Psychonaut is the second book in Carmilla
Voiez’s Starblood series. It’s a relaunch of the novel by American indie
Vamptasy Publishing. The series contains four books and follows the lives of a
group of friends: Star, Satori, Freya. Donna, Raven and Ivan, who are young
Goths living in Bristol, England.
In the first book, Starblood, Star breaks
up with her lover, Satori, but he is unwilling to let her go. Satori is an
adept Chaos magician and decides to cast a spell to keep Star by his side, but
because of competing forces Lilith, mother of demons, uses this moment to come
to Earth and enter their lives. The result is a tangled web of murder, madness
and betrayal.
Psychonaut takes us beyond the urban lives
of these ill-fated Goths and into other worlds full of demons, gods, magic and
monsters.
Satori
is caught between two worlds. There is something he needs in one, but the other
keeps drawing him back. However, he is in love and he isn’t going to let a
little thing like death get in his way. To reach his goal, he must face
unimaginable horrors, not least of which is his true self.
Star’s tortured and broken body awaits Satori, but does she really need him to
save her? His rival, a rage-filled young woman, grows more powerful and becomes
as twisted as the ribbons in her hair while the demon, Lilith, draws each of
them inexorably towards her. Who will survive the coming battle?
Full of sex and magic, “Psychonaut” is an exploration into the human psyche and
the second book in Voiez’s “Starblood” trilogy.
"Carmilla Voiez is more of a singer than a writer. She tells her
compelling story in a hypnotic, distinctive voice that brings her eerie world
vividly to life." Graham Masterton
“Psychonaut is a book of mad impulses, inner vision, sadism, escape and belief.
You feel uncomfortable reading it, like Alex strapped to the chair in Clockwork
Orange being taught to feel sick at atrocity. Rather than leave us crippled by
response, though, Psychonaut bears you through the hurt towards the only
paradise we can be assured of...a love past fault.” Jef Withonef, Houston
Press.
Excerpt
-
‘What do you need me to do?’ Freya asks.
‘I
need someone to guide me through the planes. I thought Ivan would help me, but
I think you probably know more about it than he does,’ Satori answers.
‘I
doubt it.’
‘You’ve
been up there though.’
Freya nods. ‘Yes.’
Satori blushes. ‘It was my first trip today. That’s where I was when
you rang the doorbell. I’ve found where to start. But I have no clue where to
go from here.’
‘What’s
it like?’ she asks.
‘Huh?’
‘Your
sacred space, at least that’s what Ivan calls it. What’s yours like?’
‘Oh,
um …’
‘Haha,
you’re embarrassed. What, does it have some huge tower like you’re compensating
for something … oh shit, it does doesn’t it?’
Satori shuffles in his seat. ‘No. What have you got in yours then?’
‘A
tree,’ Freya says.
‘And
…’
‘Just
a tree.’
‘What
kind of tree?’ Satori asks.
‘A
weeping willow,’ she answers.
‘How
Gothic.’
‘Indeed,
tower boy.’
‘I …
okay yes I have a tower.’ He laughs. ‘But I’m not compensating. I like …
towers. So your willow tree …’
‘Yes.’
‘Is it
as beautiful as your hair?’
‘What
the fuck, Satori? Where did that come from?’
‘Sorry.
I’m just saying …’
‘And
I’m just saying, forget it. There’s no way that’s ever gonna happen. The people
you seduce have a habit of ending up dead.’
Satori looks away. His mouth moves as if he’s about to speak, but
thinks better of it.
Freya watches the colour rise in his cheeks and feels embarrassed for
him, embarrassed and awkward because she rejected him. Maybe he was simply
being friendly, paying me a compliment? Did I misunderstand? Something
clicks inside her and the awkwardness grows into nervousness, which morphs into
anger. Why would he say that? Is sex all he wants from women? Perhaps he
looks at me and all he can see is a pretty thing for him to pet? Am I not his
equal? Of course I am. What then? Confused, she shakes her head and decides
to change the subject. ‘So are we going to try to find your way tonight?’
‘Have
you got somewhere else to be?’ he asks.
‘No,
I’m good.’
‘All
right then,’ Satori says, refilling the glasses. ‘But I haven’t left my … tower
yet. Where should we meet?’
‘I
haven’t left my Gothic tree. Shall we follow our paths and think of each other?
Maybe our feet will lead us there.’
‘It’s
a better plan than any I’ve come up with,’ Satori says.
‘Where?’
‘Mum
will be home soon. Is … my bedroom okay?’
‘Well,
I don’t actually need to be here, do I?’ Freya asks.
‘I
thought it might help,’ he says.
‘It
probably won’t. Not with the mood you’re in tonight,’ she answers.
Satori sighs. ‘I guess so. Ten o’clock then. That gives you an hour to
get home and get ready. Will Ivan pick you up or shall I walk you home?’
‘How
many fucking times? I don’t need your protection.’
…
Psychonaut is a story of redemption. In it
the main characters learn their flaws and find ways to rise above them. Star,
Satori, Lilith and Donna are all changed in profound and positive ways during
the narrative. In this way Psychonaut is an uplifting book, especially after
the desperate pain and suffering of Starblood.
Starblood was written during a difficult
period of my life. I had given birth to my second daughter and was struggling
to bond with her while keeping some sense of my own identity at the same time.
In addition the business I had been running (with my then husband) for over a
decade was failing, and my marriage was on the rocks.
Star’s struggle to discover who she is,
when all the layers of what others want her to be are stripped away, was very
much my struggle. I was in a state of depression and suicidal. I honestly
believe that writing the Starblood Trilogy helped me answer the questions that
haunted me at the time and saved my life (although not my marriage).
I was shocked and surprised by the
overwhelming positive reception the first three Starblood books received. It is
a frequently painful read and more than a little “out there”, that it resonated
with others amazes me. What I have realised over the years is that my story is
far more common than people would like to admit.
Since writing Starblood I have read work by
people like Thomas Ligotti, which has taught me that part of the appeal of
Starblood is that many of us never feel as though we fit comfortably in this
world. We all flounder about at times trying to find a way to fit in without
compromising what makes us who we are. I realise that my instinctive feeling
that the world is both cruel and insane is far from uniquely mine.
On the flip side the message, I hope, that
people get from the stories is one of self acceptance. So what if we don’t fit
in? We are still important. We have value. Our dreams mean something, and as
Lilith says in the first book, “There is no shame in love, only completion.” I
hope people can see that Lilith is not only talking about romantic love at this
point, but also love and acceptance of self and the multi-faceted, unique and
marvellous people we have in our lives.
The Starblood Series books 1 and 2 are also
available as graphic novels with art by Anna Prashkovich.
