Today I’m
excited to participate in the Book Birthday Blitz of ‘Ashael Rising’ by Shona
Kinsella. ‘Ashael Rising’ is a High Fantasy novel and the first book in The
Vessel of Kaladene series. Check out the awesome Q&A and participate in the Giveaway.
About the Book:
The Zanthar are invaders from another world who extend their own lives by stealing the life-force of everything around them. They were last seen on KalaDene 200 years ago. They have returned, looking for The Vessel, a being prophesied to hold the life-force of the land.
Iwan is a slave to the Zanthar, descendant of those taken as slaves the last time the Zanthar visited this world. He is sent out as a spy, while his mother is held hostage to ensure his compliance.
When Ashael meets Iwan in the forest, neither realise that she is the one the Zanthar are looking for. The fate of KalaDene and all of its people rests on her shoulders.
The Facts:
Publication
Date:
|
February
6th, 2017
|
Series:
|
The
Vessel of Kaladene #1
|
Genre:
|
High
Fantasy
|
Pages:
|
301
|
Formats:
|
eBook,
Paperback
|
Available
at:
|
Q&A with Shona Kinsella:
Tell
us a little more about ‘Ashael Rising’?
Ashael is
a stone-age apprentice medicine woman. She is content to learn how to be a
healer and to serve her community. All that changes when the Zanthar return;
invaders from another world who extend their own lives by stealing the life
force from everything around them. Ashael must discover who she really is and
find a way to defend her people and her world.
Where
did you get your inspiration for ‘Ashael Rising’?
The story
was inspired by a dream I had about ten years ago. In the dream, I was a
warrior fairy, fighting in a magical war and just before I woke up, I was
flying over a desolate land, destroyed by the war. That image was the beginning
of Ashael Rising. Not much of the dream found its way into the book – there are
no fairies for a start – but that image became very important to the story.
‘Ashael
Rising’ is a High Fantasy novel. Did you plan on writing a High Fantasy
novel or did it just end up like a High Fantasy without you really realizing
it?
I planned
to write some sort of fantasy novel, but the subgenre became apparent as I
wrote, and the story seemed to just keep getting bigger and bigger.
Who
is your favorite character in ‘Ashael Rising’?
I always
feel like I should answer this question with Ashael, but the truth is, Bhearra
is my favourite character. She’s who I’d like to be when I grow up!
What
is your favorite part of the world you created for ‘Ashael Rising’?
The cams –
the communities that Ashael’s people live in. I love the way that the members
of the community support each other, even in disagreement. I love the vote and
that every voice is given equal weight. I love how welcoming and accepting of
difference these people are. I love the way that everyone works for the good of
the group. I honestly wish I could live there.
Did
you always know ‘Ashael Rising’ would be the start of a series?
No, I
fondly thought it would be one book! Ashael Rising is the first book I’ve ever
tried to write so I had no way to gauge the size of the story and the number of
words I would need to tell it. When I was writing it, I realised just how big
it was and that there was no way a debut author would get to publish it as one
massive book, so I broke it into three.
Why
should readers read your book?
This is
always the hardest question to answer! It has an unusual setting, a varied and
diverse cast with multiple female point of view characters, there’s magic,
danger, love, friendship, regret, fantastical creatures, and did I mention
magic?
Asahel is
a woman who knows her own worth, who values her friendships and who doesn’t
need a man to complete her. And she has magic.
About the Author:
Shona
Kinsella is the author of Ashael Rising, (Unbound, 2017) the first in her
series, The Vessel of KalaDene. She is also one of the editors of the British
Fantasy Society’s fiction publication, Horizons. When she is not writing or
wrangling her three children, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.
For more information about Shona Kinsella please visit
her website. Or visit her on Facebook and Twitter.
Giveaway:
This event was organized by Rachel's Random Resources.
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