Progenie (Scions of Darkness, Book 1)
ACTION GOTHIC FANTASY FOLKTALE HISTORICAL FICTION
17th Century or Earlier,Across Centuries,Contemporary
Mack LIttle
Logline
Zenobia Grant has always known monsters existed because she was one of them…brutal, powerful, deadly
Genre
Action,Gothic,Fantasy,Folktale,Historical Fiction
Short Summary
Chaz, white and privileged, honeymoons in Paris. He is mourning the loss of his lover, Zen, whom he believes is a poor black girl. Chaz and his wife enter a gallery with images of one subject, Zen. Joseph, the mysterious owner compels Chaz to buy a portrait, a clue to Zen's true identity.
Zen's quest to learn what kind of creature she is, now completed, has cost her everything that has helped her to hold on to her humanity. The last of her family is dead, murdered by Joseph, leaving Zen to contemplate becoming the monster she was born to be.
Setting
Houston TX, Paris France, Yemen, Jerusalem, Egypt
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Quest
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Philosophical Questions
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity,Nudity,Sexual Abuse
Main Character Details
Name: Zenobia
Age: 23
Gender: Other
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Badass,Charming,Sexy,Lone Wolf,Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: Nikaule
Age: 3,000 yres
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Underdog,Charming,Complex,Confident,Sexy,Engaging,Visionary,Heroic,Seductive,Manipulative,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Joseph
Age: 5,000 yrs old
Gender: Lgbt
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Masculine,Villainous,Charming,Complex,Crazy,Power Hungry,Desperate,Skillful,Faithful,Visionary,Lone Wolf,Unapologetic,Manipulative
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Development Pitch
Progenie features a woman of color as the main character while having a diverse cast representing a broad range of demographics. A story of Zen's origin, Progenie spans scores of centuries, from antiquity to the present, and sprawls across the globe from the Middle East to Paris to New Orleans and Houston. A breathtaking array of creatures know or want to know Zen's essence - characters from the Bible and the Quran, fallen angels, djinns, dhampyrs, Scions (a form of vampire), and more. Meticulously researched, creative beyond words, packed with romance, passion, jealousy, and violence this is an epic tale that has the potential to attract a broad, active, and international fan base. It has complex characters, story, scope, and production value.
Genre
ACTION, ROMANCE, FANTASY
Brief
Zen discovers the true potential of her power in trying to save her father. His sacrifice unlocks the monster in her and she vows to seek revenge. She must navigate a complex history, hierarchy of mystic creatures and being in love in order to properly punish her father's killer.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: GOOD
Pace: GOOD
Premise: GOOD
Structure: FAIR
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
The book profile is pretty true to the story. In the short summary Chaz is given a bigger description that Joseph who seems to be a more important character than Chaz within the plot.
Draw of Story
The complex mythology of the djinni is a rich backdrop not normally seen in supernatural movies. Zenobia is a strong protagonist with a compelling identity crisis that turns into an even more compelling revenge plot.
Possible Drawbacks
The large cast of characters along with time shifts, multiple locations and their interconnectedness make sense in hindsight, but at the beginning too much new information is confusing to keep track of. Following the story the first time is different than knowing the details of the story beforehand in a second telling. Explaining more at the beginning regarding Zen's purpose and identity would help give a sense of direction to the multi narrative.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES HEAVILY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is the complex power and morals of the jinn. Zen has to rediscover herself within this world in order to avenge her father. In unlocking her identity she only heightens her power.
Fanbase Potential
This could have a medium fan base of those that enjoy mythology and fantasy. It has a lot of different elements including action, romance, and drama with a large cast that could appeal to a diverse audience. But also due to having so many elements coupled with an unfamiliar mythology the story could be too complex for the mass population.
Awards Potential
The fantasy genre generally does not fare well in the awards ceremonies for film, but given more time for character development might garner prestige TV recognition thanks to the rich mythology. Depending on the rating and medium of an adaptation, the imaginative relationships might fare well in popular teen awards.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
GAME OF THRONES, THE MAGICIANS, LOST, JINN (2019 NETFLIX), TRUE BLOOD, UNDERWORLD, MORTAL INSTRUMENTS
What’s New About the Story
The originality comes from the complex research on Middle Eastern mythology and religion. The depth of its reaches spanning different locations and eras is rich and mesmerizing. The glossaries would less available to a visual adaptation so simplifying or adding explanations about the complex hierarchy of mystic creatures could help make the unfamiliar creatures easier to follow.
Lead Characters
Zenobia becomes more human in losing her humanity through finding out she is not human. Losing her family makes her want to become a moral monster, but she realizes she is a powerful physical monster instead. Zen has a righteous rage and survival instinct that is relatable and interesting.
Uniqueness of Story
This uses rare mythology, but it is perhaps too complex because it contains so many elements. The mystery at the beginning of how Zenobia and Chaz are connected is slightly too much confusion to go along with that Zenobia is also discovering herself and the past.
Possible Formats
TV Series - Cable, TV Series - Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
While the story has many positive points, it has room for improvement (see possible paths below). If you can't change the story at this point, my suggestion is using your notes as a guide to highlight the best aspects of it when taking the next steps, either putting a pitch page together, a treatment, or a presentation.
Tips for Improvement
Leaving less of a mystery at the beginning of the hero's journey could give a clearer direction to Zen's main objective and internal arc even if her connection to the other characters and timelines is less apparent at the beginning. In order for their to be strong emotional investment in a character's success, what that character is and what their goals are need to be clearly defined and waiting for the definition delays the emotional attachment.