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It’s Up To You
Pizahn follows a futuristic Egyptian animal on a perilous quest to save his sister. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
At the time I was writing Pizahn I didn’t have an inspiration for the setup of the story. Mainly I was focused on the motivations of the characters and trying to make the story make sense as well as engaging to the readers.
Pizahn is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I wrote Pizahn similar to a protagonist from a Japanese anime. However, I wanted Pizahn to also be relatable in some ways to the reader. An example of this is going on his journey to find his baby sister. Another example is he values his friends and family. But, Pizahn isn’t without his faults since he tends to lie in order to save himself or get what he wants.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
To be honest there weren’t any themes or deep messages that I wanted to convey. All I wanted was to make a great story that people would enjoy. I personally feel that any form of art should be enjoyed and not try to be overanalyzed. I guess if you could take anything away from Pizahn it’s this: Regardless of how hard life gets, the world will always keep moving with, or without you, it’s up to you to decide if you want to keep going.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’ve put the sequel on hiatus since I don’t know if the first book in the series is going to be published. But I’m working on a YA horror novel about a group of high schoolers that face off against a demon trying to bring about an apocalypse.
axelschilltonauthor.com
Pizahn
Pizahn, by Axel Schillton, is set in a future in which humans have gone extinct and anthropomorphic animals rule over the world. In Atum, a city ruled by the Pharaoh Balthazar, Prince Pizahn gets ready to properly enter adulthood, but he is clouded with worries about his youngest sister, Nebet, having been kidnapped. Deciding that she has to be rescued, he sets off on a perilous journey to find her, alongside Zina, his other sister.
Pizahn is a thrilling adventure story that is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters were intriguing and well developed and their connections were deeply endearing. Whether it be a long term attachment, like Zina and Pizahn’s bond, or a short one, as with Chap and Pizahn, each felt real and important. In addition to that, the characters introduced later on in the story were well developed and felt realistic.
While I enjoyed the adventurous romp, I was a bit confused with the timeline. Nebet’s kidnapping happens before the story begins. The point of view shifts regularly, keeping readers on their toes, but it also lends to some important events happening elsewhere. Still, there are many moments that left me feeling close to the characters. The plot harkens back to classic fantasy adventure stories and provides plenty of creative imagery. I wondered about Nebet, about her kidnapper and the motivations behind this action; and when the truth came about, I was not disappointed with the answers. The dialogue was sufficiently engaging, and it was complimented by the inner thoughts of the characters, which we were given access to thanks to the regular changes in point of view. Those were done masterfully, not leaving the reader confused as to who was speaking. I was curious about the choice of keeping human religions in the story. It was a unique creative choice for a post-human society to still be using human-created religions — although I’ll admit that the Ancient Egyptian pantheon felt very fitting considering the nature of the characters.
Pizahn is a lively adventure story that uses a highly imaginative plot to deliver a riveting story that fantasy fans will surely enjoy.
axelschilltonauthor.com
LITERARY TITAN 