Explore Leira Blog Tour: K is for Ky Huntyr

I have a thing for characters by the name of Ky. (Cai, Kai and Kye work too.) When I stumbled across the Songkeeper Chronicles (actually, it was probably my sister who found them, but I do enough stumbling for us both so yeah.) (I'm not sure how that side note got so off track in one sentence.) I fell in love with Ky Huntyr immediately.

And today you guys get to hear all about him!!!

Author Gillian Bronte Adams is here today and she's going to give a rundown of this super epic Ky-fellow who Jane won't stop flailing over.

So without further ramblings, I'll hand over the stage to Gillian!

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Thanks, Jane, for hosting me here and helping me celebrate the (almost) one year book birthday for Songkeeper! (If this is your first encounter with the blog tour, we are continuing a series of alphabet posts looking at the world and characters and magical creatures of the Songkeeper Chronicles. And you can follow the tour at Gillian's website and find a list of all the stops at #exploreleira tour.) And we also have an awesome giveaway that you can enter at the end!

Today, we’re looking at the letter …

K is for Ky Huntyr

Oddly enough, it is sometimes easier to write one of these spotlight posts about a minor or secondary character than one of the major point of view characters. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps because there is so much information about these main characters spinning around inside my head, that it’s hard to translate that firestorm into words on a page.


So what is it that makes Ky who he is? He is not the biggest or the strongest, not the fastest or the bravest, not the smartest or the most well-spoken. He isn’t always right, even when he is convinced that he is. But he has conviction and the courage to back it up, and he cares deeply about those he seeks to protect.

Ky lives in the occupied city of Kerby. Five years before the events of Orphan’s Song, the soldiers of the Takhran, the Khelari, took over the city. They established a digging works along the banks of the River Adayn just outside the city walls. Not long after, people began to disappear. Taken, by the dark soldiers.

Three years before Orphan’s Song, Ky’s parents were taken. Forced onto the streets, he found refuge and a new “home” in the Underground, where he was paired as a “younger brother” to Dizzier to learn the ropes. 
When it came to training, Dizzier preferred to literally hammer his point home with punches. Ky is too free-thinking for his own good. In the Underground, survival is key … but Ky just couldn’t master the art of survival at the expense of others. Somewhere in between dodging dark soldiers, avoiding Dizzier, and nicking enough bread and apples from the market to contribute his fair share, Ky met Paddy and made a fast friend.


Paddy chuckled softly. “You’re such a fool, y’ know that, Ky?”
He snorted. “Thanks, friend.”
–Orphan’s Song


In many ways, Paddy is far more his brother than Dizzier.

For a weapon, Ky chose a sling that he wears wrapped around his waist like a belt. Like all in the Underground, he must undergo sword training in the Ring, but something about the blades always strikes him as unbalanced and clunky. He will wield a blade in a pinch, but only then.

We see the roots of Ky’s character in Orphan’s Song but he really blossoms and grows in Songkeeper. When the world falls apart, a person’s true mettle is revealed, and that is true of Ky. He’s got guts and plenty of them. We love to see heroes overcome, and Ky is an overcomer. Knock him down, and he’ll drag himself back to his feet. Weaving and staggering to keep from falling again.

But standing ... and sometimes that is enough.


Cade was halfway across the room by the time Ky managed to lurch to his feet. Head spinning, he yanked the sling from his waist, snatched a rock from the cavern floor, and relying on feel rather than sight, sent it zinging against the blade in Cade’s hand.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and forced himself to stand straight. “The fight’s not over.”
– Songkeeper


What makes Ky who he is?

His indomitable spirit. He simply will not give up. Driven by conviction and hope, he rises and rises and rises again, determined to stand for what he believes to be right.


Trivia Question: What item does Ky “nick” in the market place in Orphan’s Song to earn a place in Cade’s approval?

What character qualities do you admire most in your favorite characters?

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Check out the links below for a place to purchase the books:

Amazon: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper

Barnes and Nobles: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper

And before you leave, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! 

One lucky winner will take home a copy of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and a gorgeous handmade mug. Two lucky winners will take home copies of Songkeeper! Open to international entries. Enter through the Rafflecopter below and be sure to visit Gillian's website to continue following the blog tour. You can earn new entries for each post that you visit along the way. 
Winners will be announced after April 15th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GILLIAN BRONTE ADAMS is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, coffee-loving speculative fiction author from the great state of Texas. During the day, she manages the equestrian program at a youth camp. But at night, she kicks off her boots and spurs, pulls out her trusty laptop, and transforms into a novelist. She is the author of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and Out of Darkness Rising. Visit Gillian online at her blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.

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What character qualities do you admire most in your favorite characters?
Interested in reading these books yet?
(hint: the answer is yes)
Check out my reviews here: Orphan's Song, Songkeeper