I’ve been keeping this a secret for almost two years. It’s finally time to lift the veil on my novel.

To start with, it finally has a name!! The Songkiller’s Symphony.

Though I really need way more time to put together a quality synopsis, here’s my first jab at it. 😉

Exton has one chance to stop the Songkiller from escaping his millennium-long prison and laying waste to the world. Exton has always dreamed of leaving a legacy. 

If only destiny were that simple.

What inspired this book?

The plot began long ago when I toyed with how I might have ended The Lord of the Rings differently. That ending slowly evolved into something only vaguely related, and a whole world arose around it.

As for the theme, the throbbing heart of the story…that came from my own story. In many ways, Exton is a reflection of myself. I’m an optimist and a visionary and I tend to reach for the stars. And fall short. Sometimes I press myself so hard I miss the big picture. This book itself is the wild gambit of an overachiever. It’s complex, it’s grand, it’s barely within what I can currently handle—far beyond what I was capable of when I started it! And I honestly worry it might be too much for me. So I wanted to write a story that asks the question: what if the hero isn’t enough? We live in a culture that tells us to believe in ourselves. A confidence rooted in truth is helpful. But what if we really aren’t enough? It’s a question worth wrestling over. I hope to do it justice.

Meet the main characters! (with representative statements)

Exton: Infinity throbs in my heart. I long to dive head first into eternity, run across mountains, and swim the sea. I desire to know each person as if I could walk right into their soul and take a seat. I will drive away the darkness and I will avenge the world.

Flash: If you don’t look, you won’t notice the jaws of destiny closing in on you.

Ventar (the Bard): The world is going to destroy itself, and when it does, the Bards will be the last ones standing, fighting in futility.

Hadwick: Well that was fun. What’s next? (A very serious person who does everything to hide it.)

Menthril (aka The Songkiller): Every spot, every blemish in this cursed world is by my hand. If I cannot save it, I will end its pain.

Umthroodem: Until I understand fate, I am its slave. I will leave no leaf unturned till I unveil the workings of destiny.

Where this book fits within the genre:

It’s high fantasy, which means it deals with ‘high’ concepts like the clash of good and evil throughout history. It’s also epic fantasy which means it’s EPIC!

My “claim to fame” is that I ditched the traditional elves and dwarves, faeries and giants, and decided to try something fresh. In this book, you’ll meet the swamp and lake-dwelling ublidek and the tree-dwelling teedletiden. (I’ll also deliver my own twist on mere-people in book two.) Oh, and did I mention there are humans? We can’t forget the humans, people!

I’ve tried to follow the traditions of quest fantasy without turning it into a travel log, keeping up the action from start to finish.

Tone-wise, it aims to combine enchantment, thoughtfulness, and fun adventure, with a tinge of the bittersweet.

My upmost thanks to everyone who’s been following me on this journey. Your support menas so much.