The Tender Prism is, first and foremost, a love letter to my two boys and all other people whose minds and bodies perceive the world through lenses that are, to the rest of us, opaque. When the story first came to me, I had no idea that I was writing a book. I just knew I wanted to create something that reflected my unvarnished experience raising two neurodiverse children, including both the joy and grief, sweetness and struggle, connection and challenge. At the same time, I wanted to dignify my sons by shining light on the beautiful gifts they offer. These facts caused my journey with this project to pass through multiple stages, including a period in which I was developing a video game, and ultimately settling on this novel that I hope to extend into a series.
Situated in a high fantasy universe, the story centers on Lucca, a non-verbal child with the mysterious ability to manipulate sound and light waves, as he and his family flee the henchman of an emperor seeking to eradicate all "variants" who do not conform to his notion of perfected society. Along the way, they rescue another variant child, Cressa, whose songs provide a medium through which Lucca begins to learn to control his previously chaotic abilities.
In parallel, the book follows the recently-awakened gargoyle queen, Vashra, as she leads her three remaining comrades on a reckless mission to enact revenge on the emperor who deceived her into marriage, only to steal fragments of the gem that was the source of her people's power. When the two parties' paths converge, the gargoyles' tutelage helps the children focus their gifts into a power strong enough to rival even that of the emperor.
