A Recurring Dream

Mark Piggott Author Interview

The Prometheus Engine follows three siblings who band together to fight an evil tyrant who has taken over the land and join forces with Elven warriors to restore the rightful ruler to the throne.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?

I have always loved the King Arthur legend. I think it is the first true fantasy story written. It was the inspiration behind the FOREVER AVALON Series. The series came from my time as a sailor in the U.S. Navy playing Dungeons and Dragons in my off duty time while deployed. In the 80s, we didn’t have the internet, video game consoles, or satellite TV. So, I played a lot of D&D. Add to that missing my wife and newborn baby, I started having a recurring dream about being with them on an island of fantasy. That dream stuck with me whenever I deployed. Finally, during my last deployment in 2001, I decided to turn my dream into a novel and in that deployment, I wrote my first draft of FOREVER AVALON. After I finished writing it, I stopped having the dream.

THE PROMETHEUS ENGINE is the fourth book in the series. It tells the story of the reign of Mordred the Immortal. After years of suffering and torment, Mordred finally ascended the throne of Avalon through deceit and a coup in the face of despair. The resistance against Mordred is led by the MoonDrake family, a modern family from the outside world stranded on Avalon. They discover Mordred is building a mysterious device called the Prometheus Engine to secure his reign. Hunter MoonDrake, the Gil-Gamesh and Eternal Champion of Avalon, searches for clues to this magical machine while a traitor lurks within their ranks.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The most important themes of THE PROMETHEUS ENGINE are family bonds and good vs. evil. The MoonDrake family is the heart of the entire FOREVER AVALON series. This family is based on the traits and characteristics of my own wife and children, so I feel very close to these characters. The determination and sacrifice this family has made for their adopted home is evident throughout the novel. Lastly, I am a big proponent of good vs. evil. There is no gray zone here. You are either on the side of life or death. Mordred is a villain with no morals, a selfish bastard who only cares for the power he wields. He will do whatever it takes to hang onto that power, even if it means killing anyone and everyone around him. On the other side, the MoonDrake family fight for life, liberty, and love. They have suffered tremendous loss in Mordred’s ascension to the throne, but they fight on for the people of Avalon. Their drive and passion are the polar opposite of Mordred.

Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?

The fifth and final book of the FOREVER AVALON Series is called ARCADIA DAWN. This will bring the entire saga to a conclusion as the resistance against the reign of Mordred fights the war on two fronts. The Gil-Gamesh and his siblings invade Purgatory to rescue the Lady of the Lake from the clutches of Abdel ben Faust while King Bowen and the Army of Avalon fend off Mordred and his forces in the ancient elven city of Alfheimer until their return with the sainted lady. This book will end twenty years of work in the first book series I’ve written. As sad as it is to end this story, it is time to move on to some new ideas.

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Five years have passed since Avalon returned to the real world and faced both the loss of magic and a full-scale invasion. Through great effort and sacrifice, Avalon disappeared once again, a solemn victory with a high price. Torn asunder from a giant landmass into an archipelago of islands, Avalon’s throne is usurped by Mordred, the immortal bastard child of Morgana le Fay. With an army of undead wraith knights at his command and the children of the Lords of Avalon at his side, Mordred threatens the entirety of Avalon’s existence.

Standing in his way are the children of the Gil-Gamesh: Hunter, Rose, and Ashley. Since their father’s death during Avalon’s Reclamation, these three have resisted Mordred’s reign at every turn from their new home in the ruined Elven city of Alfheimer. Along with the Holy Order of Shield Maidens and the Hîldrägo Boquè, an elite corps of Elven warriors, they fight back to reclaim the throne for the rightful heir, King Bowen, and to restore Avalon to the people.

But even now, Mordred schemes to bring down the resistance by constructing an ancient magical artifact…The Prometheus Engine. Only the immortal king knows its secrets and the power it will bring him, no matter the cost. Hunter and his siblings must race across the archipelago to uncover the engine’s secrets and discover the truth behind Avalon’s
Reclamation.

The story continues in THE PROMETHEUS ENGINE: Book 4 of the FOREVER AVALON
Series!

Posted on March 12, 2025, in Interviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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