Author Interview with Daniel Arenson

About the Author:
Born in 1980, Daniel Arenson is an author of fantasy fiction, from epic to dark and surreal.

He began his career writing short stories. He sold his first story, "Worms Believe in God", in 1998. Since then, dozens of his stories and poems have appeared in various magazines, among them Flesh & Blood, Chizine, and Orson Scott Card's Strong Verse.

Five Star Publishing, an imprint of Gale, published Arenson's fantasy novel Firefly Island in 2007. Since then, he's written the fantasy novels The Gods of Dream, Flaming Dove, Eye of the Wizard, and Blood of Requiem.

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My Tower of Books: I haven't read many books with dragons as the main characters. What gave you the idea to not just have dragons in your story, but humans that can shift into them for your Song of Dragons series?

Daniel: So many fantasy novels feature humans riding dragons. Those are fun stories, but I didn't want to just write another dragon rider book. So I decided... humans who can turn into dragons. I had never heard of anyone else writing this type of story. I'm sure it's been done before -- most ideas have been done -- but I still don't know of any similar books.

I think it makes the whole story more fun. If anything is better than riding a dragon, it's being able to turn into one at will.

MToB: I always have a favorite character in the books I'm reading. Did you have a character that you just loved writing? If so, which one?

Daniel: I enjoyed writing about all the characters. If I thought they were boring, I wouldn't write about them. That said, I think my favorites are the younger characters: Kyrie, Agnus Dei, and Gloriae. They each have distinct, strong personalities, and they were lots of fun to write. The adult characters in this book are serious, thoughtful, reflective; their children tend to be more outrageous.

MToB: Did you know when you started the first book, Blood of Requiem, that this would be a trilogy or did the story take on a life of it's own?

Daniel: The original idea was very different. At first, I wanted to write a story based on Mozart's Requiem. It would be similar to Disney's Fantasia -- an attempt to craft a story to classical composition. I had planned fourteen chapters, one for each movement of the Requiem. Each chapter would try to match the tone of its movement. I'd invite the reader to listen to the music as he or she read.

But... it didn't work. Readers wouldn't have access to the music. Or they wouldn't be able to synch the music with the appropriate chapters. It was all a bit too arty and pretentious.

So I scrapped that idea, and went back to square one. I already had some ideas I liked -- humans who can turn into dragons, warfare against griffins, and a story full of tragedy and love and death and adventure. I decided to rewrite this story as an epic fantasy series.

It was a strange evolution... but I think it worked out!

MToB: I know that some writers have a special spot or location they go to when they write. Do you have a specific place that you go when writing?

Daniel: I travel a lot. I'm often on the road. I write on trains, in coffee shops, at subway stations, and really anywhere I can pull out my netbook. Someday I'd love to have a quiet place and steady routine!

MToB: Writers aren't always writing. What are some other things you enjoy doing in your free time?

Daniel: Free what now?

Thanks to Daniel for doing this interview! It has been great learning more about your process.

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Check out my reviews for Blood of Requiem and Tears of Requiem in the Song of Dragons series. Find out more about Daniel Arenson on his webpage or Goodreads. Connect with him via Twitter and Facebook as well!

Review: Tears of Requiem by Daniel Arenson

Synopsis:
The nightshades cover the land. Demons of smoke and shadow, they fear no sword or arrow. They suck the souls from all who live, like a glutton sucking marrow from bones. The world falls under their darkness.

But the nightshades crave more than random ruin. The souls of mere humans will not sate them. They seek dragons.

Requiem's last dragons, a mere scattering of survivors, have fought off men and griffins. But how can they fight the nightshades, creatures they cannot cut or burn?


Review:
This is book two in the Song of Dragons series. I have to say that it doesn't disappoint. If anything, it only gets better.

At the end of the first book, Blood of Requiem, I was left with some questions and uncertainties. I won't get into details because I don't want to spoil book one for anybody. I will say that the main nemesis is ultimately the same but with different, not to mention stronger and creepier, allies.

Dies Irae returns as the main force trying to extinguish the last reminaing Vir Requis once and for all. To do this, he enlists the help of some truly terrible creatures and in the process becomes something less than human himself.

The action and tension are non-stop almost from the first page. The Vir Requis are forced to run and hide to save their souls from being shattered. They have met their match in the Nightshades and must seek forgiveness and help from their past enemies.

As far as romance goes, I was thrown some great surprises. Kyrie and Agnus Dei have their love tested by distance, hardship and outside forces. They have a fiery relationship to begin with, and it just gets more complicated as a result of their trials.

A satisfying follow up, Tears of Requiem kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for the good guys.

Publication Date: August 18, 2011
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Thanks to the author for my review copy!

Teaser Tuesday:Tears of Requiem by Daniel Arenson

Teaser Tuesday is hosted at Should Be Reading. To join in, just open up your current book to a random page, choose two sentences to share, and no spoilers allowed!

My Teaser this week:

"Even if we do find a book about nightshades, what's the use? It would probably just tell us that Dies Irae, ten feet tall with muscles of steel, single-handedly tamed the nightshades over breakfast, using nothing but his butter knife."

Page 85, Tears of Requiem by Daniel Arenson

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Don't forget to check out my Scary Good Giveaway for a chance to win hardcovers of Anna Dressed in Blood, Rot & Ruin, and Frost!

Review: Blood of Requiem by Daniel Arenson

Synopsis:
Long ago stood the kingdom of Requiem, a land of men who could grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem ruled the sky.

But Dies Irae, a tyrant leading an army of griffins, hunted Requiem's people, burned their forests, and shattered their temples. Requiem fell. This ancient land now lies in ruin, its halls crumbled, its cries silenced, its skeletons littering the burned earth.

In the wilderness, a scattering of survivors lives in hiding. The griffins still hunt them, and every day promises death. Will Requiem's last children perish in exile... or once more become dragons and fly to war?

Review:

Feuding brothers, humans that can shift into dragons, armys of men riding griffins, love, hate, jealousy and forgiveness. Blood of Requiem pulls all these elements together and makes this original fantasy world come to life.

Benedictus is king of Requiem. He is also Vir Requis, which means he can shift into dragon form. Many of the people of Requiem are able to do this. Dies Irae, older brother of Benedictus, can't shift. This is why his younger brother is king instead of him. The story starts off with the slaughter of all the Vir Requis and Benedictus being cast out by his younger brother.

The conflict in this book is really between the two brothers. There is bad blood, jealousy and envy that has had years to grow and fester. It takes place on such a large scale because Benedictus and his army can shift into a dragon and Dies Irae can command the griffins and uses them for his own army. It escalates into a war that wipes out almost all of the Vir Requis.

I kept finding myself really wanting to feel sympathy for Dies Irae. His father put him down and embarrassed him simply because he couldn't change into a dragon (bad parenting 101). He always felt like a failure, and that quickly turned into unquenchable anger. Who wouldn't be mad about that? But in the end I had to give up on feeling sorry for him because he placed the blame on everyone but himself. We can't change the cards we're dealt, but we can play them however we want. A lot of people grow up in abusive or negative homes, and they can choose to wallow in self-pity and rage OR they can make the choice to be stronger for it, to live well in spite of their upbringing. I must say that it makes for a character I loved to hate!

I really liked the idea of humans being able to shift into dragons. While in their dragon forms they are still able to think and talk like humans. How cool would that be? Soaring across the skies, moving through the clouds. Very cool!

Fans of fantasy will want to check this one out!

Publication Date: May 17, 2011

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Source: Thank you to the author, Daniel Arenson, for my review copy! Check out his website at http://www.danielarenson.com/