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A Dark Mirror And A Passageway
Andi Hayes Author Interview
The Rebellious Earthling follows Ermina and her experiences in the depraved goblin world. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting novel?
The hellish world of Tartarus served as both a dark mirror and a passageway to the evil that is business-as-usual behind certain closed doors on Earth. The intent was to expose normalized cruelties and aberrant, sociopathic behaviors in what’s considered a civilized society. Inspiration for the landscape came from many sources, including artwork like Hieronymus Bosch paintings and “The Harrowing of Hell,” and books like “The Princess and The Goblin” and Orwell’s “1984.” The Turquoise Mirror did actually exist at one time but has since been gotten rid of for its unflattering reflection and creepy aura.
Lord Phegor infects a village of noble goblins to create a new species of demonic creatures. What were some themes you wanted to capture in their race?
The new species created was one void of all empathy, decency and morals; they had willingly given up their souls in exchange for hedonistic lives free of guilt or remorse. Theirs was a joyless existence, as every emotion not rooted in hate, pride or deceit was deemed useless and burdensome. Their apathy, narcissism and division amongst themselves served a purpose: it gave the Cabal even more power to control every aspect of their lives, all while allowing them to think they were free.
I appreciated the depth of Ermina and Fairuzo characters and I found their relationship well developed. What were some driving ideals behind their characters and relationship?
The Fairuzo character was based on the magnetic personality traits of an alluring, charismatic sociopath. Ermina’s naïve optimism and adventurous spirit enabled her to see past his cruel exterior enough to recognize a tiny speckle of good within him. In return, he saw within her an innocence long absent from his depraved world of debauchery, a purity he yearned to both corrupt yet preserve. A textbook case of opposites attracting; together, they were the meeting and melding of good and evil. And it is said that good always triumphs over evil.
What is the next novel that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next novel is a pet memoir entitled “Bratskulla The Magical Cat.” It will be available sometime in 2019.
Author Links: Website | Facebook
![The Rebellious Earthling: Tale of The Turquoise Mirror by [Hayes, Andi]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51yWVIDcxaL.jpg)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND meets DANTE’S INFERNO
She loves animals… he loves to sacrifice them. It’s a mismatch made in HELL.
An entirely new species of demonic creatures is spawned when Lord Phegor of the Fallen Angels infects a village of kind and noble goblins. Their mutated offspring now populate the God-forsaken planet of Tartarus where souls are taboo and nothing is sacred. It is into this hellish realm that the prim but virtuous Ermina descends after having impulsively accompanied Phegor’s charismatic son, Lord Fairuzo, back to his kingdom deep underground.
Surrounded by vicious, hedonistic trolls whose sordid pleasures include sacrificing animals, tormenting slaves and indulging in violent orgies, the animal-loving Ermina refuses to participate in any of the cruel depravity. Suspected of possessing an intact soul and under constant surveillance by a diabolical Cabal, she must now find a way to escape back to Earth or be eaten alive.
The Rebellious Earthling: Tale of the Turquoise Mirror
The Rebellious Earthling: Tale of The Turquoise Mirror by Andi Hayes completely caught me off guard. The title and opening pages led me to believe that the novel was going to be a run of the mill work of science fiction – creepy aliens, flat personalities, and clichés galore. But within a few chapters, I was completely hooked on Hayes’s story. I consider myself to be a pretty diverse reader, and I have read and reviewed a significant number of books, but this is the only one that had me staying up two hours past my bedtime to finish it. And, when I didn’t finish it that night, I was up in the morning reading it on the treadmill, suffering through the bounciness and struggles of reading while exercising, just to get to the end – I needed to know what happened!
Clearly, I think that The Rebellious Earthling is a five-star novel. Not only is it completely unique in its subject matter, story line, and characters, but it is also incredibly well-written and thoughtful. The Rebellious Earthling spans several distinct but related, and all equally fascinating, story lines. To give a high-level overview without revealing too much, it follows the demise of race of goblins who are corrupted by greed and lust after being overtaken by a new, cruel overlord. The other primary story line follows Ermina, the titular earthling, and her experiences in the depraved goblin world. Readers follow Ermina as she navigates this bizarre and debauched planet alongside Fairuzo, the handsome ruler of the goblins, whose dark history is hinted at throughout the pages. Hayes excels at managing the differing timelines yet tying them together seamlessly. Sometimes novels struggle in making different timelines understandable for readers, yet Hayes’ is skilled at making the current situation apparent yet not dumbed down.
I also enjoyed how Hayes tied together science fiction and romance, yet never in a tacky or lewd way. Though the lecherous and vile goblins as well as their overlords indulge in vile sexual acts, Hayes has a tactful way of describing these acts in a way that feels appropriately literary. As Hayes develops a romantic relationship between some key characters, I appreciated that the characters felt as if they truly got to know each other before progressing their relationship. The Rebellious Earthling is not a harlequin romance with pulsing clichés on every page, but there is a decent dose of enjoyable, indulgent amour. As a Game of Thrones fan, this felt slightly familiar – a little bit scandalous and addictive to read.
The 300 pages of The Rebellious Earthling fly by, as Hayes keeps the story action-packed yet never rushed. Hayes dedicates an appropriate level of detail to making all of the main and supporting characters three-dimensional and complex, and by the end I felt as if I knew these characters in an intimate way, and I pondered what I thought might happen in the conclusion as I drifted off to sleep. I could not get these characters out of my brain, in the best way possible! As I felt the pages winding down, I began rushing through the pages to get to the climax. And while Hayes left me hanging, I am hopeful that there will be more stories to come in the worlds of Ermina and Fairuzo.
Pages: 334 | ISBN: 0692132899
LITERARY TITAN 