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The World Is So Much Bigger
Tyffany Hackett Author Interview
Tellus finds Queen Natylia on lock down and betrayal around every corner while every decision affects the fate of her kingdom. What were some ideas you wanted to carry over into book two and what were some new ideas you wanted to explore?
Natylia started off as a pretty naive character. A bit pampered. But she’s always been courageous, and her moral compass has always directed her in the right direction; which was why, despite her fears, she left the palace in Imber. I really wanted to expand on that. Character growth is astronomically important to me. A person doesn’t have experiences without evolving, so why should a character? I think in Tellus, I wanted Natylia to figure out a little bit more what it meant to be a leader, but also to sacrifice for the people she loves . . . as well as those she’s destined to protect. And while her mental health is taking a beating, I really want to make sure my readers know that just because she’s struggling, doesn’t mean she’s any less of a strong person; something she definitely shares with Camion.
In a more physical regard, the end of Imber is kind of a dungeon crawler. While I love the idea of continuing that, I really wanted to open up the world a bit and show off a bit more of what Araenna has to offer—and I think the cover does a pretty good job of showing what’s in store! 😉 But Imber was very stationary to Natylia’s lands, and the world is so much bigger . . . which, I think also helped give her some perspective.
Natylia continues to be a captivating character. What were some obstacles you felt were important to her character development in this book?
So, Natylia has a bit of a selfish streak. It’s part of her having this life where she never wanted for anything. The problems she faced growing up felt, to her, astronomical to her at the time, but now she’s facing much realer things. I wanted her to grow from that. While I think she started that journey in Imber, I thought it was really important that she realize in Tellus how her actions and choices can affect the people around her, and I’m really excited to show off what she’s learned overall in Ventus. She’s become a much stronger woman, and even though no one ever stops growing, I think the lessons she’s learned have not only made her a better queen, but a better friend and partner as well.
You’ve previously mentioned that you played the Elder Scrolls games. What race from that game do you find yourself always choosing when creating a character?
I love this question! I gravitate toward Elves in almost any fantasy games that I play. And I tend to stay far from humans. But that’s not always true, because the character I’m playing in Skyrim currently is I think a Nord?
Tellus is book two in the Thanatos Trilogy. Where does the final story go and how far along are you in writing it?
The final story will deal with cleaning up the mess that has been created in the first two books. Natylia still has a lot of work ahead of her, not only dealing with with betrayals and revealed secrets from Tellus, but also the new the situation she found herself in at the end of book two! I’m already 35,000 words into the first draft, and I’m currently aiming for a July release.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![Tellus (The Thanatos Trilogy Book 2) by [Hackett, Tyffany]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lHQ33tIyL.jpg)
After a disappointing venture into Emberlyn Forest, Queen Natylia of Thrais is feeling anything but confident. To make matters worse, the Council is now involved, placing her on lockdown to ensure she rules her kingdom as appointed.
But she knows the Scepters are out there. At any moment those magical keys could be used to release four dangerous Titans from their prison far beneath Saphir Lake. If Natylia fails to find the Scepters before they fall into the wrong hands, her kingdom won’t be the only one to suffer.
With the support of Jyn, Camion, and Meryn, Natylia sets out to hunt these ancient relics before war and death can destroy Araenna. And when a former love gets tangled into the mix, Natylia is forced to learn the true meaning of forgiveness.
Betrayal haunts her every step, but the fate of Araenna depends on her every decision—and a test of power may cost her everything she holds dear.
Including her own life.
Tellus
Queen Natylia has a responsibility. Araenna deserves to be ruled properly and to be led to greatness. However, she has found something that could bring an end to everything. She however has a few people she could count on. With their support she will hunt down the scepters and bring them to an end before everything goes awry. Will she make it before the four titans find freedom? Can she finally forgive and love again? What will become of Araenna?
Tyffany Hackett has done a wonderful job with Tellus, the second installment of the Thanatos trilogy. In Imber she introduced the readers to all these wonderful characters and the kingdom. In the second installment you get to dive even deeper into Queen Natylia’s kingdom. The author does a commendable job of gripping the reader right from the beginning. The cliffhanger at the end is both frustrating and simply delectable.
I recommend reading the first installment of the trilogy for a better experience. The first one sets the tone and prepares you for the intensity and action that is in this second one. You should brace yourself for delightfully surprising twists and turns. It almost seems like this author is orchestrating ordered chaos in the chronology of events. I felt deeply committed to the success of Queen Natylia’s mission.
A study of the cover art alone will leave you feeling a need to explore further. The character sculpting in this book is top notch. There is a wonderful sense of love and warmth despite the crisis that threatens existence. Queen Natylia, while faced with obstacles, remains steadfast and brave. The author details all of this characters emotions and inner turmoil throughout the entire process. The same multi-dimensional character build applies to other characters like Jyn and the others. The author gives readers a chance to get to know the characters and understand their journeys both as individuals and as members of a group.
You will be deeply content with everything from the plot to the characters to the masterful writing. The only down side is that you will be giddy with anticipation awaiting the third installment in the trilogy. Tellus sets the bar for the third book very high.
Pages: 329 | ASIN: B07X6Q821T
I Followed the Magic
Tyffany Hackett Author Interview
Imber follows a young queen on a deadly journey to save her kingdom from an ancient enemy. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting novel?
