Author Allen M Werner

I’ll start by saying I do not approve of how AI is being used to steal from the creative talents of real artists in all fields of art.
I believe AI could and should have a role in helping solve many of humankind’s problems including healthcare, but I hate the idea of using pieces and portions of other people’s work to create something else and pawn it off as your own – and then make money from it. It is the laziest and most unscrupulous dirty dealing there is. Plagiarism and theft for talentless hacks.

But in saying that, I have undertaken to understanding how AI works so I don’t fall too far behind in the technology, although I know I am probably light years behind already.

I would never use AI in my books, but because this is wordpress and I don’t charge anything for people to read these posts, I wanted to share some of the basic imagery of scenes from The Crystal Crux that I generated using Gemini.
And while I am sure there are better AI programs out there, and they probably cost money to use, Gemini cost me nothing, and it wasn’t very effective helping me refine the pictures. I couldn’t get the detailing or images I see in my thoughts but some of them are a basic interpretation.
I think people who have read the books can pick out the scenes, but I’ll add a little excerpt to clarify and amuse.
I do find it amusing to use AI. That I will admit. I think it can be a fun tool to play with and interact with. I just have such a huge problem with people being able to use it to produce garbage and flood the market, and the world, with drivel compromised of other people’s skill.
Anyway, here we go. Let me know what you think about the pictures, the scenes, the books, and AI.

These first two images were created from me just giving AI a basic outline of my books and asking it to make a book cover. The first image with the rider on the back of winged qilin attacking the black dragon is pretty cool but not representative of the books since nothing like this actually happens in any of the five books – Betrayal, Blue Grotto, Cold Knight, Shimmer & Beautiful.

I tried to create something like a character card of Sinibaldus and no matter how I tweaked it, this is the best the AI would do, and it wouldn’t even fix Sinibaldus’ name.
Sinibaldus is the one carrying and wielding the Bellerophon Crystal, the crux of a configuration compromised of five crystals, four on the base and the crux on top.
The black dragon, Ophis, has the four that make up the base and only needs the crux to complete the configuration and become a soul reaper – and as a soul reaper, he hopes, resurrect all his dead dragon family and soldiers and begin his war with the Creator YHWH again, a war he already lost once before.

Ophis spotted the ledge where the onyx altar and four assembled crystals sat. With a smirk as wide as the Coliseum in Rome, the dragon stayed low, gradually lifting his eighty-foot tail upwards out of the oily surface just behind his massive black head. At the end of the tail, his four agile talons which functioned like fingers, gripped the Crux in its fist. If he could only place the Crystal upon the other four brother stones before anyone saw him, the world would be his. – Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

Ophis, of course, is ancient, but did not have anything to do with the creation of the five conscious Crystals. The Crystals were forged by Hephaestus at the behest of Bellerophon, who had fallen from heaven with dust particles from heaven in his hands. In order to subdue the entire earth, a single crystal would require all the elements from every corner of the earth. Instead of trying to gather all those elements and make one crystal, Hephaestus hit on the idea of hiring master craftsmen from different parts of the world, five different parts, to create five different crystals, each of them being given some of the heavenly dust to intertwine with their work. The Crux, or centerpiece had the most heavenly dust in it. A Norseman named Taf was tasked with creating the Crux. But Taf, while digging for elements he would require, accidently woke Ophis from a long slumber. The dragon took the Crystal Crux (you’ll have to read the books to find out how) from Taf and went to Mount Vesuvius where all the craftsmen were meeting with Bellerophon and Hephaestus to finally and for the first time, unite the Crystals. Bellerophon was the one who initially wanted this power to himself so he could have earth as his kingdom since Zeus had rejected and kicked him out of heaven.
This is the best I could do with AI no matter how I tried to adjust the image. It just didn’t come up with the cone shape and long tail reaching overhead like I wanted but it is what it is.

