Katherine Briggs crafted her first monster story at age three. Since graduating from crayons to laptop, she continues to devour and weave fantasy tales while enjoying oolong or chai tea. She, her co-adventurer husband, and rescue dog reside outside Houston, where she classically educates amazing middle school students, teaches ESL to adults, and studies other languages.
In this interview, Katherine talks with us about the second book in her The Threshold Duology Series, titled The Immortal Abyss.
FF: What inspired the story in your book?
The Immortal Abyss was inspired by the question, “What is it like to be given great talent or power?” The protagonist Tol is incredibly gifted in fire, but she struggles to control it. How does she overcome this? How can she use her gift in the right way for the right reasons? These questions led to writing this story.
FF: What can you tell us about the main characters in your book?
The female protagonist Tol is an orphan, gifted in fire, and trains to help lead her country out from under the thumb of a corrupt dynasty. She teams up with Bohak, the powerful heir to a northern village, who left the capital to support Tol’s cause and help her train her gifting. There is a third main character that I won’t describe here, as it is a bit of a surprise. Old friends from the first book in the duology, The Eternity Gate, also return.
FF: Which character surprised you the most?
Tol surprised me the most. I didn’t realize how badly she wanted to protect her friends and adopted family when I first began drafting. Her loyalty became clear during the beta reading and self-editing phase, and it deepened many parts of the storyline.
FF: Why do you think storytelling is such a powerful way to share truth?
Storytelling can deliver truth in a relatable way that is easy to remember. Every story, regardless of media, is trying to tell you something, which is why we must enjoy entertainment with discernment. Jesus, of course, is the master storyteller, and his parables continue to shed light into our lives and unfold their layers to each of us thousands of years after they were first told.
FF: What can you tell us about your next book?
My next book is still a secret project, but it is in the works within a spiral notebook! God was gracious to give me a new idea while launching the final book in The Threshold Duology, and I am enjoying the adventure and redemptive themes already promising good story fruit.
FF: What kind of research did you do for this book?
I enjoy learning other languages, ancient and modern, and incorporate aspects of this into The Immortal Abyss. My husband John and I began indoor rock climbing together this year, and it was fun writing brief bouldering scenes for the protagonist Tol. I also researched the different colors of sand in our world, and I had the opportunity to visit a black sand beach on the big island of Hawai’i earlier this year. Black sand is the product of volcanic eruptions and ocean waves. The grains are larger and sharper than I’m used to, and so bright and beautiful. This inspired me to color the deserts in my story charcoal as well, which works because of the surrounding volcanoes.
FF: What do you want readers to take away after reading your book?
After reading Tol’s and her friends’ story, I want readers to be encouraged to persevere in seeking what is Good, even when times are hard or feel impossible. Through Jesus, we are overcomers. Our lives, choices, and actions matter and change the world around us.
FF: What are the biggest challenges for you as an author writing in your specific genre?
For me, one of the biggest challenges of writing in the fantasy genre is introducing world-building elements to readers in a way that is clear and fun without getting slowed down by explanation or confusion. This requires me to introduce characters, plot, and setting thoughtfully, establishing the most important layers before building upon that. It’s also best to introduce the world and characters through action. This “showing” is more natural and memorable than “telling.”
FF: What authors or books have inspired you as an author?
I have learned so much from reading classic fantasy writers like Tolkien, Lewis, and MacDonald, along with wonderful contemporary writers such as Morgan Busse, Nadine Brandes, and Anne Elisabeth Stengl, to name the first three I discovered.
FF: How has your faith or world view impacted the way you tell stories?
Jesus is the master Storyteller and Author of Life. I fingerpaint for Him. When I tell stories, I want to depict what is right and what is evil truthfully, not sugarcoating the issues we and our book characters face. I want to pursue what is Good, True, and Beautiful to edify those who read my stories, which may mean encountering darkness so light can be seen with clarity.
The Immortal Abyss
The Threshold Duology Series #2
Katherine Briggs
Enclave Escape
Genres: YA/Teen SciFi, YA/Teen Fantasy
Release Date: September 17, 2024
ASIN: B0CXHL4JDK
ISBN-13: 979-8886051469
Book Summary:
Seize the throne. Seek the legend and conquer the Abyss.
Nations rise and fall in the aftermath of war over the Eternity Gate. The corrupted desert throne stands empty, and the Immortal Abyss awakens. Drought ravages the continent, and people long for the rebirth of a starpalm, who will rise from among mortals and end their judgment.
Orphaned at birth, Tol grew up hiding in the farthest corners of the desert, training under powerful rebel fire wielders. She now dedicates her life to the Rebellion’s cause to seize the throne and Abyss from the surviving dynasty and deliver both to the coming deity.
Chosen as the Rebellion’s messenger, she travels to reach sympathizers capable of identifying the starpalm. Familiar figures haunt her dreams, and her path twists with every step she takes. Can Tol fulfill her purpose and summon a legend? Or will her country perish under the judgment of the twin gates?
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