Two men began Epic with unique feelings toward Scott Remington. One was a rival, the other a father figure. Through the course of Dawn of Destiny and Outlaw Trigger, both men's attitudes toward Scott were molded as situations unfolded. Their reactions toward him in Hero may define not only who they are, but who Remington is as well.
Every hero needs an antithesis. For Scott, that antithesis is Max Axen. Antagonizer. Atheist. Jerk. All could describe Max in their own unique way. But are they always the case? In Outlaw Trigger, Max actually stood up for Scott. He prayed for the first time. He extended an olive branch of understanding.
Or did he?
"Of all the characters in Epic, Max would make the best character study," said author Lee Stephen. "There's so much depth to him, sometimes it surprises even me." At times a scathing critic, at times an unexpected ally, one thing can always be certain where Max is concerned: he's not going to hold anything back. Just ask Esther Brooking.
"Max's last words to Esther were very condescending," Stephen said, "with him essentially telling her that she was 'nothing'. To say that to a girl who had literally been traumatized by her own failures is downright abusive. Yet at the same time, Max put himself in the line of fire to defend what she'd actually failed at. He told Novosibirsk Command that her error in Khatanga was due to a comm malfunction, which fell on his shoulders instead of hers."
It is situations like the above that lead to the inevitable question: who is Max? Is he a friend or an adversary? Is he a benefit or a detriment? Would you want Max on your team? He is loved and hated by fans of the series. On the Epic message board, one fan referred to him as the most likely to die before Epic is over. Wishful thinking, perhaps? Maybe so. But one thing is clear...everyone has an opinion on the bad boy from the States.
So what can people expect from Max in Hero?
"You'll just have to wait."
On the flip side of Max is David Jurgen, Scott's former roommate, and one could say, former friend. If you judged Scott and David by their relationship when Outlaw Trigger ended, it won't leave room for much optimism. Will that be the case in book three?
"You are going to know, right away, where David stands," Stephen said. "Fans of his will definitely have things to chew on. You have to remember, Hero is going to take place several months after the events of book two. You're not going to find out what happened the next day from where you last left off. When you open the book for the first time, the characters will have already developed quite a bit."
Stephen did go on to say that some choice words from David in Outlaw Trigger will have had a lasting impact on his relationship with Scott. Fans of the series will undoubtedly know what those words were.
"I get a lot of people asking me if David and Scott's relationship will be the same. How could it be? The events of Outlaw Trigger were catastrophic to the Fourteenth. If no one's relationships changed, you'd have two-dimensional characters. My goal is to be honest and real. You're going to get both."
Outlaw Trigger was an emotional read. Stephen is already warning his fans: book three will be just as intense.
"The first words I heard from a lot of readers after Outlaw Trigger were, 'I want to choke you'. Ironically, that's exactly what I was gunning for. So what am I gunning for with Hero? Goosebumps, speechlessness, and just as agonizing a wait for the already-titled book four. You can interpret any way you want."
Stay tuned a month from now, when two more characters hit the dissection tray! It's time to pack your bags for a field trip out of the realm of Novosibirsk. We're about to go to EDEN Command.
Talk about it!
So what do you think about Max and David? Leave your comments on the Epic official forums!
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