Having read and enjoyed Such Sweet Sorrow, my review of which will be posted tomorrow, I’m delighted to have author Jenny Trout here on the blog to talk about the mythology behind the novel.
by Jenny Trout
Series: Such Sweet Sorrow #1
Genre: Fantasy, Mythological, Classic Retelling
Paperback: 304 Pages
Publication: February 4, 2014
by Entangled Teen
Never was there a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo…But true love never dies. Though they’re parted by the veil between the world of mortals and the land of the dead, Romeo believes he can restore Juliet to life, but he’ll have to travel to the underworld with a thoroughly infuriating guide.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, may not have inherited his father’s crown, but the murdered king left his son a much more important responsibility—a portal to the Afterjord, where the souls of the dead reside. When the determined Romeo asks for help traversing the treacherous Afterjord, Hamlet sees an opportunity for adventure, and the chance to avenge his father’s death.
In an underworld filled with leviathan monsters, ghoulish shades, fire giants and fierce Valkyrie warriors, Hamlet and Romeo must battle their way through jealousy, despair, and their darkest fears to rescue the fair damsel. Yet finding Juliet is only the beginning, and the Afterjord doesn’t surrender souls without a price. . .
So Many Myths, So Little Space
Norse mythology absolutely fascinates me. There’s all sorts of crazy stuff going on. There’s a tree called Yggrdrasil, with an eagle on top and a dragon on the bottom, and this squirrel named Ratatoskr whose job it is to just run back and forth between the two, going, “You’re never gonna believe what this guy is saying about you.” Everybody knows Loki from the Marvel comics and movies, but did you know that he turned into a mare and mated with a stallion? Seriously, Norse mythology is confounding.
I wanted to work as much mythology into Such Sweet Sorrow as I possibly could. I envisioned the Afterjord, the underworld in the book, as primarily Norse, but then little things started popping up. Sheol, the land of the dead from the Old Testament. The Washer at The Ford, from Celtic lore. And I found, to my surprise, that these things all kind of… fit. I started thinking of the Afterjord as less a Norse afterlife, but more an amalgamation of all cultures’ stories. Romeo, Juliet, and Hamlet find themselves fighting Valkyrie, but they’re also faced with Sirens from Greek myths and the Anakim from the Book of Enoch (or at least, my version of these creatures).
There was no trick to finding the myths I wanted to include. “What about the seven deadly sins?” “What if dragons?!” Yes, really, this is a question I asked my agent and Nick Harris at the Story Foundation, word for word: “What if dragons?!” That idea was politely shut down. Thank god they still wanted me to write the book, with amazing grammar skills like that.
But as I was saying, there was no trick to finding myths to put into the book. The trick was winnowing them down. Drawing from too many sources and cramming them into a story already overflowing with nods to various belief systems would smack of, “Look at how much research I did! Be impressed with me!” But adding too few details doesn’t exactly build a world. Part of finding the balance was realizing that I didn’t have to show the reader every facet of every belief system. I could craft these creatures into what I needed for my story, and let the reader go from there, if they’re interested. The internet is a wonderful thing; if someone wants to know more about Fenrir, they can find scads of information in no time.
So, if you’re an author or an aspiring author, remember that about ten percent of your research is going to end up in your novel, and it’s okay not to turn a Shakespeare-based adventure story into a doctoral thesis on Odin’s ravens. And if you’re a reader, consider seeking out the sources for whatever paranormal creature you’re reading about. You might find some really cool stuff. Like a squirrel whose cosmic job is running back and forth gossiping.
I can’t believe I couldn’t fit that into the book.
Jenny Trout is an author, blogger, and funny person. Writing as Jennifer Armintrout, she made the USA Today bestseller list with Blood Ties Book One: The Turning. Her novel American Vampire was named one of the top ten horror novels of 2011 by Booklist Magazine Online. She is a proud Michigander, mother of two, and wife to the only person alive capable of spending extended periods of time with her without wanting to kill her.
This post is a part of the Such Sweet Sorrow Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours
For the full tour schedule, click here
1 Prize pack of Romeo and Juliette (2013 DVD), the Hamlet (2010 DVD), and 1 signed copy of Such Sweet Sorrow
2 paperbacks of Such Sweet Sorrow
International Prizes
3 eBooks of Such Sweet Sorrow
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Kbaby81 says
Love her books! I can't wait to read this!!