Hello friend! A few months back, author Sydney Philippe had shared about researching a novel set thousands of years ago. In today’s post we will learn more about Sydney and his book, Spirits of the Sun.
Get to know the author: Sydney Philippe
Welcome to Armed with A Book, Stephanie! Tell me and my readers a bit about yourself!
Sydney Philippe is the pen name for Julian Sydney Wright.
I live in the City of Bath, England, with Jhell and our young son called Philippe.
I originally studied biological sciences and researched irrigation systems for hot climates, working as a project manager for a large company. Then I became a schoolteacher and a lecturer in Higher Education. I also developed a software application called the Growing Plants Interactive Encyclopaedia, which is used by horticulturists around the world. My other interests include flying hang gliders, sub-aqua, and being a scout leader.
I have worked in several countries, including the Philippines where I first became concerned about the ‘pollination crisis’ caused by the loss of pollinating insects, especially bees. This problem damages agriculture and the environment. It also negatively affects the economy and the wider society. Trying to improve the situation, I created a website called www.beephilippines.info and worked to encourage beekeeping in Asia.
What inspired you to write this book?
My work to re-introduce bees into the Philippines stimulated further research into humanity’s relationship with nature, which led eventually to writing a dramatic novel, Spirits of the Sun
How long did it take you to write this book, from the first idea to the last edit?
On and off, about 6 years.
What makes your story unique?
This is a story unlike any other… a story from thousands of years ago. It is a story of ‘love’ struggling to survive amid the harsh primal urges of our tribal humanity.
Who would enjoy reading your book?
Adults, or young adults, who enjoy any combination of adventure, suspense, nature, lust, and love.
What’s something you hope readers would take away from it?
To better understand our ‘primal urges’ and to better appreciate our original relationship with nature.
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in the book that you find yourself going back to?
‘What would you do for love?’
You mentioned this is the first book of a series. How many books are there? Do you have ideas for another series or story?
I have in mind three at least: ‘Spirits of the Sun’ ‘Islands of the Sun’ ‘Children of the Sun’
What is something you have learned on your debut author journey so far?
At first you are precious about this thing you created, but then you learn to let go.
What’s the best piece of advice you have received?
Be brave. You’ve written the book, so now don’t be afraid of people reading it.
If you could give a shout out to someone(s) who has helped in your writer journey, please feel free to mention them below!
A couple of neighbours who have given me constant encouragement for years!
Spirits of the Sun
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Year: 2022
A story of lust, love, pride and power, and protecting those we care about. Spirits of the Sun is based on genuine historical events in the rich tropical rainforests of Indonesia.
Melati, a young Malay girl, is wanted as a bride by the old chief of a powerful Java tribe. Her tribe reject the marriage proposal and the Java tribe threaten to attack. To escape the Java, the Malay try to build a big boat to sail to another land – but before their boat is ready, a callous murder shatters the fragile peace between the tribes.
Bandri, her older brother, tries to identify the murderer, create trust, and prevent any further violence. But tensions escalate when a relationship develops between two Java girls and another Malay tribesman. Now all the Malay are in danger. Can Bandri prevent a tribal war? Can the Malay survive – or will they all be slaughtered?
Content notes as declared by the author: The climax of the story includes killings and a rape. However, these acts are not gratuitous and useful resolutions are derived for the reader.
Book Excerpt from
Spirits of the Sun
Yearning
Bandri shades his eyes from the glaring Sun.
‘Harta, look up there.’
They both scramble up the rocky slope. Soon, they reach a flatter area where several towering trees have dark crescent shapes hanging among the branches.
Bandri walks past the sprawling buttressed trunk of the first tree, through a shaded glade, until he reaches the next tree. This one looks easier to climb. He shrugs off his rattan backpack and drops it on the forest floor.
‘Alright, let’s try this one.’
He can feel the beads of perspiration trickling down his back. The heat is building. Although they set out at first light, by now the Sun has risen higher into the sky. He turns to find Harta slumped down on a fallen tree trunk.
What’s he looking at?
Bandri walks back and sits down on the ground in front of the trunk, spreading his arms across the mossy bark. A gently gusting breeze cools his bare chest. This high up, they can see out over the lush rainforests covering the slopes of the Tongkoko mountain all the way down to the coast.
Light mist steams off the thick green vegetation. The Sun and breeze are thinning and twisting the mist, and he can see whites, reds, and yellows in the green where trees are in bloom. He imagines stepping off this cliff and being able to walk on top of a sumptuous living carpet.
In the broad turquoise bay, he can see coral reefs, dark as if they had been scribbled with charcoal, with white surf trailing away in places. Laid out on the water in the distance are Talisei and Bangka. Beyond these two islands, the ocean horizon stretches across like a taut bowstring between the headlands of the bay. And all of this is bathed in the glorious early morning sunlight beneath a pure blue sky.
‘Beautiful,’ he says out loud.
‘Is it?’ says Harta. ‘I can see Bitoi from here.’
He resists the urge to snap back an answer. Instead, he looks silently towards Bitoi where he can see the inlet on the other side of the mangrove swamp and the tops of the trees surrounding the Java village.
Did they kill Father?
The pain of this thought wrenches his stomach and spills sourness onto his tongue. Six moons have come and gone since they committed Father to the Sun Spirit, but it still hurts like it was yesterday.
Six moons since the day Agung found Father in the forest and carried him back to the village. And I can still see the arrows in Father’s body and how he had twisted his neck in the agony of dying.
Whenever he remembers, a deep black hole opens in the middle of his chest. Even now, it feels like the hole will suck him in. He needs to escape by walking around the hole and thinking of something else, like good times in the past or what must be done for the future.
‘Bitoi killed Father,’ says Harta. ‘Didn’t they?’
‘Maybe,’ he answers. ‘But we don’t know. It could have been another tribe.’
Harta huffs. ‘Oh yeah, I know they did it.’
Bandri focuses his eyes on Bangka Island.
Father and me paddled out to Bangka, and when we climbed to the highest point, we could see no other land out there. Nothing as far as our eyes could see. But there we stood looking all around, happy and proud, together.
He often thinks of Bangka’s summit. Looking at the island now, he imagines it to be a sea monster suspended in the act of breaking the surface. At one end, there is a plume of mist, as if the monster is breathing out, before sucking in another breath to plunge back into the depths.
It’s a big sea. I pray we don’t sink. But we have to get away from the Java this season.
‘This is the dry season,’ he says. ‘We made it through the rains. But now we need more bronze to finish the boat.’
‘We can’t find any green rock.’
‘So young brother, we have to keep looking.’
He scans the cliffs, hoping to catch sight of a patch of green. Please Spirits, let us find some bronze ore.
‘I know Bitoi killed Father.’
‘Harta, try looking at the beauty,’ he says, waving a hand over the splendor below. ‘Look at all this.’
‘Yeah, but I still hate Bitoi.’
The ground shivers for some moments – earth tremors are nothing unusual. ‘Tongkoko has an itch,’ he says.
‘Because mountains don’t forget,’ says Harta.
‘You need to think of the future, brother.’
‘I’ll always hate Bitoi.’
‘Try to think about our children.’
‘Our children?’
‘Yes, young brother. We will have children – but only if we look to the future and build a strong boat.’
Interested?
Spirits of the Sun is available on Amazon and you can also find it on Goodreads.
Thank you for hanging out with us today. Connect with Sydney on his website.
If you are an indie author and would like to do a book excerpt, check out my work with me page for details. Check out other book excerpts here.
Cover image: Photo on Unsplash
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