide for new princes and royals, prefacing the work with a letter to Lorenzo de' Medici as if to say "please let me be your advisor"). This, of course, is where I found inspiration for my own lions-- my characters who struggle with taking control of their own lives, who have yet to master the art of politics in a world of royals and rogues, who struggle to tame the beast inside. There is more than one "lion" in Arrian's Lion, and I leave several clues for the reader to find when searching for my title's reference: Jay's birthday is in August, making him a Leo; Atlas is described in terms that are associated with a beast or lion; Kit and Jay seem unable to escape the "traps" of society and love. As for the title's specific reference, I can't say that one character is Arrian's Lion, but I know who Jay thinks it is, and that's who his story is dedicated to.
Arrian, my fictional kingdom taking inspiration from 17th-18th century France, England, and Spain, is named for the Greek historian and philosopher responsible for arguably the greatest account of Alexander the Great's military campaigns. While Arrian's primary sources are beginning to lose their authority, I wanted to name my setting after something or someone with great influence in Greek history and how it is perceived, as I make several Greek myth and historical references throughout my work.
Arrian's Lion is about to hit it's two month birthday. Thank you for your support thus far!
Keep reading,
A.J.