September 16th sees the release of the final book in Daniela Sacerdoti's YA Fantasty trilogy which tells the story of Sarah Midnight and which I have avidly followed in the previous two instalments Dreams and Tide. To recap Sarah is a grade A student and a talented young musician hoping to study at Scotland's top Music Academy but is plagued by frightening dreams, the dreams guide Sarah's parents who are demon hunters as all of her family have been through the generations. When her parents are murdered Sarah must take on their work and find their killer. Sarah has to use the powers she has inherited, along with the friends she makes along the way. Spirit is a spectacular climax to the series as Sarah and her friends have taken a leap of faith trusting in Nicholas and have begun their journey to the spirit world to confront The King of Shadows. Daniela has wonderfully rounded out her characters as they come of age in this final book and we get some further intriguing hints about the history of the secret families and an insight in to Nicholas also. This is a spectacular series which will appeal to teens (and adults) who have enjoyed Liz de Jager's Banished, Sally Green's Half Bad or Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments.
The books are published by Black and White Publishing and are available in paperback and e-book.
I asked Dani a few questions about her inspiration and what she is working on right now.
Oooh, I don't know if it's the end! It was very hard to say goodbye to my characters, especially Sarah and Sean. I would love to see them all again. Or maybe explore their past, like what Sean did in Japan before meeting Sarah. I'm writing a short story about that now, so watch this space :)
2. Where did the inspiration come from for the Sarah Midnight series?
It all started from a black-haired girl I saw at a bus stop years ago: she was wearing a school uniform and listening to music, and she had a very intense expression. I thought she would make an ideal character for a story, so she became Sarah!
3. Will you write more YA Fiction?
I hope so. If I find another strong story that really captures me, I hope I'll be able to send it out into the world like I did with Sarah. I was lucky to find a publisher who believed in her.
4. What else are you working on?
I'm working on an adult book, the third set in Glen Avich, called Set Me Free.
5. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
To work extremely hard and get that novel finished! Also to read a lot, and never ever give up, because sometimes it takes a long time to find a publisher, and there may be many rejections along the way.
6. What are your favourite Fantasy books?
The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit. I'm a real Tolkien nerd. I also love The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, and The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. The Bone Season is the first of seven books and only the first have been published, so I'm looking forward to following the saga for the next few years.
Comments
Post a Comment