Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on the Escapist Book Co. virtual book tour for H.C. Newell’s Dark Fantasy/Grimdark novel Curse of the Fallen! Today, I am excited to help kickoff the tour by sharing an interview with the main character from the book, Nerana!
You can find our Q&A below, along with all of the info about the book, the author, and links to purchase a copy of Curse of the Fallen for yourself! Also, be sure to take a look at the schedule here or at the top of the post and follow along to see the stops from our other awesome hosts!
Book Information:
Curse of the Fallen by H. C. Newell
Series: Fallen Light
Genre: Dark Fantasy/Grimdark
Intended Age Group: Adult
Pages: 400
Published: April 26, 2021
Publisher: Self Published
Blurb
This Child is not the chosen one. She is a demon to be destroyed.
Born of magic, Nerana is labeled a demon and forced into hiding by the Order of Saro. Living with a curse that binds her to their leader, Nerana seeks to free herself from their hold and soon learns that the path to redemption may prove more fatal than the Order itself.
But for Nerana, this is more than a quest for survival… It’s a promise of revenge.
See Also:
Three Strikes, You’re Out • Hold My Beer • Just the Girl (I’m Looking For)
Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093DWP3W8
Author Direct: https://www.hcnewell.com/bookone
The Broken Binding: https://www.thebrokenbinding.co.uk/product-page/curse-of-the-fallen-h-c-newell
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57903451-curse-of-the-fallen
Character Q&A
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Nerana. I usually give an alias to better protect myself, but you seem safe enough. For now.
What music do you listen to?
The lute is my favorite instrument. Enchanted ocarinas are not.
What are 3 items you can’t live without?
I’ve learned to live without anything but the necessities. If I had to pick something…. I suppose I’d have to say the arun. I almost literally cannot live without that stupid, enchanted bastard.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what is one thing you’d like to have with you?
You’re never stranded if you can teleport.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Misguided cruelty. There is always a way to help someone in need. The world is full of enough injustice and pain, why go adding to it?
What do you do in your free time?
I train with my sword or listen to Loryk tell the same story in a slightly different way for the hundredth time. Doof.
What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?
Knowing that someday I can finally liberate my people from the injustice set upon them. Each day I get closer to finding that freedom.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Always be kind and think with your heart.” My mother said that to me when I was young. I’ve never forgotten it.
What do you carry in your bag?
Essentials, mostly. Wrapped hardtack and jerky, a leather canteen, potions, herbs, leather strips, extras clothes and shoes, a flint, a whetstone, a map, lute strings — Loryk..!
What’s your favorite animal?
There aren’t many wild animals roaming through Laeroth. Most of them are pinned in farmsteads or hiding in the woods far from civilization. Maybe a dog or wolf?
What do you think about Loryk, Gilbrich, Klaud and Avelloch?
Loryk’s a doof, but I can’t live without him.
Gil’s like a father to me. I know that I can trust him with my life, which is an unfortunately rare thing these days.
Klaud is repressed and brooding. I’m not sure what to make of him just yet, only that he cares deeply for Azae’l. He seems nice enough, and I can say that I trust him.
Avelloch is bitter and quiet. If we aren’t talking, we’re arguing, which is getting exhausting. I’ve enough to worry about besides an angry elf who could kill me with his glare.
Do you have favorite saying?
“Trust your instincts… they are all that will keep you alive.”
What is your favorite holiday?
We don’t celebrate holidays in the Brotherhood. As a child, I remember enjoying The Day of Peace, which is a holiday dedicated to Numera, the Divine of Elements and Nature. Everyone would go into the wilderness and pick flowers or sit by streams and commune with one another or with nature.
If you could go anywhere in Erolith, where would you go and why?
Anaemiril, the ancient tombs of the lost civilization, the Ahn’Clave. There must be a reason the Order sealed the caves centuries ago, and I’d like to know what happened to the Ahn’Clave.
What do you do to relax?
I listen to Loryk play music or spend time alone in the training grounds.
What is your favorite food?
Duck liver stew
What is your favorite season?
Summer
How would you define happiness?
Being with the ones you love and living in peace.
How do you feel about your government?
The Order of Saro is vicious and full of lies. They’ve brainwashed an entire country into believing their Gods are the only way to eternal freedom, and it’s cost everyone their compassion, morality, and souls.
If you could change one thing about Erolith, what would it be?
Everyone would coexist.
What’s your biggest secret?
I am the Child of Skye
What do you hate?
Cruelty and deceit.
What do you think your best quality is?
Without sounding arrogant, I’d have to say my kindness is my best quality. There isn’t enough of it in the world anymore.
How would you describe the world you live in?
Full of hatred and ignorance. Everyone wants to overpower one another, and every race thinks they’re superior.
About the Author
H.C. Newell is an American author of epic fantasy. She is best known for the Fallen Light fictional universe, in which her fantasy novel Curse of the Fallen, is set.
Newell began her writing journey at a young age. In elementary school, she would often write small plays for her and her cousins to perform. In middle and high school her love of writing transformed into fiction literature, which she would write in spiral-bound notebooks. By 2015, she had written more than 5 romance and young adult novels and several short stories.
In 2014, Newell started her first novel series, Forthwind, which was a young adult trilogy. As she grew as an author, she found her niche in adult fantasy, and created the Fallen Light universe. This six-part novel series took Newell over seven years to create. She published her debut novel “Curse of the Fallen” in April 2021.
Newell’s works have been compared by readers to authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Andrejz Sapkowski, and Robert Jordan among others. Newell lives in Nashville, TN with her husband.
Website: https://www.hcnewell.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HCNewell1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hcnewellauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HCNewell
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