Charles W. McDonald Jr.
Charles W. McDonald Jr. was born in Oklahoma City, raised in Norman, Oklahoma, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a BBA in Management Information Systems and a Minor in Economics. He also has a background in Aerospace Engineering and High Availability Systems Engineering. Honorably discharged from the United States Air Force Reserves, he also has a background in the armed forces. He lives with his wife, Brandy L. McDonald, in Roanoke, TX.
In the summer of 1995, Charles read every available book on the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan in a couple of weeks, and later that same July awoke in the middle of the night from an incredibly immersive dream. Charles began writing, by hand, everything he could remember from that dream which became the outline for the story of A Throne of Souls. Very shortly afterwards, Charles wrote Robert Jordan directly, looking for advice and inspiration for his own work, and Robert Jordan personally responded in a three-page letter, encouraging Charles to tell his story in his way and in his time. The completion of A Throne of Souls is a deeply personal mission for Charles to thank the spirit of Robert Jordan.
A Throne of Souls, Book One: A Kingdom Forgotten (Sci-Fi, Epic Fantasy, Military-Fiction, Fiction)
We, the seeds of Humanity, are all the descendants of hardened criminals, fighting to survive the unmaking of A Throne of Souls.
Magic and technology have already met on a world far more advanced than our own only to dispense their most dangerous and hardened criminals, for magic has been outlawed. Their descendants—us, here on Earth, along with the rest of Humanity—are now left to grapple with a Creation undone at the hands of an outlaw mage whose Master Plan affects the seeds of Humanity throughout the known Universe. This outlaw—this Dark Knight of Magic—must accumulate immeasurable power to thwart the fork of consequences that brought forth the making of A Throne of Souls. This story, this execution of his Master Plan originating centuries into the past, begins and ends with a triad of pivotal relationships and evolves through his understanding of his own soul. Within the Master Plan, the dichotomy between hate and hope, across a landscape far beyond epic, is illustrated through vibrant characters developed over two-and-a-half decades.
IndieReader said, “A Kingdom Forgotten is a textured, subtle and all-encompassing book for serious sci-fi fanatics willing to invest in more than one universe, and in all likelihood, willing to re-read it, too.”
Onlinebookclub.org said (about A Kingdom Forgotten), “The level of complexity is astounding. Frankly, I didn’t feel that I knew what was going on for greater than a third of the novel. By the time I did figure out what was going on, I found a compelling story with a plot so different from any others I have read before, that I remained intrigued until the end. The style of storytelling is so radically different that I am undecided as to whether it is brilliant or insane.”
A Note from the Author: This thought-provoking, epic, and cerebral thriller breaks all the rules crossing over Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Fiction, and Military-Fiction genres but as you start reading A Throne of Souls, it will become apparent why those rules had to be broken to tell this multi-world story of Humanity. My goal in delivering this product to you was to be worthy of this inimitable story in the way that I tell it—to bring it to you in my voice, but to do so beautifully, elegantly, and intelligently. There are several things that make this story unique including a flex-style narrative that changes with the scene and technology level available to those characters, a multi-perspective view within given scenes illustrating impactful moments upon a 360-degree axis, and a voice that is more consistent with real-world application. Is it magical realism? Sort of! Is it complex? Oh yeah!! Think of it like a large puzzle with lots of moving parts and throw in just the right amount of disinformation hidden between truths of nuanced clues. This isn’t a story that’s going to be easy for you to figure out—not by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re up for a challenge, step into A Throne of Souls…
Now, if you’re used to stories that are your traditional ‘good’ vs ‘evil,’ single protagonist saves the world type of story, this isn’t that! My protagonists are not always ‘good,’ and my antagonists are not always ‘bad.’ I believe they should reflect the real-world, with real thoughts, emotions, and agendas—and that they do. If you’re used to stories with a single protagonist with overt rationale in the narrative, you’re going to be disappointed, because that’s not my style. I wanted to bring something different to the market and this is about as different as Epic Fantasy and Crossover novels get. If it’s been a long time since you’ve read something that made you cry, scream, laugh, or cheer out loud, then A Throne of Souls was written for you. Those are the kind of stories I like to read, and that’s why I wrote A Throne of Souls. Please enjoy it with all my best hopes and wishes. – Charles W. McDonald Jr.
A Throne of Souls, Book Two: Black Mirrors of the Soul (Sci-Fi, Epic Fantasy, Military-Fiction, Fiction)
We, the seeds of Humanity, are all the descendants of hardened criminals, fighting to survive the unmaking of A Throne of Souls.
Magic and technology have already met on a world far more advanced than our own only to dispense their most dangerous and hardened criminals, for magic has been outlawed. Their descendants—us, here on Earth, along with the rest of Humanity—are now left to grapple with a Creation undone at the hands of an outlaw mage whose Master Plan affects the seeds of Humanity throughout the known Universe. This outlaw—this Dark Knight of Magic—must accumulate immeasurable power to thwart the fork of consequences that brought forth the making of A Throne of Souls. This story, this execution of his Master Plan originating centuries into the past, begins and ends with a triad of pivotal relationships and evolves through his understanding of his own soul. Within the Master Plan, the dichotomy between hate and hope, across a landscape far beyond epic, is illustrated through vibrant characters developed over two-and-a-half decades.
Black Mirrors of the Soul is the second installment in the series A Throne of Souls, but this is the story of how it all began. This is the story of The Cauldron of Hate that forged Damon. This is where you’ll read, see, and feel the fuel for the Fork of Consequences. This is the gut-wrenching, emotional journey that will have you screaming, crying, and cheering for more. For those who pay close attention to the nuanced clues and can assess disinformation from information, this installment illustrates the ‘who’ and the ‘why’ behind it all.
I think my Proofreader summed it up best when she said, “I’m still trying to pick up the pieces of my emotions you just scattered all over the room.”