The Shade of Highfall – The Tale of Shrew is a new fantasy adventure by Mark O’Dell that follows the story of Shrew, a young woman, as she tries to survive the slums of the ancient city of Highfall.
What is The Shade of Highfall about?
My book is a fantasy adventure with the story centered on a young woman called Shrew. It begins with her struggling to survive in the notorious slums of the ancient city of Highfall. Having been caught for stealing and sent to work in the sewers of the undercity, her nefarious life comes to a halt after she discovers a dagger containing the spirit of a legendary fey woman. A bond forms between them, and Shrew sees an opportunity to improve her lowly existence – but the spirit has another plan. The discovery of the dagger and adoption by a band of mercenaries and thieves results in her following conflicting paths.
Meanwhile unbeknownst to the citizens of Highfall, a drug-crazed cult, following the prophecy of a madman, journey to the city to summon an ancient evil – known as the Master of Shades – who will bring darkness and ruin to the world.
Shrew becomes caught up in a race against time, where she is one of twelve brave souls who band together in a vain attempt to stop the summoning of this ancient evil. This is an emotional rollercoaster of betrayal, horror and revenge, where Shrew finally learns who she really is.
What inspired you to write The Shade of Highfall?
I was inspired by the works of other authors of fantasy and science fiction. For a long time, I read their stories and then one day, decided to write a story of my own.
What is your target audience for The Shade of Highfall?
When I started writing the book, I saw my target audience as those who love fantasy and adventure. My aim was to create an entirely new world and make it highly immersive for my readers. So, I also created maps and a glossary to help drag my readers into the middle of the action.
What do you hope readers could get out of The Shade of Highfall?
I hope my readers enjoy reading my book and feel empathy with the heroine, Shrew. She is placed in some difficult situations, but with fortitude, courage and even a sense of humor, battles through to the very last page.
What are your future goals/plans?
Having enjoyed writing The Shade of Highfall I am currently writing a sequel. The sequel starts where the first one finished, but after the first chapter it plunges Shrew into an entirely different world. One that will surprise and maybe even shock my readers, but will have some powerful messages behind it about our current situation here on Earth in the 21st century.
And something about yourself.
I am a writer, artist and also a scientist when I decide to work for a living. In my spare time I dig up old fossils and look up at the stars. You may find references to these in my book. I enjoy reading and love writing. It puts me in a different place, away from the daily humdrum of life. I have a vivid imagination and I often play out scenes from my books in my head.
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