And then a strange buzzing sound disturbed the room. Meliore heard it coming. Her blue eyes barely caught sight of the strange bird. It had a silver tipped nose and fluttering red feathers. Its song turned to a shrill as it passed over the balcony and in through the doors with the approaching light. It came straight for her. It struck her hard, fast and true, straight through the chest. She couldn’t make a sound. It entered near her heart. It was like taking a punch to the lungs. All her breath left instantly. – Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

I like how this picture turned out BUT the light isn’t behind Meliore. The light of the full moon should be coming from in front of her, from where the arrow came from. I could not get AI to remove that little window up high or the light coming from behind her. Oh well.

Francis scanned the hostilities. A shade under fifty yards north, he spotted a prince decked pompously in glistening silver armor, a purple cape draped ostentatiously over his proud shoulders. He held an unscathed flatiron escutcheon with nine golden fleur de lis on purple blazonry. His helmet was big and noisy with a sprout of stiff peacock feathers. – Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

This scene is from a chapter titled “Purple Peacock.”
Despite what experts say, I like to go back in time and cover events of the past concerning some of my characters.
Although the story is chiefly about Pero de Alava and his quest, I follow several storylines and Pero’s best friend and Estate Steward, Francis Whitehall is one of the main characters.
Pero and Francis met at a melee, and I introduce the readers to Francis by showcasing him at the melee and all the things that had happened and were happening to him up until the point where he meets and becomes friends with Pero.
I couldn’t the AI to do these photos well either.
Francis doesn’t fight the Purple Peacock with his lance because he’s already broken his lance on another fighter and he is actually chasing the Purple Peacock because the poacher is trying to run away. Francis also had his helmet on when he first strikes the Purple Peacock. The next picture with him coming for the Purple Peacock while walking is pretty accurate other than I could not get it to generate Francis’ long flowing blond hair.

“Please, my Lady,” Pero begged, “your name.”
Finally, she relented. “Anthea.”
Pero whispered her name. “Anthea.” He gave it a moment of thought. “Anthea suit you. Perfect. A most beautiful flower. No other appellation was ever truer.”
Anthea smiled, impressed her knew the meaning of her name.
They both smiled.
“Come with me, Anthea,” Pero commanded kindly as he took her hand and led her closer to the altar. “Pray with me.”
Simultaneously they went down on their knees and then facedown before the altar. – Excerpt from The Crystal Crux: Betrayal

I thought AI did this ok although it is supposed to be a small chapel with a much lower ceiling and everything around them should be smaller, but it’s not bad.
This is, of course, another one of my notorious flashback scenes where we learn how Pero and Anthea first met.
Pero had traveled to Parthenope to be a guest at the wedding of the king’s son, Rugerius. Pero and Francis did a lot of drinking, and after leaving Francis, Pero stumbled drunkenly into the chapel where he found a woman weeping alone. That woman was to be his future bride, Anthea.

Cambio was frightened. He knew his place but that didn’t make him any less a man. He wasn’t ignorant of other men and their pernicious ways. Many a letch had cast wanton eyes upon his sister, seeking to deflower her before she had reached a just and respectable age. ‘She’s only fifteen, for Christ’s sake,’ Cambio thought.
Bold, Cambio stepped between Pero and his sister.
– Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

I really considered not sharing this photo at all because it turned out so lame. This isn’t even close to how the scene looks. The peasants, the Sartore, are both wearing sackcloth. There is nothing friendly about this encounter and this picture does not do the scene justice. But Gisele did have a basket of oranges which she had stolen from a nearby orange grove and was trying to sell.

Zealous for blood, the wolves were quick and crazed. They snapped and chomped at Zaon’s pumping legs, their sharp incisors desperate to get a hold of some meat and muscle and pull her down. Try as they might, the wolves could find no purchase but bit by bloody bit, chunk by trembling chunk, they were emaciating and weakening the palfrey. Zaon’s heart was pounding rapidly. Life was flowing out of her veins. She began to falter, nearly tripping. – Excerpt from The Crystal Crux: Betrayal

This picture should have been much darker and the forest corridor much narrower, barely any room for all the animals involved in the chase to be beside one another. The wolves are never surrounding Zaon but always giving chase. But this is the best AI would do.

