We now press on with part two of my soundtrack for the third World Spectrum novel, Human Again. This section will cover events up to and including chapter eight, “The Last of the First.”

I’m trying hard to avoid spoilers, but I may not be entirely successful.

5: Worlds Collide:

The greatest enemies of humanity, the Old Gods and the Arcanids, have been defeated. This is the story we know. But in a universe of infinite possibilities, these two evils still prosper across many worlds. Now, they clash — with Leha caught in the middle.

For this part of the story, I’ve once again dipped into the soundtrack for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, which should be everyone’s source for badass, epic music. Specifically, the song is Xaxas, the theme from the opening cinematic.

6: Living Ghost:

Leha has faced down Garribis and the Automaton Lord. She has traveled to the far ends of the spectrum and back and evaded certain death countless times. Through it all, her courage has never failed her.

But there is one thing she cannot face: The proof of her greatest mistake and the sum of all her regrets staring her in the face, a living ghost who embodies all that her mistakes have cost her.

This scene is probably the cruelest thing I’ve ever done to one of my characters, so I chose a very morose accompaniment for it: “Story of Life” from the unofficial Stargate: Universe soundtrack.

7: The Reborn:

The human race has suffered terribly across two wars, but there is now a source of hope. The freed slaves known as the Reborn offer a new beginning for humankind. Not only through their physical assistance with rebuilding, but as a source of inspiration. The Reborn are a people free of hate, innocent souls who uplift all around them.

To Alistos, the Reborn are especially important. He lost everything in the wars, but he now has a new reason to live in Nahsreen, the Reborn woman who has claimed his heart. Nahsreen has given him a new perspective on the world, and helped him to feel human again.

My theme for the Reborn in general and Nahsreen in particular comes from the Grizzly Hills soundtrack from World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. It’s got a very clean, uplifting sound, with just a slight bittersweet edge.

8: The World Tree:

Wondrous. Haunting. Awe-inspiring. Alien.

All these words and more describe the World Tree, but none of them do it justice. It is something wholly beyond human comprehension, the last and greatest work of the creator race.

My soundtrack for the World Tree comes from the hidden faerie dragon event in World of Warcraft. Its has a surreal and haunting feel that fits the alien environment of the World Tree.

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Stay tuned for the final update to the Human Again soundtrack, featuring a mix of tracks from Stargate: Universe and Battlestar Galactica.

Now that Human Again has been released to the public, the time seems right to continue with my tradition of building my own soundtrack for the novel, as I did for the first two World Spectrum novels.

Much like the book itself, the soundtrack for Human Again is a bit quieter and more sedate than its predecessors. It’s more mournful and emotional, reflecting the difficult emotional journeys of the characters.

This first installment of the soundtrack will cover events up to and including chapter two, “Beyond Belief.”

1: The Regent-Lady:

Leha is not the woman she once was. She has suffered too much, and lost too many people. The girl from Eastenhold has been replaced by the regent-lady, a noble but tragic figure who lives only for the people she leads.

My choice of theme for this new Leha is the Rukkenvahl Chapterhouse music from Dungeon Siege III.* It’s a song full of mourning and loss, but it also carries a sense of pride, duty, and enduring strength.

*(Which is a criminally underrated game you should totally play, by the way.)

2: Chaos:

Beyond Tyzu, there is a world whose alien nature defies belief. It is a surreal, violent, and terrifying place, but it is also a place of great beauty and wonder. This world would come to be known as Kataclay, the Jansian word for chaos.

My theme for Kataclay comes from Stargate: Universe.* There was never an official soundtrack released for this series, but fans put together their own by extracting songs themselves. This particular song was given the name of Countdown to the Destiny.

It’s got an alien, futuristic feel, but also carries a great sense of adventure, excitement, and awe, so it makes a good fit for the world known as chaos.

*(Which is a criminally underrated show you should totally watch, by the way.)

3: Alistos:

There was only one member of the Regental Guard that Leha chose to bring with her on her journey beyond the known spectrum, a young man named Alistos.

Alistos has a dark past, but like the true Piran he is, he has endured and come out the stronger for it. He now has a good and happy life, and he owes all of that to the sacrifices made by Leha. And he will do anything to protect her.

My choice for Alistos’s theme is the main menu music from Dungeon Siege III. Similar to the Rukkenvhal Chapterhouse theme, it carries an interesting mix of sorrow, pride, and duty — the perfect mix to describe a Piran soldier.

4: Bones:

Can you imagine would it be like to return to the scene of your greatest victory and find everything in ruins? To uncover the bones of your friends, to find your own broken weapons and armor ground into the dirt? It would be horrifying if you could even process it, but your mind rebels at the sheer impossibility of it.

My pick for this most surreal moment is another from the fan-made SG:U soundtrack, Destiny Arrives.

Bonus track:

I think Sail by AWOLNation is a good song to encapsulate Leha’s grief and remorse at the end of Children of the Gods and the beginning of Human Again.

This is how an angel dies

Blame it on my supply

Blame it on my ADD, baby

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Stay tuned for the next installment of Human Again’s soundtrack, including more SG:U music and several tracks from World of Warcraft.

…Damn it, now I want to play through Dungeon Siege III again.