The Symbolism Behind Sylle’s Blue Flame

In my books, Sylle, as a child of the Leas, wields the flame of the Leas, a power that manifests as a blue flame. This power is unstoppable once ignited and no monster of the dark, not even the indomitable Malrauk can withstand it. The idea comes from many sources from throughout my life that have just gathered and congealed in my memory until coming forth in my book series.

Growing up in a religious family there were, of course, the biblical Sunday School sources. You know, the flaming sword blocking the entrance to Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. The “cleansing” of Sodom and Gomorrah (can never remember how to spell that one) with fire raining down from the sky. The fiery bush. Actually, in the Bible, fire represented many things: the power of God, most importantly, but also, purification, the road of trials, and the destruction of evil. So, I definitely got the idea started there.

Now, as to why it’s blue. Well, first off, I have blue eyes and so does Sylle; so, there’s that. Also, I always liked the reasoning behind blue in many religions. Depending on the religion, blue is meant to remind you of the power of the divine as well as marking a place of refuge or sanctuary. In some religions, it symbolizes the link between heaven or the afterlife and earth. (As I’ve said before, I’m a bit of a fact nerd and have a tendency to read and read and read and retain bits and pieces of so many facts and ideas. My brain is stuffed full of strange tidbits of information that leak out in various ways.) So, Sylle’s flame is blue because it is a manifestation of the power, divinity, and infinity of the Leas.

It can cleanse as well as destroy. It can heal as well as kill. It’s potency is dependent upon how Sylle wields it and also her emotions. Like the time at the Fall Festival in The Forgotten when it erupts with the power of an out of control bonfire because the changeling harmed Tarin. Or when she is on the ropes with Tarin being hoisted up into the Drengas kingdom in The Lost and uses her flame to heal Tarin. It is akin to wizard fire, which is how she masks it in order to hide her true identity. Now, wizard fire as wielded by Gideon in The Lost and the upcoming third book The Dead is not as powerful but is a pretty close second as it was bestowed upon wizards by High Queen Sedivar as a weapon to use against some of Merilik’s more lethal creations like Malrauk’s, wraiths, and changelings.

This is probably more back story than you wanted, but as I said, the information in brain leaks out in so many ways. You’ll find even more uses for Sylle’s power in The Dead, but you’ll have to wait until this fall to read them. Just know that she’s not done battling Merilik yet and their fated battle is looming.