“My Dios,” Pero breathed as if praying. “Cerberus is free of his chains.”
In the tree line, beyond the reach of the torchlight, a magnificent and frightful creature stood on its hind legs, towering some twenty-feet tall, almost as tall as the torches. Cycling its claws at the air, the enraged bear flexed its razor-sharp maw, vainly snapping its teeth at the steam of its own breath. A bellowing roar formed a complex language of frustration and fury.
– Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

Pero ran through Eagles Pass, and then through Eagles Forest, finally finding his way to a Sanctuary Prison he has never heard about and did not know existed. Giant torchlights surround the grounds of this place and the crazed creatures that have been pursuing him cannot enter the light.
Pero is safe, for the time being.

The clarion sounded. An alarm bell followed. A dirge of distant screams rose eerily from the castle floor and crept into the Whitehall living quarters. Sounds of terror said playtime was over. Anne helped her father to his feet. They hurried to a window overlooking the interior of the Capuan fortress.
A swirling pall of black ash had engulfed the courtyard. There were thick blankets of billowing smoke slithering across the bailey like evil spirits, spitting fire as they went. Sheets of flame, some twenty-feet high, ran from shade to shade. The barracks and stables were burning, horses running loose. Timbers convulsed and collapsed. Black clouds washed over the brick battlements in waves.
Francis noted everything, setting every piece of information to memory.
– Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

Neither of these pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. The first, with them looking out the window, is not expressive enough of the terror they were feeling. Francis was also not wearing any armor at the time.
The second picture captured Francis’ emotions better but I could not get the AI to generate a better picture of his daughter in his arms. No matter how I tried to change it, the child still looks like a young boy, and the child is too small to be Anne.

Scowling, Pero snatched the stein that was half-full and began inspecting it. The lidless mug was sixteen-inches tall, seven-inches in diameter, hand carved from bone, accentuated with hand-crafted pieces of thin wood, tin and pewter. It was coated in a purple glaze. The dragon’s tail wound around the rim of the mug, spiraling down to the base in thickening increments. At the base, the tail became part of the dragon’s spine. – Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

I kind of like how this AI mug turned out. I wouldn’t mind having a mug like this. It wasn’t what I had in mind but it is cool all the same. Also, the dragon’s name, Sarcinus, wasn’t written or etched anywhere on the mug in the story.

Anthea was angelic. Without wings, she hovered in the air off the edge of the cliff before him, her dress a wispy, formless mist. Her tan Grecian skin was translucent but sparkling with color. Smiling, she opened the collar of her dress, exposing her breasts. Her heart was a crystal.
– Excerpt from The Crystal Crux Series: Betrayal

Pero is having difficulty with reality and dream, and with his anxiety and insomnia poisoning his thoughts, he is tossed to and fro with the things he has seen and heard, unsure how to fit any pieces of the puzzle together. Desperate and losing hope, he keeps turning to the most important constant in his life, Anthea. But it’s not enough, and he continues to slide further and further away from everything that matters to him.

Heading into Book 2 – Blue Grotto, we have an image here that’s not too bad but still not the way I see it in my head, of Anthea, having been taken prisoner during the siege of Capua, now bound in the haunting grotto. It is here, despite her desperate situation, we begin to learn that Anthea has a spirit that is courageous and powerful, something her enemies were not prepared for.

Pero, having ignored the advice of the people trapped in the Sanctuary Prison, followed the call of sirens or nymphs in the woods only to get more lost. And in a field of wheat, as he nears the center from where there can be no escape, four wolves rise to face him. Is this the end?
You’ll have to go and read the books to find out more.
Hope you enjoy this. Hope it inspires those who have not yet read my books to give them a read. For those who have read them, I hope it brought up fond memories, exciting, profound, sad and triumphant.
Until next time, keep reading and stay inspired!

Allen M Werner is the author of the epic dark fantasy
THE CRYSTAL CRUX SERIES