The Clearing author commentary continues! SPOILER WARNING is in effect, especially for this one, as I discuss the climax of the book and what it means for the series as a whole!

Building the climax

I went back and forth on so many elements of this book. One thing, however, remained crystal clear right from the start and that was the climax.

The entire trip to the forest, from the crash to the major character death, to the escape, played through my thoughts for months on end. The reveal over what happened to the citizens of Bellbrook and the implications of the Witness’ experiment served, in my mind, as a crucial launch point–not only for the series as a whole, but for Ben Riley’s tenure as an agent of the DSA.

People as trees

It’s far-fetched, I know. Every once in awhile I look back and wonder if it was a major misstep having such a bizarre case as the opening book in the series.

But I still love the twist. It strikes such a horrific chord, that first image of the tree bleeding and then the loss of Ruth to the virus, that it still haunts me.

Leaving the science alone and focusing on the fiction aspect, I knew the threat needed to be higher for this opening gambit. This couldn’t be some isolated incident that gets swept away and forgotten. There needed to be stakes, and whether it is through the escape of the Witness who promises that this is only the beginning, or the arrival of General Adams who tries to burn the experiment away, this book will have lasting implications for seasons to come.

Killing Ruth

I would like to say this was a tough call. It wasn’t. She was fodder from the start. If you look back at the book, there is a reason Lincoln is the POV character for their introduction. In fact, she doesn’t take the lead in the narration at all during her time in the book. Everyone else tells her story, and that’s how it ended.

Will she be back? Did Adams’ men burn her with the rest of the forest that night?

No comment. Okay, one comment: keep reading.

Ominous tidings

Setting things up is always a fun game, and the DSA is rife with foreshadowing events. The Witness’ entire M.O. is to lead the reader and the DSA on a merry chase.

I’ve always enjoyed those segments, building up long-standing mysteries to dole out piecemeal over time. The episodic nature of the series lends itself to this method of storytelling. Each book, while able to stand on its own, should be part of something bigger.

For The Clearing, the threat of the Witness remains open. The mystery of the trees remains unsolved. There are more questions than answers, and the book is designed to pull you back for the next chapter.

Now, if you were looking for Promethean to answer those questions and were disappointed… well…

Keep reading. (Especially Season 2, Book 4… HINT HINT)