The Purple Widow
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I will be followed.
—Last lines
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The Purple Widow is a fantasy novel, written by homeschooled student Holly Hoyt at the age of twelve with the help of her ten-year-old brother, Jeffrey. It is the first and, so far, only released book in a series the two of them author jointly, known as the Omen Island Chain series.
The story is set in 1422 on the wealthiest island of eponymous chain, Coccinus, where a humanoid, pink-eyed species called Snamuhs reign and where humans are outcast. Prince James of Tommikia, Coccinus' sister island, sets sail to marry the Princess of Coccinus, whom he knew and befriended as a child; his squire and Irish human friend, Glen, tags along in hopes of finding a life beyond rags. Unknown to everyone, Prince James has been living a double life, passed onto him by his late grandfather, as a masked vigilante known as The Purple Widow. With the help of his recruits (side-kicks) and a sassy former-prostitute who deems herself Arachna, The Purple Widow vows to fufill his secret destiny and live in Coccinus to protect the Coccish peasantry from the dreaded Supatcos, who are at war with the Snamuhs and feed on human flesh. But chaos ensues when The Purple Widow meets Princess Danamorescia, who reveals she doesn't love her fiance. And it gets worse when he discovers that her heart lies elsewhere. Soon everybody is after the poor Princess in one way or another, and James is forced to choose between his two lives for the safety of his own betrayors.
- Action Girl: Sophia/Arachna is infanmous for kicking Supatci ass.
- All Just a Dream: Many throughout the novel, namely Danamorescia and Nyx.
- Arranged Marriage: James, Prince of Tommikia, to Danamorescia, Princess of Coccinus.
- Badass Grandpa: James' predesecor.
- Badass Spaniard: To some extent, Lucito, though he's portrayed as somewhat slow.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Shared by Glen and Danamorescia after the ball.
- Clark Kenting: James as The Purple Widow.
- Dangerous Sixteenth Birthday: "We will attack at midnight...We will attack at the midnight of the princess' ball!"
- Dead Little Sister: Glen's got two of them, plus a dead mom and another possibly dying little sister
- Damsel in Distress: DANAMORESCIA. Let's just say she likes to scream.
- God Save Us From the Queen!: Nyx. Nyx, Nyx, NYX.
- Green-Skinned Space Babe: Nyx, albeit without the "space" part.
- Hair of Gold: Princess Danamorescia.
- Heterosexual Life Partners: Lucito and Arlonzo lived together, underground, for seven years. And Arlonzo is VERY attached to Lucito. Also, to a lesser extent, best friends James and Glen.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Sophia/Arachna.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Near the end of the book, when Danamorescia has been kidnapped by the Supatcos, Glen volunteers to trade his own life for the promise of her safety.
- Ill Girl: Gemma.
- I'm a Humanitarian: The Supatcos, a green-skinned race of savage terrorists (who look like humans otherwise), feed on human flesh - WHEN they can get their hands on it.
- Inter Class Romance: Danamorescia, the Princess of Coccinus, and Glen, her actual fiance's socially-outcasted best friend and servant, end up married.
- Redheaded Hero: Glen.