About the author
Dael is a researcher working on past environmental changes in Europe and in the tropics. During his spare time, Dael is a writer, artist, photographer, bass-slapper and world-traveller, exploring diverse environments, from the depths of the Amazon rainforest to the frozen terrains of Iceland. Much of what Dael writes is inspired by nature and travel, due to his background in geography and conservation, but he's also drawn to the myths and legends of ancient cultures. Through his words, Dael evokes a sense of enchantment and escapism as he invites the reader to travel with him to mysterious lands full of unexpected challenges, inhabited by eccentric people and at the persistent threat of powerful enemies.
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Q&A
What inspired you to write this book?
I have always been fascinated by stories of fantastical lands where people have powers and meet a variety of otherworldly obstacles that they have to surmount. Growing up, I immersed myself in the Greek and Roman myths, such as the Twelve Labours of Hercules or the Odyssey, but also modern fantasy novels such as Narnia or Eragon. In all these stories, the main character is thrown in a strange world they don't know and find they have special abilities or an unknown identity. The inspiration for this book came to me when I was about 15, from a desire to recreate that feeling of awe that I experienced when reading myths, legends and fantasy books. Later on, many parts of the book have been inspired by my growing interest in nature and by many travels in remote places such as Iceland, the Amazon rainforest and the Moroccan High-Atlas. In all, the book was inspired by my love for the mystical and the environment.
How is your book relevant in today’s society?
With increasing human activity around the world, both for economic gain and as a response to growing population, nature is being continuously threatened. We have lost too many forests, coral reefs and species. Our world is polluted with plastic and our atmosphere with carbon dioxide. My book seeks to show what the excessive use of nature and thirst for power can do to a land. In the story, humans arrived 600 years ago and since then Valkadia has suffered. Since Emperor Darkstrom's rise to power, he has destroyed Remara and its nature, and wants to do the same to the enchanted land of Erythya, in order to expand his territory and spread 'progress'. Lightbringers therefore function as protectors of nature, as well as paladins of justice.
What makes your book different from other books like it?
As much as the story is set in a new fantasy world which nobody has seen, that is not the most unique side to my novel. I think the story of the book's evolution is what makes it different. I began writing versions of this story when I was only 15, in Italian. Over the years, the more I went on with my studies and the more I travelled, the story has grown together with me and it is a part of my transition from childhood to adulthood. Since moving to the UK for my studies at university, I kept this project up on- and-off, but it was always in the back of my mind. After rewriting the story many times, still in Italian, I decided to attempt writing the story in its final edition in English. In 2019, I began writing the version of the story which is now being published.
What do you want readers to take away from your writing?
Nature isn't a free-for-all, and there are serious consequences when people exploit it too much. The natural world is itself enchanted, and we must protect it. Also, I would like readers to learn that is never too late to help out those who need it most, be it less privileged people or other species. Just like Jason has to let go of his life as a photographer in London and learn how to use his power for the better of Valkadia, we too must do what we can to put aside our needs and use our influence for the better of our natural world.
I have always been fascinated by stories of fantastical lands where people have powers and meet a variety of otherworldly obstacles that they have to surmount. Growing up, I immersed myself in the Greek and Roman myths, such as the Twelve Labours of Hercules or the Odyssey, but also modern fantasy novels such as Narnia or Eragon. In all these stories, the main character is thrown in a strange world they don't know and find they have special abilities or an unknown identity. The inspiration for this book came to me when I was about 15, from a desire to recreate that feeling of awe that I experienced when reading myths, legends and fantasy books. Later on, many parts of the book have been inspired by my growing interest in nature and by many travels in remote places such as Iceland, the Amazon rainforest and the Moroccan High-Atlas. In all, the book was inspired by my love for the mystical and the environment.
How is your book relevant in today’s society?
With increasing human activity around the world, both for economic gain and as a response to growing population, nature is being continuously threatened. We have lost too many forests, coral reefs and species. Our world is polluted with plastic and our atmosphere with carbon dioxide. My book seeks to show what the excessive use of nature and thirst for power can do to a land. In the story, humans arrived 600 years ago and since then Valkadia has suffered. Since Emperor Darkstrom's rise to power, he has destroyed Remara and its nature, and wants to do the same to the enchanted land of Erythya, in order to expand his territory and spread 'progress'. Lightbringers therefore function as protectors of nature, as well as paladins of justice.
What makes your book different from other books like it?
As much as the story is set in a new fantasy world which nobody has seen, that is not the most unique side to my novel. I think the story of the book's evolution is what makes it different. I began writing versions of this story when I was only 15, in Italian. Over the years, the more I went on with my studies and the more I travelled, the story has grown together with me and it is a part of my transition from childhood to adulthood. Since moving to the UK for my studies at university, I kept this project up on- and-off, but it was always in the back of my mind. After rewriting the story many times, still in Italian, I decided to attempt writing the story in its final edition in English. In 2019, I began writing the version of the story which is now being published.
What do you want readers to take away from your writing?
Nature isn't a free-for-all, and there are serious consequences when people exploit it too much. The natural world is itself enchanted, and we must protect it. Also, I would like readers to learn that is never too late to help out those who need it most, be it less privileged people or other species. Just like Jason has to let go of his life as a photographer in London and learn how to use his power for the better of Valkadia, we too must do what we can to put aside our needs and use our influence for the better of our natural world.