About the Book

Book: Shadows at Nightfall

Author: Brett Armstrong

Genre: Christian, Epic Fantasy

Release date: September 14, 2021

The shadows of Jason’s past have caught him. Having stepped into the Quest of Fire, Jason is pursued by a league of assassins formed of pure darkness. To his horror he discovers these creatures also were contracted to eliminate Anargen and his friends as they sought to understand the Tower of Light’s oracle. To unravel the mystery of who wants him dead and how he fits into the ages old quest, Jason must travel the lengths of the Lowlands. In the Ziljafu deserts a secret awaits him that will shake him to his core. He’ll have to move fast and cling fiercely to hope, as Anargen’s story twists down a bleak path to almost certain failure.

The creatures of darkness in the Lowlands have long waited for men to spurn the High King’s laws. With few concerned for the light and everything falling apart around them, Jason and Anargen will face the shadows of night’s falling as their world hangs in the balance.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Day Moon and Veiled Sun), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope. Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

 

More from Brett

The Lowlands are on the edge of dramatic changes. In every era, warriors for the High King must rise to keep the light burning and hold back the beasts of the darkness that most believe only myth. But those creatures of lore have long waited for the hour of shadows to arrive and with it all the horrors they have schemed.

The protagonists of Quest of Fire saga—Anargen and Jason, don’t realize how great a change is upon them. Anargen’s experience in defending Ordumair from the Grey Scourge and his army of werebeasts have opened his eyes to realities of the Lowlands, but neither he nor his friends nor even their mentor Sir Cinaed understand the Oracle they found within the vaults of Ordumair. It foretold a looming struggle against the forces of darkness that gave rise to the Grey Scourge. The question of how to stop it as the shadows lengthen all around divides the group.

Jason has been running from the darkness in his past so long he only looks to his next step, never what’s coming ahead. He certainly didn’t see stopping at the Black River Inn to hear old Cinaed the Storyteller tell tales of a long past knight named Anargen as life-changing. Until he witnessed the old storyteller do battle with a creature straight out of his stories. Now he feels himself being drawn into the Quest of Fire as Anargen was, but his new found purpose is far from the safety and ease he’s been hoping for.

One of the most exciting aspects of writing Shadows at Nightfall was showing through sweeping epic fantasy the way Anargen does not forsake his allegiance to the High King. The Quest of Fire saga is in part a story about storytelling and that is reflected in the way Jason is shaped by the tale of Anargen’s failures and faithfulness. Much like the Apostle Paul’s exhortation that “…these things were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) Though not the only spiritual theme woven into the stories, Shadows at Nightfall invites readers to journey with these characters to the brink, risking their lives, growing from the examples passed down to them, and find there the greatest gain.

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” —2 Timothy 2:1-4

Mindy’s Q&A with Brett

What does success as an author look like to you?

It would be a lie to say that good reviews, awards, and sales don’t matter to me. They do, as much as I try to not let them. But the one bit of writing advice I try to give everyone when asked is to figure out your reason for writing. The why that keeps you going when the above three things go terribly askew. Mine is I want to honor God and I want to help people face the harsh realities of this world in fictional ones so that when they encounter them in the real world, they’re better prepared for it. So, success for me is the time a woman read my first book and then got a copy for her ex-husband because she thought it might help him as he struggled with getting back to a life of faith. Or the time when a reader, whose opinion and faith I respect tremendously, when prompted to list authors she wanted to have a long conversation about literature with listed me. Or the instance where I got to do a workshop on world-building and one of the attendees came up to me afterwards and said that the activity from the workshop had inspired him to write a new story. Or when I finish writing a scene or editing one and I can just tell in my core that it’s exactly how something needed to be written. Those are all intangibles that can’t be quantified into metrics of success. But they’re the sort of reminders that maybe I’m meeting the why that drives me to write. And that’s success.

What inspired this book?

The book’s themes and spiritual content were inspired by a variety of things but the one that stands out the boldest is the need for redemption when we fail. Scripture and my own life abound with examples of God’s indescribably great mercy and grace. The two protagonists, Anargen and Jason, each face the darkness their failures surround them with and look to the High King’s mercy to restore the light.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV

The simplest kernel of the driving action in Shadows at Nightfall stems from me enjoying stories where the heroes are in “enemy territory” so to speak, surrounded by danger. There are moments where this is overtly the case in the book but also a fair number of times where danger is all around but the heroes may not even realize it.

What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?           

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

John 10:27-30, ESV

Early on when I first became a believer, I was really nervous about doing something wrong that could undo salvation. I was twelve and I knew a lot of the stories from Scripture but I didn’t have a strong grasp of the doctrines of the faith. I had an uncle who was a pastor and he pointed me to those verses. They helped me through those early days and soon after I started reading Scripture regularly. The tenderness and majesty and absolute certainty in the passage are beautiful. In addition to being one of the incontrovertible instances of Christ declaring Himself to be God. I treasure this passage.

What are you reading right now?

I’m going through what’s becoming an annual re-reading of The Silver Chair as it happens. It’s particularly special to me, because the first time I read it, I was supposed to be meeting a friend who I hadn’t seen in a long time. He was the one who got me interested in CS Lewis and Christian apologetics and I found out he had decided to be an atheist. As it turned out, the showdown with the Witch and Puddleglum in Underland had a lot of insights and words that came to me as I talked with my friend. I would like to say I swayed him to reconsider but I do not know what the impact was for him. I only know that the words were there and ready from that reading. I don’t think I can forget that or ever stop linking The Silver Chair to that day.

Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.

My writing chair varies a lot, but the one closest to being official is a gaming chair in my bedroom that faces a long wall. There’s the computer monitor I got for Christmas and some books (devotionals) on the desk. Along with a stack of things that should be put be up elsewhere but haven’t been yet. Nearby is a picture of Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark signed by Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg (my wife got that for me too). Past that is my bed (usually not made). On the opposite side is a circle couch and some bookshelves, because my bedroom is actually two conjoined rooms. Most of the books on the shelves need to be read and sadly haven’t. Some on there paradoxically have been read many times over. Which just makes me feel worse for the ones I haven’t gotten to yet. Also in the room is a poster sized map of the western Lowlands in the Middle Era from my Quest of Fire series. (Another wifely gift–you probably get the sense that she’s pretty great).

Thank you for your time and letting us get to know you better!

Blog Stops

Through the Fire Blogs, March 17 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 17

Texas Book-aholic, March 18

Inklings and notions, March 19

For Him and My Family, March 20

deb’s Book Review, March 21

Simple Harvest Reads, March 22 (Author Interview)

By the Book, March 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 24

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, March 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 26

Artistic Nobody, March 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, March 28

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 29

Guild Master, March 30

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Brett is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of Shadows at Nightfall, and digital extras (exclusive map and music)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1bc97/shadows-at-nightfall-celebration-tour-giveaway