Jeremy Higley was
born in California but now lives in Arizona. As of 2016 he’s a graduate student
working on a master’s degree in English. He’s also an instructional aide at a
local elementary school, a novelist, and a contributing editor for a nonprofit
student success company called LifeBound.
The Son of Dark, Book 1 of The Darksome Thorn, is his first novel.
I started writing The Son of
Dark during my senior year of college. It took me about three years to
finish. Now that it’s done, I still struggle to summarize the story properly
without feeling like I’m leaving things out.
The main character, Skel, is a
wizard in training and the foster son of an elephant herder who resents him. At
the age of 14, his world falls apart when his master leaves unexpectedly, and
his true father shows up to tell him about the prophecy that led to his birth.
The same night his infant foster brother is kidnapped by a magical dream cult
called the Dun Ko.
The book also follows the
journey of a former pirate turned merchant whose wife has been possessed by a
dragon. As Skel searches for the Dun Ko and the lost child, he gets tangled up
in the man’s quest to find a cure for his wife's enchantment. Meanwhile, the
good and evil wizards from an age before are becoming active again as the
prophecy of the Darksome Thorn, the same prophecy without which Skel would
never have been born, is weaving the past and the present together in
preparation for a dark threat approaching from beyond the horizon.
Skel is not so much an
accidental hero as a reluctant one. He wants to do the right thing, and he
would like to help everybody, but he hates being the center of attention. He’s
like a main character who wants to take the role of a supporting character, but
Fate won’t let him. The most fascinating part of his journey, for me, is his
development into a leader. He certainly isn’t there by the end of the first
book. He likely will have an awkward relationship with his role for a while
yet.
Indeed, I think I’ll always see
Skel as an unassuming soul whose greatness is thrust upon him by forces beyond
his control.
BLURB:
A thousand years ago, the wizards of the Nynsa failed to
follow the prophecy of the Darksome Thorn, and now the greatest evil of their
time has survived into the next age.
Now, the Darksome Thorn has revealed a new prophecy, and the very
evil they failed to kill is working to use that prophecy to his advantage.
Forces of evil run rampant in the land of Duskain. Ancient powers
are stirring. A greater darkness is imminent...
...and Skel, the foster son of an elephant herder, finds himself
caught in the middle of everything. Will Skel's newly developing powers be a
help or a hindrance...
EXCERPT:
Marga
pointed to the south. Zar didn’t turn, but he heard a gasp of recognition from
Skel.
“Aja-aja,”
he said with concern. “Three of them, about two miles away.”
Zar
sighed in trepidation. The aja-aja were rare, enormous snakes prowling the
Eltar plains, preying on elephants and any herders foolish enough to attack
them. They had three heads each and stocky, powerful bodies to match, and could
grow to over forty feet long. They killed and then predigested their prey by
spitting streams of corrosive poison from their mouths.
“The
aja-aja will be no problem,” he bluffed, staring into Marga’s eyes. “I have two
magic-users with me now, a wizard and a Phage. They’re perfectly capable of
dispatching a few overgrown snakes.”
“If
so, then I’ll simply have to wait longer to be reunited with my precious one,”
the
Wyvern said, eyeing the flattened snake corpses around her.
Something
inside Zar began to burn like a fuse at the words “precious one.”
“You
knew her before, I presume,” he continued, his voice much quieter. “Before you
kidnapped her, I mean, and took over her mind.”
“She
was mine to take,” the Wyvern retorted through Marga’s lips. “She was always
mine to take.”
The
last words hissed from Marga’s mouth like a challenge. Zar’s fingers wrapped
around his sword’s hilt. He wanted nothing more at this moment than a way to
strike at
his
enemy, but the Wyvern was far, far away.
“If
you want her,” Zar said, “you’ll have to kill me.”
“Too
risky,” the Wyvern replied. “You crave nothing more than to die for her. To
kill you might break my grip.”
“If
you don’t kill me she will never truly be yours,” Zar said. He walked to within
an arm’s length of her. “As long as there’s breath in me, I will always be
fighting to free
her.”
“I’m
sure you mean that,” the Wyvern said. “Once you’re dead, there’s nothing to
stop me from singing her back to me.”
Buy Links:
Publishers Website: http://www.classactbooks.com/index.php/component/virtuemart/cat-young-adult/the-son-of-dark-tales-of-the-darksome-thorn-book-1-detail?Itemid=0
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Son-Dark-Darksome-Thorn-Book-ebook/dp/B01IG983XC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=U
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/650660
Social Media:
Website: www.darksomethorn.com
Looks great!
ReplyDeleteYeah!! Thanks, Kathy. :-)
DeleteLove your characters and their backstory! Sounds like an entertaining read!
ReplyDeleteBest and much success to you!
You have an awesome name! You sound like an action hero. Thank you for your support and encouragement!
Deleteanother great excerpt!
ReplyDeletegood luck and God's blessings
PamT
You're the best! Thanks, Pam. :-)
DeleteSounds interesting. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marissa!
DeleteA wonderful excerpt! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :-)
DeleteCongrats, Jeremy. Sounds exciting!! Wishing you all the best.
ReplyDeleteI am still so excited! All the best to you too. :-)
DeleteHi, Diane and Jeremy
ReplyDeleteI have been intrigued by Jeremy and his story since he stopped by my blog last week. I often teach seminars on character development as well as setting and was quite pleased when Jeremy mentioned following the advice of those who went before him. It clearly showed in the blurb and excerpt. My hat is off to you for all your hard work. Much luck with your career in what ever path you choose to take.
Kat Henry Doran and Veronica Lynch
Your seminars sound fascinating! I love opportunities to talk to and learn from experienced writers. Thank you for your encouragement and support.
DeleteSounds like a fascinating world! Wishing you much success!
ReplyDeleteSame to you! Thanks, Leah. :-)
DeleteEnjoyed the excerpt. This book does sound fascinating. Best wishes for a great success!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad! Thanks for reading it!
DeleteSounds so great! I really enjoyed the excerpt. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kara!
DeleteSo sorry I'm late! Very intriguing and imaginative story. Love the excerpt...best wishes!
ReplyDeleteThanks, and best wishes to you too! It's a story I love, and I'm so happy to have a chance to share it. :-)
DeleteKeep that imagination of yours running wild! Nice post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan!
Delete