What would you do if you had to defeat a desert fantasy monster with your wits?
Today, I’m talking to A.M. Daylin, debut fantasy author of the spectacular book Where Darkness Cannot Follow. I read the sample pages of this book and immediately backed its Kickstarter campaign. Seriously, you guys, this is one of my favorite fantasy books ever. I already ordered more copies as gifts.
I asked A.M. Daylin to answer a few questions about her story.
Your main characters are Ezro, an outcast who refuses to fall into line behind the land’s wicked queen, and Vearyn, the true heir who must free the kingdom from said queen. Who do you identify with more: Ezro or Vaeryn? And why?
I identify with both of them, but I would say I identify with Ezro the most. We’re quite different in many ways, but we also share similar insecurities and self-doubts. So, writing about him having to wrestle with these things and grow through them was therapeutic for me. We also share a similar appreciation for tea and desert storms.
Our value isn’t derived from what we do, what others say about us, our pasts, or even what we think about ourselves—our value comes from our Creator alone.
-A.M. Daylin
I loved the monster battle scenes in Where Darkness Cannot Follow. If you were in the story, which monster would you least like to encounter? And how would you try to defeat it?
Can I say all of them? I’d be scared to encounter any of my monsters! I suppose the necromancer is the most frightening because he’s able to capture people’s souls—no thanks—and harness them. I’d rather get eaten by the wyrm. Also, me trying to defeat any of the beasts is hilarious. I’d be dead within ten feet of my own story world haha!
It was evident from the spiritual and emotional depth of this book that you put your heart and soul into crafting the story. What do you hope readers will take away from Where Darkness Cannot Follow?
Where Darkness Cannot Follow was definitely a deep outpouring of my heart and soul. I’d say the biggest takeaway I’d want my readers to have is that our value isn’t derived from what we do, what others say about us, our pasts, or even what we think about ourselves—our value comes from our Creator alone. Once we humbly accept that, it enables us to operate from a place of strength and purpose rather than desperation to prove ourselves or earn our worth.
Another thing I hope readers walk away from the story with is a greater awareness about safe and unsafe people. All the relationships in the story fall into one of those two categories, and I hope that by displaying and contrasting them, people will develop a stronger radar for who is safe (invested in other’s good) and who is unsafe (invested primarily in their own gain to the detriment of others).
Both of these themes will continue to be explored in the next two books in the trilogy.
A.M. Daylin is a wife, mother of two young girls, and a follower of Jesus Christ. She has a deep passion for connecting with others’ hearts through the power of stories and hopes that her words will help others experience healing as they go on thought-provoking, imaginative adventures. When not writing (or daydreaming about writing), you can find her drawing past her bedtime, hanging out with her family and Jesus, going for long drives whilst blasting cinematic music (that’s normal, right?), obsessing over social media aesthetics (hey, it’s part of her job!), and occasionally writing a song or two. She and her family currently live in Arizona, which inspired the setting for her debut. Connect with her on Instagram (@a.m.daylin) or at amdaylin.com.
Breana Johnson 