Love is a theme that transcends time and space, and in my trilogy, Maleficia, the different forms of love play crucial roles in shaping my characters and their journeys. From deep friendships to intense passions and, ultimately, unconditional love, each type of love explores a different facet of the human experience.
In fact, I believe that every story, no matter the genre, is, at its core, a love story. Whether it’s a romantic tale, an action-packed adventure, or in the case of my trilogy, a supernatural thriller, the essence of most narratives comes down to relationships and how they form, evolve, sometimes even break. In the Maleficia trilogy, this is no different. Each book delves into different aspects of love, illustrating how it shapes not only the characters but their destinies.
In Birthrite, A Mother's Sins, and Suffer Not, I explore three distinct types of love: Philos, Eros, and Agape. These forms of love are not only vital to the development of my characters, but they also mirror their evolution throughout the trilogy. As my protagonist, David Barclay, navigates friendships, romantic entanglements, and spiritual battles, the way he experiences and understands love ultimately defines his path toward redemption.
In this post, I’ll break down how each of these types of love is represented in the books and how they intertwine to tell a story of growth, healing, and transformation.
Philos Love in Birthrite
In Birthrite, the theme of Philos love, or brotherly love, takes center stage. The deep, platonic bonds formed between David, Andy, and Claire are a pivotal part of the story. Their friendship is built on trust, loyalty, and shared experiences. Values that reflect the essence of Philos.
However, David's life is marked by a series of painful losses that begin to erode his sense of Philos love. First, he loses his father on his eighth birthday, an event that forces him to grow up quickly and face the harsh realities of life. Then, at 14, he loses his mother to illness, leaving him emotionally adrift. Finally, he is forced to move away from his childhood home and friends, losing his closest companions, Andy and Claire, who had been his emotional anchors.
Each of these losses diminishes David's ability to experience Philos love in its truest form. His friendships and familial bonds are fractured by death and distance, leaving a void in his heart. This void leads David down a more dangerous path, one that will be explored in A Mother's Sins, where he becomes consumed by Eros love, the passion of lust and desire. The absence of Philos love makes him susceptible to the destructive pull of Eros, as he seeks solace and fulfillment in more fleeting, toxic connections.
Despite these losses, the early love David experiences in Philos form serves as the foundation for his emotional growth. His relationships with Andy, Claire, and his family will continue to shape his understanding of love, even as they fade into the background of his life, eventually paving the way for the more intense, though ultimately destructive, emotional experiences to come.
Eros Love in A Mother's Sins
In A Mother’s Sins, Eros love takes center stage as David enters his teenage years. After being torn away from his childhood home and the steady presence of his friends and family, he is left to navigate the chaos of adolescence. It’s during this period of emotional vulnerability that Eros love begins to take a stronger hold on him.
David’s first real experience with Eros comes through his connection with Ginger, a character who embodies the very essence of Eros—the passionate, lust-driven side of love. Ginger is alluring, unpredictable, and toxic. She represents everything that David craves: excitement, danger, and release from the pain of his past. But while Eros love can be intense and thrilling, it also proves to be destructive.
David becomes consumed by this toxic relationship, unable to escape the allure of Ginger’s power over him. His infatuation with her drives him to make reckless choices, and the highs of their relationship ultimately pull him into a downward spiral. The passion he feels for Ginger is unlike any connection he’s had before, but it’s not sustainable. Eros love, while electrifying, is fleeting and often leaves emotional devastation in its wake.
In many ways, this relationship marks a pivotal turning point for David. The loss of Philos love—his friendships, his family—leads him to fill the void with Eros, seeking solace in lust and desire rather than meaningful emotional connections. It’s a temporary escape, but it leaves him with more questions than answers and ultimately sets the stage for the spiritual and emotional conflict he’ll face in Suffer Not.
In A Mother’s Sins, Eros love represents the dangerous allure of passion without depth, an experience that both elevates and traps David. His relationship with Ginger mirrors his internal battle, as he chases the highs of desire while descending further into darkness.
Agape Love in Suffer Not
In Suffer Not, Agape love—the unconditional, selfless love that transcends personal flaws and mistakes—becomes the pivotal force of redemption and healing. After the toxic relationships and struggles of his adolescence, David finally experiences the transformative power of Agape love, both from others and from a higher power.
The first manifestation of Agape in the book is David’s reunion with Claire, whom he hasn’t seen in over a decade. Though their past is riddled with mistakes, pain, and misunderstandings, Claire welcomes David back with open arms. Her forgiveness represents Agape love in its purest form, a love that doesn’t hold grudges or seek revenge, but instead offers grace and acceptance. This act of forgiveness is profound for David, who is still burdened by guilt and self-loathing. Claire’s love, unconditional and warm, offers him the opportunity to heal and reconnect with the part of himself that he thought was lost.
David’s love for Andy also evolves into a form of Agape. Andy, who has been through the trauma of juvenile detention and abandonment by his mother, is broken and adrift. Despite Andy’s flaws and destructive tendencies, David accepts him without judgment, offering him a place to stay and the chance for a fresh start. This selfless love mirrors the themes of Agape. David doesn’t expect anything in return from Andy, but simply extends his hand in brotherly love, offering support when Andy needs it most.
However, the most profound expression of Agape love in Suffer Not is the moment when David seeks forgiveness for his ancestor’s pact with the devil. After years of living with the curse, David finally asks God for grace, and in return, he receives Agape love from the divine. God forgives the sins of the past, and the curse is lifted from David’s bloodline. This unconditional grace and mercy demonstrate the ultimate form of Agape: a love that is freely given, without conditions, and capable of breaking the cycle of torment and guilt.
Through these moments of Agape love—Claire’s forgiveness, David’s acceptance of Andy, and God’s grace—David learns to see himself through the lens of unconditional love. It is this love that ultimately frees him from his past and sets him on a path to redemption. In Suffer Not, Agape is the key to breaking the chains of his family’s curse and healing from the scars of his journey.
Conclusion
The journey through Philos, Eros, and Agape love in my trilogy mirrors the emotional and spiritual evolution of my protagonist, David Barclay. From the brotherly love of his childhood friendships to the intense and often destructive forces of lust and passion, and finally to the unconditional, redemptive love that brings him peace—David’s experiences with love shape who he is and, ultimately, who he becomes.
In Birthrite, Philos love forms the foundation of David’s emotional life, grounding him in the midst of loss and change. It’s the love that supports him through the most difficult times and helps him navigate the trials of his youth.
In A Mother’s Sins, Eros love takes hold as David, now a teenager, grapples with lust and desire. This passion leads him into a toxic relationship with Ginger, one that pushes him to the edge of self-destruction, showing the darker side of love when it’s governed by lust rather than connection.
Finally, in Suffer Not, Agape love brings David full circle. The unconditional love he receives from Claire, Andy, and ultimately from God, provides the healing he so desperately needs. It is through Agape love that David is able to let go of the past, break the generational curse, and find redemption.
In the end, love, in all its forms, is the heartbeat of my trilogy. It shapes the characters, drives the plot, and ultimately leads to healing and transformation. Whether it’s the love between friends, the destructive pull of passion, or the grace of divine love, every story is, at its core, a love story. And through love, we are all given the chance to grow, to learn, and to be redeemed.