It seems that whenever we see a good movie or read a great book, there are always characters our hearts go out to. Some people may become more emotionally exposed than others (crying, yelling and what have you), but we certainly respond to the characters' experiences with empathy and sympathy and invest ourselves in their welfare, especially if we find ourselves intimately connected with them.
About a week or so ago, I received an email about "the feels" experienced by one reader as she read each of my books. It was one of my favorite fan emails thus far. But there was a catch: this email also came with a challenge, a very good challenge.
"Now that you know how much I love these stories and how big of a sucker I am for them, can I give you a challenge? I challenge you to write a blog post where you list your top five feels moments from the books you've published so far, including both the Kingdom Chronicles and Oblivion's Gate. That's something I'd really love to see..."
It was quite a challenge, but I accepted it, and at last my five are ready. Are you ready? I hope so, 'cause were we go.
S. R. Ford's Top Five "Feels" (So Far)
5. "Fallon was gone" (The Elements and the Exodus)
Three tragic words that kindle feelings of panic, terror and fury. The group has just won a major battle, the world is bright and cheery, a whole city is singing for joy, and everything should be happily ever after; but no. While no one is paying attention, Shunul appears. He reveals that they've played right into his hands, and in a fell swoop he kidnaps Fallon. There is no trail to follow--there's not even a hint that Fallon's still alive, and yet the world sings on merrily, oblivious that anything has happened.
4. Axsem (The Kingdom Chronicles)
I can never get over how much I love Axsem's entire character. This may be cheating a bit, but I count him as one large "feels" moment. Everyone has a story they never want to tell, something they wish they could forget but can't because it makes them who they are. Imagine what it would be like to know that you were the only surviving piece of something that was once great and good, something you had to watch sink into decay and destroy itself. Imagine you had to survive by living on only promises and faith that something good was going to come. Imagine how that would define you. In the Kingdom and the Crown Axsem first appears bitter and hateful--a racist man covered in thick emotional scar tissue, but as he is forced to recount the downfall of his nation and aid in its rebirth, we see the true Axsem emerge from the guilt, heartache and loneliness. Axsem, to me, models the strongest type of person. Yes, he may have lost his way and let darkness and pain overcome him for a time, but in the end he proved to be one of the most kindhearted people one could ever hope to meet.
3. Dan's Dream of Alice (Mimgardr)
The relationship between Dan and Alice Barker is beautiful. Any two siblings that share a bond like these two is lucky, and any who deliberately push away such an one are foolish. The story Dan tells of Alice in Mimgardr is so tender and loving that when he closes with the statement "She was my Christmas, Aaron, and now she's gone," your heart can't help but ache. And that feeling only multiplies when he dreams of her a few chapters later. Right before Alice passes through the gateway into Hafenu, leaving Dan alone in the darkness, you get to understand just how he and Alice feel about each other and the pain of their separation, feelings many people around the world perfectly empathize or sympathize with.
2. Zarrys's Revocation (The Elements and the Exodus)
There are really only a few experiences that I think generate more intense feels than the death of someone you love dearly, and this is one of them. At the end of the Kingdom and the Crown, Zarrys had become perfectly familiar with Vagahem (a GOD), had been filled with power and light, had a strong connection with a companion, had seen his post-mortal parents, had been crowned king, shown a vision of potential future events, and topped it all of by taking Namine's hand in marriage. It was really a cloud nine moment. However, as book two goes along, we watch Zarrys's personality contradicting with his better judgment until he makes a mistake that costs him everything. All of the goodness he had been given is torn away from him and he is left to wallow in the same darkness as Malystryx. His power, foresight, connections, influence--everything--is stripped away from him. Can you imagine what that would be like? Can you imagine the hellish agony?
1. The Death of Ilia (Mimgardr)
Why does this beat the rejection of a god? Because that's something I don't think any of us can perfectly empathize with. None of us have known a god intimately and been given earth-bending powers and psychic connections and then lost them. But there are many out there who have lost a spouse, and that pain is exquisite.
In the case of Dan and Ilia, though, it goes a bit deeper into feels territory. When the Battle of Mimgardr begins, Dan's family is gone, his friendships are wavering, he thinks his in-laws have rejected him, his self-esteem is shot, and the list goes on. In the midst of the battle, he learns that he's a pawn in Morgan's plan and is being sacrificed to destroy the Fallen. Finally, at the end of the battle, victory is won and Dan is actually hailed as a hero by the Asketillians. Perhaps things are going to be all right. But then a man appears and attempts to stab Dan in the back while his guard is down and is only stopped by Ilia who appears between them and takes the blade through her stomach.
The last anchor in Dan's life begins to slip away from that moment on: the murderer escapes, Ilia's mutation is revealed, and any hope of a healthy relationship with Merlin is obliterated shortly before Ilia dies. Then Merlin is killed and Dan, marked as a murderer, flees to his island with Ilia's body, hoping beyond hope that he can still revive her.
Not only did Dan lose his bride that day in Mimgardr, he lost everything, including himself. Tell me that doesn't hit you right in the feels.
So there you have it. Those are my top five "feels" (so far), out of the many I had to choose from.
Now I turn the challenge to you. What are your top five "feels" from my books? Answer in the comments section below, or shoot me an email!
Happy reading!
