Aiana: SwordXPlanet Volume 1

Foreword

Hey guys. This is my first attempt to publish a book on Wattpad, and I'd really like to let you start reading as soon as you can. Still, here are a few things I'd like to clear up about the series as a whole and the first volume.

As you may eventually tell, this story is heavily mythology based. Most important characters are based upon one or the other character from world mythologies, especially from heroic stories, folktales, and occasionally bits of history. Similarly, each chapter and subchapter will be based on one of the many stories that make up humanity's rich folklore.

However, the way I present certain stories and certain cultures are not meant to offend anyone. The negative portrayal of the Jewish zealots might be an issue of controversy for some, but I have little ill feeling towards people of any religion or culture. I only wrote the Frontier War arc to describe a time of great tumult in history, where countless innocents fell victim to imperial aggression, but also some of the first examples of radical religious terrorism. I also wrote it to show to those who criticize any religion for the violence perpetuated by their followers that radicalization can happen to people of any faith. Also, the man known as Manuel is not a reference to Jesus, but rather a direct allusion to Menahem ben Yehuda, one of the many Jewish claimants of the title of Messiah and the leader of the Sicarii.

At the same time, the style of this story takes lots of inspiration from Japanese pop culture, specifically the traditions of tokusatsu drama and shounen manga. For a long time now Super Sentai/Power Rangers and Mashima Hiro's Fairy Tail have been an inspiration for me. The personal strength and struggles of the superheroes of screen and their charismatic heroics have thrilled me time and time again to the point where I eventually wanted to make my own, which is ultimately what brought you this story. The tokusatsu hero-style armor of most of the characters, the call-commands summoning their weapons and invoking their special moves, and the various shounen manga tropes you'll see in this book are all inspired by the superhero culture I've always admired. 

Aiana comes from the sanskrit word ayana, meaning "advance." The Ramayana, the Hindu heroic epic, literally translates to "Ram's advance." Similarly, the word in this context is supposed to convey the feeling of the heroic journey, with all its struggles, quests, rises, and falls. Even with its drops and setbacks, the journey of the Paragons is one that moves only forwards. It's a quest that has inspired me to step forth and never look back, just like I hope it can inspire you. That is our aiana. That is our resolve.