u/Wild-Editor-6449

Hello! I'm sharing one of the characters from my YA fantasy novel, Gurukul. This is Ruby, a 16-year-old disciple.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on her design and overall appearance.

I gave Ruby shorter, beaded hair because I wanted her to feel edgier and more rebellious than the other characters. She comes from Agni, the Fire Realm, and is known for her fierce personality.

Since Gurukul is set in a traditional Indian education system inspired by the Vedas, I designed her with Sanskrit mantra tattoos on her arms. She's dressed in the Gurukul school uniform—a white tunic and dhoti pants—with a red sash representing the Fire Realm, along with flame-shaped earrings to tie into her elemental identity.

I'd love any thoughts or suggestions on whether her design communicates her personality effectively. Thanks! (Just for context, this artwork won't be used in the book.)

Genre: YA Fantasy / Indian Mythology

Nitin, an ostracized fourteen-year-old from Mathura, possesses the rare Akash Tattva—the elemental power of intuition—and can hear the voices of nature. Accused of causing a flood in mathura, Nitin is held in a juvenile detention center for mentally unstable boys. When Puru, a hundred-year-old Saptrishi reincarnated as an eleven-year-old boy, and Ruby, a disciple from the Realm of Agni, break in the center and escort him to Gurukul, in a hidden island where the five elements are trained as real powers, he discovers that the legends of India's ancient sages were never myths.

At Gurukul, Nitin finds friends, rivals, and fellow students gifted with elemental Tattvas. But as he struggles to master his own abilities, an ancient war begins to resurface.

To save his home, India's sacred rivers, and the world itself, Nitin must find the Kamalsakshi, an ancient key, before the Asura Army claims the Amrit, the nectar of immortality, and unleashes hell upon the world.

Standing in his way is Zorawar, the enigmatic leader of the Asura Army. Told through alternating first-person POVs, the novel follows both hero and villain as their paths race toward an inevitable confrontation.

The story blends Indian mythology, folklore, monsters, elemental magic, hidden worlds, and a richly imagined cultural landscape inspired by India's history and traditions.

Content Warnings: Violence, monsters, natural disasters, warfare

If you're interested, please leave a comment or DM me.

I'm also happy swapping similar genres. Thanks!

Thoughts on a character description

[Complete][90K][YA Fantasy] GURUKUL: THE FIFTH PATH