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Darkness Is Her Greatest Fear
Annihilation is a gripping paranormal fantasy novel that explores good vs. evil and shows that things are not always split down the middle. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
There are grey areas when it comes to good verses bad and not everything is clear-cut or simple when it comes to making educated choices. Black and white lines are so much easier. Right or wrong, good or bad. Righteous verses evil. When you try to find a compromise between godliness and sin, it only results in waffling, vacillating, wishy-wash gray areas that cause a host of problems. This is the dilemma of many of my characters.
Your characters are very compelling. What were some driving ideals behind your main character’s development?
Samara is a Nephalem being and is struggling to find herself in Middle Earth and also in Hell. She is a strong, independent female who is slowly discovering her strengths and capabilities. As the story progresses, she grows as well in more ways than one. Although darkness is her greatest fear, her endurance, determination, and developing powers become her greatest strengths.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As with every book I write, I like to express the importance of family and friends, loyalty and devotion, and the true meaning of unselfish love. I believe it’s also important to point out that people who just go with the flow – lacking feelings or any kind of commitment – often end up on a wide road that leads to disappointment, heartache, and sometimes destruction.
What can readers expect in book three in your Gehenna series?
Samara learns how to stand up for herself when pitted against Lucifer in the cruelest way possible and also finds herself betrayed by the love of her life.
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Meanwhile, the Black Crows meet with the Knights of Darkness in their hidden headquarters, plotting against Lucinda in their efforts to maintain peace and the balance of power. Consumed by hatred over Crighton Daemonium’s unrequited love, Lucinda is unaware of the secret conspiracy brewing, or that Lucifer’s spirit has returned to Hell inside the body of a soul–trapped demon.
Reclaiming his throne, Lucifer punishes his daughter for her act of treason. However, his obsession with Samara, Crighton’s beautiful daughter, leaves him incapable of controlling his stolen body. After forcing her into submission, he names Samara the new Queen of Hell yet continues his authoritarian rule. When an insurgency breaks out on Earth, he becomes distracted long enough for her to be kidnapped by Nexus rebel forces, believing her to be the prophesied savior of their planet.
Is Samara the Phoenix, destined to destroy Lucifer? Or is she his soulmate and the true Queen of Hell?
Awards: 2021-2022 Reader View bronze medal winner in Erotica and Horror categories; 2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite in the category of Horror; 2021 Incipere Awards silver medal winner in Romance category; 2021-2022 Global Library Award
ANNIHILATION
Annihilation by Kaylin McFarren is a story that explores the age-old issues surrounding light and dark or good versus evil, the balance between the two, and the blurred edges between distinguishing them. Following the central family of Ariel, once an angel now trapped in a demon’s body, her husband Crighton, a half-angel half-demon, and their children living between Heaven and Hell. As both realms are on the brink of the ‘Red War,’ it becomes clear that their family, especially their children, are going to be vital in the outcome, and Lucinda, the Queen of Hell, is not going to take any chances.
This novel is scattered with references to well-known myths, legends, and fables such as the ‘eternal fire from hell,’ angels, demons, and werewolves. These are all prominent symbols of the battle between good and evil, and they assist the reader in understanding some of the stories. However, throughout the story, things are not always so clear, which enables people to think more about their perception of where the line between the two would be.
McFarren has done an excellent job of telling the story from various perspectives through short chapters dedicated to specific characters’ points of view. It is easy to follow, ad each storyline overlaps. Imagery is another element that has been successfully used, for example, ‘belied by the unshed tears glistening in her eyes or ‘sheets of bubbling flesh.’ These are powerful images that allow you to see the story as you are reading it.
McFarren is imaginative and explores themes such as the power of women and how everyone is constantly battling internally with good versus evil. From the wonderful use of dialect to the flow of the story itself, this was an excellent read, one I would read again and recommend to others.
Annihilation is a gripping paranormal fantasy novel that explores good vs. evil and shows that things are not always split down the middle. Readers of occult horror will find this book thrilling and different from your usual dark fantasy novels.
Pages: 428 | ASIN : B09KMNBNQG
LITERARY TITAN 