Interpretations of a Part-Time Bibliophile: Author Spotlight - Allyson Gottlieb: 9/12/13 Tamara's Playlist & Book Trailer

Today we're going to get to know Tamara Kingsley a bit. She's the protagonist of DARKEST LEGACY. I think a character's playlist is a very personal thing and you can learn a lot about them.

Because Darkest Legacy has only a few characters and you get to know them so intimately, instead of just making a playlist that applies to the work as a whole I had the idea to make a series of character-centric playlists. This is the first one, for Darkest Legacy, and it’s Tamara-centric.

Warning: there are no overt spoilers in the explanations, but they will probably make a lot more sense if you’ve read the book first.

Tamara's Playlist

“Falling” by The Civil Wars*

Why am I feeling so guilty?

Why am I holding my breath?

Worried about everyone but me

And I just keep losing myself

Please, please tell me you know

I’ve got to let you go

This song manages to capture the strange and heart-crushing emotion of “falling out of love”, and between the dreamy instrumentals and the softness of Joy Williams’ voice, it does a very nice job of putting you in the head of someone who’s been through what Tamara has. Beautiful and haunting.

*Yes, this is the song that plays in the book trailer!

“Hands of Time” by Rachel Diggs

You can’t turn back the hands of time

Just let it go and you’ll be fine

What’s done is done and it’s all right

You can’t change what’s already happened; all you can do is keep going forward. Tamara really doesn’t take this to heart like she should, considering how much time she spends obsessing over both having been a part of Valentine’s plans and having betrayed him.

“Angels” by Within Temptation

You took my heart,

Deceived me right from the start

You showed me dreams

I wish they’d turn into real

One of my favorite lesser-known bands; I absolutely love her voice (and ability to hit high notes that make me cringe). This song is about finding out that someone isn’t who you thought they were, and about betrayal—makes it very appropriate for Darkest Legacy, hmm?

“Broken” by Lifehouse

I am damaged at best

Like you’ve already figured out

I still see your reflection inside of my eyes

That are looking for purpose

They’re still looking for life

About recovering from a relationship that’s left you damaged, yet not fully able to let go of the other person. In particular, this makes me think about how a person can get so fully under your skin that it’s hard to shake them.

“Distance” by Christina Perri ft. Jason Mraz

Do you feel the way I do right now?

Call it anything but love

And I will make sure to keep my distance

Say “I love you” when you’re not listening

How long can we keep this up?

Not everything on this playlist is dark and depressing, okay? This one is a sweet little song about the awkwardness of being in love with your best friend, and waiting for the right time to see if the friendship can possibly turn into something more.

“In My Veins” by Andrew Belle

Everything will change

Nothing stays the same

All that you rely on

And all that you can save

Will leave you in the morning

A very pretty love song (remember, they were happy and in love at one point), though the line “You’re in my veins and I cannot get you out” takes on a more haunting significance when you think about how Valentine’s had this phantom hold on Tamara for twenty years. But I like this one because it’s also about how life doesn’t always go the way you think it will, which could not be more true for Tamara.

“Poison & Wine” by The Civil Wars

You only know what I want you to

I know everything you don’t want me to

Your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine

You think your dreams are the same as mine

Oh I don’t love you but I always will

Oh God, this song has Tamara and Valentine written all over it. The back and forth, the lyrics that might as well have been ripped from the story… I think if I had to sum up their relationship in one sentence, it’d be that last line: “I don’t love you but I always will.” Shivers.

“Lover’s Eyes” by Mumford & Sons

But do not ask the price I paid

I must live with my quiet rage

Tame the ghosts in my head

That run wild and wish me dead

Oh let me die where I lie

Neath the curse of my lover’s eyes

This song does a great job of portraying how guilt can just absolutely consume you if you let it. Also because Valentine has those awesome gold eyes.

“Sweet Nothing” by Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch

‘Cause I’ve swallowed every word

And every whisper, every sigh

Eats away at this heart of mine

So I put my faith in something unknown

Yay for another more upbeat song! This song makes me think of Valentine’s fondness for speaking in “glittering generalities” that don’t mean very much, and how Tamara lets herself believe them without looking too closely at first.

“Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men

You’re gone, gone, gone away

I watched you disappear

All that’s left is a ghost of you

Now we’re torn, torn, torn apart

There’s nothing you can do

Another one of those semi-duets that I love, with the back-and-forth between the guy and the girl. There’s some great ghostly imagery that’s very Valentine and Tamara—how she’s kept him in the back of her mind for twenty years, and he’s never stopped thinking of her either.

“Remember When” by Avril Lavigne

I remember when it was together till the end

Now I’m alone again, where do I begin?

I cried a little bit

You died a little bit

A very bittersweet song about leaving someone you love, knowing it’s for the best and yet hurting for it all the same. The dissolution of a relationship that’s been a part of your life for so long you’re almost not sure how to live without it.

“Fix You” by Coldplay

And the tears come streaming down your face

When you lose something you can’t replace

When you love someone but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?

This song is more about Valerie than Tamara, because this idea is such a central theme of their friendship—that Valerie’s always there to pick Tamara back up after whatever damage Valentine inflicts on her; no judgment, just support. Tamara’s so lucky to have a friend like that.

“Coming Home (Part II)” by Skylar Grey

And the blood will dry underneath my nails

And the wind will rise up to fill my sails

So you can doubt and you can hate

But I know no matter what it takes

I’m coming home

Despite the haunting tone and the darkness present in the lyrics, to me this song is really uplifting, and reminds me of Tamara’s determination to do the right thing once she realizes that Valentine’s plans are bad news.

“Warrior” by Demi Lovato

Now I’m taking back my life today

Nothing left that you can say

‘Cause you were never gonna take the blame anyway

I’m a warrior

And you can never hurt me again

If “Falling” describes the Tamara of the beginning of the story, then “Warrior” is who she’s become by the end. She goes through so much crap that you can’t really blame her for wanting to curl up in the corner and hide, but instead, she finds the strength to face her demons head-on and in a very powerful way.

And as a special treat for you guys, here’s a little sneak peak at some of the songs on the Valentine playlist (will be revealed with Darkest Shadows).

“Ghosts That we Knew” by Mumford & Sons

“Dark Paradise” by Lana Del Rey

“Kiss with a Fist” by Florence + the Machine

“Lost Cause” by Imagine Dragons

That's quite a list! And I love the explanations, they go right along with the book! I haven't heard most of these songs, but I fully intend to.

Now, if you haven't heard "Falling" by the Civil Wars, here's your chance to hear a sample of it.

DARKEST LEGACY

BOOK TRAILER