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A CLockwork Melody

The cover image for A Clockwork Melody.

Have faith in your king, have faith in your country...

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A fabled kingdom suspended in the clouds, Aethelind is a paragon of innovation and wealth.  Mere months before the anniversary of the renowned peace accords between Aethia and Pharsat, the southern kingdom arrives ahead of schedule with a devastating accusation.  Tensions rise as conflict looms on the horizon, and the citizens find themselves caught in the crossfire of a devious political scheme.

 

With their way of life at stake, three unlikely heroes will be forced to reckon with the threat of war - and the truths they have been running from within themselves.

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A Clockwork Melody is available to purchase here and everywhere books are sold.

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Resources

The world map and the city map that appear at the beginning of the book.

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Maps

A list of some of the names of people, places, and things that may be more difficult to pronounce.

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Pronunciations

Content Warnings

General

A concise, vague list of all potentially triggering content appearing in the book.  This is exactly the same as the disclaimer that appears in the book itself, so you can take a look at it before you purchase the book to determine if the story is a good fit for you.

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Chapter-Specific

The list of triggers will now also include the chapters in which they take place, including mention of whether this occurs implicitly or explicitly.

Great care has been taken in keeping this list as spoiler-free as possible, but it may still ruin the element of surprise for you.

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Page-Specific

The list of triggers includes the chapters and pages in which they take place, including mention of whether this occurs implicitly or explicitly.

Great care has been taken in keeping this list as spoiler-free as possible, but it may still ruin the element of surprise for you.

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A list of triggers is a bit like an allergy list; if you don't need to watch out for the allergen, then this list won't be of interest to you.

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If you feel that there's a trigger missing from any of these lists, please reach out and let me know.

hello@dubhshlaine.com

Characters

The cast of characters in A Clockwork Melody

(This is intended as a visual companion guide for those actively reading the book; the information provided here may be spoilery if you haven't picked it up, yet!)

A young man with red hair and green eyes. His fair skin is lightly freckled and there is a scar on his chin. He wears a white undershirt beneath a dark brown coat.
A young man with red hair and green eyes. His fair skin is lightly freckled and there is a scar on his chin. He wears a white undershirt beneath a dark brown coat.

Jasper

A blacksmith living in Caelfall, Jasper also works as an errand boy for Varus Emery, a notorious kingpin.  He is the next-door neighbour and childhood friend of Charlotte.

A young man with blonde hair partially tied back from his face, with piercing blue eyes. There are faded scars across his eye and down his cheek, and his chin dimples when he smiles. He wears a dark tunic with a loose, vaguely-floral pattern.
A young man with blonde hair partially tied back from his face, with piercing blue eyes. There are faded scars across his eye and down his cheek, and his chin dimples when he smiles. He wears a dark tunic with a loose, vaguely-floral pattern.

Gideon

The noble and dashing captain of the royal guard, Gideon is a close friend of both Charlotte and Jasper.

A young woman with dark brown, curly hair, strong brows, and hazel-green eyes. She has brown freckled skin, a button nose, and full lips.
A young woman with dark brown, curly hair, strong brows, and hazel-green eyes. She has brown freckled skin, a button nose, and full lips.

Charlotte

The only daughter of Samuel Winston, Charlotte helps her father run their family bakery.  When she isn't ill with the side effects of her mysterious illness, Charlotte attends church services.

A young woman with dark hair and dark eyes stares back at the viewer. Her pale skin is covered with small scars, partially hidden by her hair, some visible along her upper lip, her brow, her cheekbone, and her jaw. She has a golden earring visible in her ear.
A young woman with dark hair and dark eyes stares back at the viewer. Her pale skin is covered with small scars, partially hidden by her hair, some visible along her upper lip, her brow, her cheekbone, and her jaw. She has a golden earring visible in her ear.

Maya

A ward of the church, Maya has befriended Charlotte and regards her as something of a big sister.  Little is known of the girl's past other than what the church acolytes have told her.

A young man with dark brown hair falling across his face, with a tanned complexion and dark brown eyes. He has three beauty marks on the left side of his face along his dimpled cheek. He wears a white shirt beneath a brown vest, and his ear is pierced with a hoop.
A young man with dark brown hair falling across his face, with a tanned complexion and dark brown eyes. He has three beauty marks on the left side of his face along his dimpled cheek. He wears a white shirt beneath a brown vest, and his ear is pierced with a hoop.

Dante

Having arrived in Aethelind from unknown origins, Dante has been living in abandoned cargo ships for an indeterminate amount of time.  His peaceful existence is soon upended.

A woman stares back at the viewer with pale red eyes, almost pink in appearance. Her tan skin is lightly freckled, and her dark hair is peppered with grey where it has been pulled back from her face. Her thin eyebrows are raised in an almost quizzical expression, and she wears silver earrings to match a silver broach at the collar of her navy blue dress.
A woman stares back at the viewer with pale red eyes, almost pink in appearance. Her tan skin is lightly freckled, and her dark hair is peppered with grey where it has been pulled back from her face. Her thin eyebrows are raised in an almost quizzical expression, and she wears silver earrings to match a silver broach at the collar of her navy blue dress.

Cary

A mysterious woman with various connections, Cary appears in multiple social circles.  She is a close friend of Jasper's as a fellow employee of Varus Emery, and she has a strained relationship with Charlotte.

Three people squeezed in close to fit in the photo frame, an auburn-haired young man with angular features and golden eyes on the left, and a blonde woman with strong features and blue eyes on the right. The man in the middle is almost entirely obscured by a development aberration, a sort of lens-flare covering everything except his right eye; what we can see is that he has dark hair and brown skin. The red-headed man and the blonde woman are both wearing wedding bands on their left hands, visible where they are positioned on the middle man's shoulders.
Three people squeezed in close to fit in the photo frame, an auburn-haired young man with angular features and golden eyes on the left, and a blonde woman with strong features and blue eyes on the right. The man in the middle is almost entirely obscured by a development aberration, a sort of lens-flare covering everything except his right eye; what we can see is that he has dark hair and brown skin. The red-headed man and the blonde woman are both wearing wedding bands on their left hands, visible where they are positioned on the middle man's shoulders.

Haeyin, Varus, Eleni

The doctor of Caelfall, the kingpin of Aethelind, and the owner of Hourglass Books in Briardeen.

A regal young woman stares into the camera with pale red eyes, clothed in a lavender, high-necked gown and sporting elegant silver earrings. Her pallid skin is slightly flushed, and her white hair is braided in a crown around her head. There is a beauty mark below her right eye. At her side stands an older woman with a protective stance, a stern expression on her lined face. She appears to be in her mid-forties, similarly red eyes staring at the viewer, her steel-grey hair braided back and shaved on one side. There is a dark line of ink tattooed along the bridge of her nose and across either cheek. She wears what appears to be a fur collar over her clothing.
A regal young woman stares into the camera with pale red eyes, clothed in a lavender, high-necked gown and sporting elegant silver earrings. Her pallid skin is slightly flushed, and her white hair is braided in a crown around her head. There is a beauty mark below her right eye. At her side stands an older woman with a protective stance, a stern expression on her lined face. She appears to be in her mid-forties, similarly red eyes staring at the viewer, her steel-grey hair braided back and shaved on one side. There is a dark line of ink tattooed along the bridge of her nose and across either cheek. She wears what appears to be a fur collar over her clothing.

Princess Aurelia, Fortia

The heir to the throne and her guardian, the formidable Reinnairlei warrior.

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