Frequently Asked Questions

How are some of the characters' names pronounced?
Many of the characters have names that contain no silent letters, so names like Erkrayne would be pronounced "er-KRAY-neh" instead of "er-krayn" and Kyse would be pronounced "KEE-zeh". The names that begin with Q, like Qonix, are pronounced with a "K" sound ("KAH-nicks") and names beginning with X are pronounced with a "Z" sound (think of words like "xylophone" and "xenophobe") so Xia's name would be pronounced "ZEE-yah" and Xorimahr's name would be pronounced "ZOH-reh-MAR".

Kiri and Gehndolyn briefly describe the different magics in Storm Watcher, but I'd like to know a little more. Are the different forms of magic described in any greater detail anywhere?
Yes; The Black Sword Of Xorimahr includes a glossary that gives more information not only on the different magics but the different races too.

The magic used by the characters seems extremely powerful. How exactly do these characters not become the strongest characters in the series?
Keep in mind that the characters who use magic draw their power from the land itself (except for those who use artificial magic; they draw from the energy of their own bodies). Think of these characters as being like bridges; when they use magic the energy flows through them from the land to wherever the spell is being cast. Magic requires a lot of energy and if a character uses too much magic he or she could very easily be killed by the surge. The stronger the magic, the greater the amount of energy that is needed. Anyone who has read Storm Watcher knows what happened to Gehndolyn when she used the Dominion Circle. It's true that characters who draw from the land for their power instead of their own bodies can cast more spells and generally last longer in a fight, but this does not make them invulernable. In The Black Sword Of Xorimahr, Xorimahr mentions being able to cast the Dominion Circle but choosing not to because of the great personal risk involved. Magic is a more dangerous tool than a skilled sorceror would have you believe.

Are the different races meant to be symbolic of the different races of people in the real world?
No. They are simply different races of beings at are meant to represent a more peaceful co-existence with the land.

The Shalrune race seems to possess enormous endurance. Why aren't they ruling the land, since they seem to be so strong?
Keep in mind that the Shalrunes don't want to rule the land. If the Shalrunes had the aggression and arrogance to match their stamina they could very likely take over the land, but they are not an ambitious race. They practice magic and study swordplay as a means of defense, and they don't consider the best defense to be a good offense. The Shalrunes attack no one unless they absolutely have to. Consider also that high endurance does not make the Shalrunes invincible; in Storm Watcher the Shalrunes of Makar are attacked in their own village and many are defeated -- and by humans, no less. The Shalrunes would rather live in peace than try and conquer other races.

Are we ever going to see a fourth Trials of Balance novel?
Hopefully. Mr. Henley is working on a fourth novel, and it will cover details mentioned in all of the current three novels. When it will be published, though, is anyone's guess.

So can any of the races interbreed?
No. Most of the races can, but not all of them. The Elves most easily interbreed because of the flexibility of their bloodlines, but there are certain combinations that are not possible.

I'm not really sure I understand why Gehndolyn refuses to allow anyone to address her with her last name.
Gehndolyn has a hatred for humans and wants as little to do with them as possible. She associates having a last name with being human, so she prefers to be addressed by her first name only as it allows her to feel more closely associated with the other races.

Villages have names, so why does the land itself not have a name?
The races feel that no one owns the land but the land owns them, so they view giving the land a specific name as arrogant and disrespectful. Their villages and towns have names, however, because they all need some way of knowing where in the land everyone lives or where specific events occur, and not assigning names to these places would make keeping track of all of that quite a challenge!

If the land doesn't have a name, why does the world have a name?
Actually, it doesn't. The world is referred to as "Sabrih", which means "the world" so anyone who uses that word is simply talking about the world. "Sabrih" is not considered to be the name of the world; it's just a word used by some to refer to it.