Curse of Magic introduced one of the most crucial characters to the Fairy Tale Enchantress series–and even the Timeless Fairy Tale world: Liliane, the series’ villain.
Really she’s more like the lead villain. She has her henchmen like Suzu and her own son Acri, so by no means is she doing this alone. Liliane was a tricky character to design because I didn’t want her to be a dark, mysterious threat looming in the background. I wanted to ground her character so she was a tangible enemy. Moreover, I wanted her character to be unusual–or something not often seen as a fantasy villain.
So I chose to make my lead villain a female, a mother, and I gave her a beautiful bright appearance. Most books I’ve read that have female characters as villains really vamp it up so they wear dark colors and are more of a temptress type. Liliane is beautiful, but if you were judging only by her appearance you’d say she looks more like a kind enchantress than a seductress of evil.
Also, as I said earlier, she’s a mom. Acri is a little closer to the typical YA villain–except in the way he clearly respects and listens to his mother. And he is about Evariste’s age, so he’s not some pushover teenager who doesn’t know any better. (Which makes you wonder…what does he know that makes him so quickly follow his mother’s leadership??)
I also gave Liliane powers that weren’t inherently evil–her ability to summon any creature she paints gets uncomfortably close to edging in on Evariste’s portal magic. (Though Evariste’s magic is more rare and more powerful.)
All of Evariste’s scenes were painstakingly designed and written to reveal tiny bits about Liliane and her cohorts. (In fact, I spent the most time on Evariste’s scenes–a pattern that looks like it’s going to repeat for Reign of Magic.) So keep a special eye on his scenes, and know that even the Lord Enchanter hasn’t gotten a full measure of Liliane’s depths just yet.
And as a side reference, Suzu is probably the most prominent member of Liliane’s entourage, and you can find her in lots of different Timeless Fairy Tale books–though she’s rarely referenced by name. You’ll get to learn more about her in Reign of Magic–Acri, too, though CoM serves as his introduction and lets you witness his magic. A good start to his future endeavors.
But as you wait for the next book, don’t let Liliane sway you into thinking she’s a shallow villain with no substance. Because that’s exactly what she wants you to think. But if you study her carefully, you might uncover more than you expect.