Iain Kelly

My A-Z theme this year is a guide to my trilogy of novels called ‘The State Trilogy’. Set in an unnamed island country known only as ‘The State’, in the imagined near future, the books follow the intertwining stories of a number of characters, principally a State police detective named Danny Samson and an assassin, Gabriella Marino, over a period of six years. It begins with the assassination of an elected official and spirals into revolution and civil war. Part political thriller, action story, war story and dystopian science fiction, the trilogy took three years to complete and the books are available to read now – you can find links to purchase them HERE

In The State Trilogy, ‘H’ stands for:

Heroism: Danny Samson is the nominal ‘hero’ of the trilogy, but I wanted to make him human. He’s no Jack Reacher or Batman or Superman. He’s an ordinary man with many weaknesses and issues – he’s no good with a gun or in a fight, he’s not physically superior, he isn’t military-trained or a great tactician or thinker. One thing he definitely is, is a good man, and his heroism stems from that. Meanwhile, Gabriella has all the attributes of a hero, and is more in the mould of a ‘Jack Reacher’-style character, but her morals are less black and white than a normal hero. She will kill for money and ask no questions, she has served in the State Army on some questionable missions, and the only moral code she lives by is her own view of what is right or wrong.

Henrik James: Danny Samson’s detective partner in the Central City State police, who is also assigned to the investigation into the assassination of Consul Donald Parkinson at the start of ‘A Justified State’. He is the opposite of Danny, and the two don’t see eye-to-eye on most things. Henrik does things by the book and is on the fast track to promotion – helped by his father being the Chief Commander of the Central City force. As they are drawn into the investigation together, Henrik becomes closer to Danny, and this follows on into the following books, when Henrik begins to question some of the State’s, and his father’s, actions.  

Hanlen Samson: Danny and Rosalind Samson’s son, twin of Isla, who both died shortly after birth. The memory of Hanlen and Isla, and the helplessness and powerlessness that Danny feels about their death haunts him, in his dreams and nightmares. He often wonders if they made the right choice to choose a natural birth for the twins, instead of the modern science and medicine that could have saved them.

HighLand City: The city in the far north-east of the State, based loosely on Inverness and Aberdeen in the north of Scotland. It becomes the final holdout of the Independents in the civil war with the State Army.

Hansel: One of the elders of the village where Danny Samson finds refuge after fleeing Central City. The group of elders are in charge of the commune and responsible for making the decisions about how the village is run.

Hassan: Another villager from the wilderness, Hassan comes from a military background and often leads the raiding parties that travel to the city to collect supplies for the village. A loyal and imposing soldier, who becomes a trusted ally of Danny.

Harris Ellroy: Field Marshall Ellroy is in charge of all branches of the State military both at home and abroad and answers only to the State Chancellor in military policy. He has been responsible for the conduct of the State in the First Strike War, and then takes personal charge of commanding the State forces against the rebels in the civil war in Central City. Although a decorated officer, he has become a ‘yes’ man to Chancellor Lucinda Románes, following her orders and crossing boundaries he knows he should not cross.

Horace Frinks: A journalist who works for The Senate Star, a media outlet that is controlled and owned by the State, and the ruling Central Alliance Party. Horace, and his fellow journalists Timothy Pigeon and Kelvin Mothersby, represent the problems of State-controlled media in a world were diverse and dissenting views are stifled. This is a problem not just for State-controlled outlets, but private media companies that have a political and profit-driven agenda. Horace is the counterbalance in ‘State Of Denial’ to Maxine Aubert, an old-fashioned, principled journalist who is dedicated to finding out the truth and holding those in power to account.

Next up – I is for: The Independents, Immigration and Isolationism, Isla Samson and Ishmael Nelson

All the entries in the A-Z of ‘The State Trilogy’ can be found HERE

The books are available from a wide selection of online retailers, including AMAZON

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