Honestly I’ve always been a huge fan of epic fantasy; huge, sweeping books that pulled you into another world, or games that let you have powers and forge bonds. Larger than life enemies, heroes that don’t always win. I grew up on JRR Tolkien, Garth Nix, Julian May, and JK Rowling. I’ve poured hours and hours into the Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls games, and more still into Dungeons and Dragons sessions. So when I started writing I leaned into that. I followed the magic. And while I still have a lot to learn from those greats, I knew going in that I really wanted Imber to encompass what I love about fantasy–the trials, the adventures, the magic, the friendship.
Natylia is an intriguing character that I enjoyed following. What were some driving ideals behind her character?
With all of my characters I stick very firmly to the ideal “write what you know.” Who was I at 19? I was young, and impulsive, and made mistakes. So what would I have done thrust into a spotlight I wasn’t quite ready for? I would have been young, and impulsive, and made mistakes–mistakes I would later learn great lessons from. I’ve always loved flawed heroes, because they felt more real to me, and I wanted Natylia to feel as close to a living person as one could living inside pages.
The novel has a rich backstory that I hope to see more of. What were some themes you wanted to explore in this book?
I think there’s a lot of conversations that aren’t being had in our real, living world, and I tried to weave some of those into my world building. I’m all for a story with a message, and I tried to throw in a few that were important to me.
Natylia has panic attacks because of crowds, and because that’s what felt natural to me; but mental health isn’t often addressed in fiction and when it is, often it’s in a harmful or inconsistent way.
I also wanted younger readers, since Imber is YA, to be reminded that they will be underestimated, and they will make mistakes, but that they can move forward from them.
I wanted to reinforce the idea that sometimes family isn’t blood, but the people in your life who love and support you. Specifically, Natylia’s relationship with Jyn. They’re really important to me because I think strictly platonic male-female relationships are almost nonexistent in literature, and they shouldn’t hold the strange taboo that society puts on them, but also because when Jyn had no one else he still had Natylia. Those kind of friendships are rare and should be cherished.
This is book one in your Thanatos Trilogy, where will book two pickup and when will it be available?
Book two will pick up two to three weeks after the end of Imber, and it will be available Fall 2019. Right now I’m aiming for a late September/early October release.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Instagram
![Imber: Book One of The Thanatos Trilogy by [Hackett, Tyffany]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WhEv4rpzL.jpg)
The locks are failing
–
The keys are calling.
–
The Titans are waking.
–
Crowned before her time, nineteen-year-old Natylia is thrust into an unpleasant reality–her people don’t want her, her family doesn’t need her and,despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to shake an incorrigible suitor. But when rumors begin to swirl throughout her kingdom the young queen shifts her focus and realizes that the world she loves could be destroyed in an instant.
–
An ancient enemy, long thought gone, is trying to return.
–
Forgotten legends have resurfaced, stories that tell of three scepters: the keys to unleashing these foul beings. Across Araenna the hunt rages for this trio of formidable power–to command the keys is to hold the power of mortal gods.
–
Aided by her snarky elven bodyguard, an unassuming blacksmith, and a clever nature witch, Natylia races to correct the mistakes of the past… before they can destroy her people’s future.
Imber
Tyffany Hackett’s book Imber follows the journey of a young girl named Natylia, who becomes queen before she is of age and takes her mother’s throne. She is accompanied throughout the story by friends like an elf, an herbalist, and a blacksmith. Natylia, after hearing about the legend of an ancient artifact, decides to go with her friends and find the artifact before others take it. Our heroine toils through loss and political conflict to successfully achieve her goal of benefiting the kingdom and saving it from an ancient doom.
Set in medieval times, this book contains so many fantastical things that are superbly described. The characters were well developed and gained layers as the story progressed. Natylia is one example of such a character. Throughout the book, you can see she reacts to stresses and pressures in a believable and relateable way. There is a complexity to all the characters stories, starting superficially and growing into something deeper, which is explored and hinted at throughout the book. One such example is Jyn, who is a friend of our protagonist. He’s ever faithful, and even with his temper he’s something more than Natylia’s guard.
The book explores themes of growing up in the face of adversity, as seen with the protagonist’s ascension to the throne. The trials she faces make her grow up from a young girl into a full-fledged woman right before your eyes. This coming-of-age theme really kept me turning pages all the way through. The author’s writing delivers complex ideas easily, but at times I felt the story was hampered by excessive descriptions, which detracted from the momentum built with some very well orchestrated action scenes. At the same time however, I can’t help but feel that the descriptions helped cement the world better and evoke a stronger image about the story. I suppose this is to say, if you like deep descriptive world building then this book is for you.
While the character development was excellent, I felt that some of the relationships that Natylia has throughout the book were shallow and easily cast aside. There were some relationships that I did enjoy, such as our protagonist’s relationship with her parents and siblings, but others seem to be thrown aside or not developed. I was given just enough to be deeply intrigued and begged for more.
Nevertheless, even with these flaws the book was a thrilling read. The prose was crafted with care and the author was very descriptive throughout. When the action came it kept me on the edge of my seat and was very fun to read.
Pages: 424 | ASIN: B07CMGSDRD
LITERARY TITAN 