Step into a Crimean Bloodbath... The new Darkest Dreams episode has dropped! Upon the Heights of Alma had its general release today and this is one I've been particularly excited to reveal. I'm no stranger to writing historical fiction, but this is the first thing I've created which takes place during a well-documented historical event. And even though the event in question happened over 160 years ago, I felt obligated to get as many of my facts straight as possible and remember that real people fought and died in this battle. With that being said, I've had to take some creative liberties for story purposes and the fact that I only had a few thousand words to work with, but I'd like to think I succeeded in portraying a small section of the Battle of the Alma. Some descriptions were even lifted, word for word, from contemporary Victorian accounts of soldiers who survived the war. As with all the Darkest Dreams episodes, Upon the Heights of Alma can be read independently, but I'd also like to provide a little background on this story for anyone who's interested. As I mentioned, it takes place during the first major battle of the Crimean War at the Alma River. This was a war which occurred in 1853-1856 between Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom, France, Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. It was also one of the first conflicts where rifles were widely used, but was terribly bloody (1,650,000 total casualties) and the British troops in particular were fraught with military and logistical blunders. I think it's a conflict which has fallen out of memory for many people nowadays - it happened so long ago and was soon overshadowed by the World Wars less than a hundred years later. If anyone remembers anything about it, it will likely be the work of Florence Nightingale and the Charge of the Light Brigade which was later immortalised by Tennyson. That infamous charge actually came at the Battle of Balaklava, which took place just a month after the Battle of the Alma. The Crimean War has remained in my consciousness for a while, however - not just because I find the entire Victorian period fascinating, but because one of my own ancestors fought in it. The character of Norman Calvin is actually based on the information that my family has about him. He fought at the Alma, but upon returning to England, was forced into the workhouse in Liverpool since veterans were poorly looked after. However, ten years later, he had a house with staff, a family, and ran a successful business. As far as I know, though, he didn't have a son who would grow up to become one of the most dangerous vampires in Hungary... You can read Upon the Heights of Alma for FREE by clicking the button! I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge The Crimean War: A History by Orlando Figes, as well as britishbattles.com and historynet.com for their extensive accounts of the Battle of the Alma, which proved invaluable in creating this story. I also wish to acknowledge the 19th century song The Heights of Alma, written following the Allied victory, which provided both the title of the story and its closing lines. Upon the Heights of Alma is part of the Darkest Dreams e-periodical: a collection of short stories released every quarter and connecting the three Tragic Silence novels.
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