Author: Nicki J. Markus
Length: novel (678 pages)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Romance, Young Adult
Suitable: 16 years and above
Synopsis
For Ragnarok will be completed….Nothing marks Cassandra out—except her visions. She’s only ever seen small, insignificant things. That is until the strange frost arrives.
With her normal life turned upside down, Cassandra is plunged into an extraordinary and terrifying world of Norse gods and rampaging giants, ancient feuds and broken prophecies.
A handsome stranger offers aid. But can Cassandra really trust him? More importantly, can she trust her own judgment when his slightest touch sets her heart and her body aflame?
Excerpt
In the
shadow world the winds were howling now. The place that had once been still and
silent, the land where no breath had stirred, had come to life. And as the land
awakened, so too did those who had long slept in its quiet embrace. One in particular
had opened his eyes. And he did not like what he is seeing. The figure watched,
shutting his ears to the rush of air speeding past him, and a frown clouded his
brow, as stormy as the skies rolling overhead. Events were unfolding in the
nine realms that were out of his control. Things were moving too quickly,
hurtling in the wrong direction, and he was not yet in a position to intervene,
to put a stop to them.
The
deaths of the last of the jötnar had helped. With each frost giant that
expired, the shadow world had weakened. The walls that bound it, keeping its
occupants from the nine realms and the World Tree, had thinned. They were not
yet ready to break, but soon they would be malleable, bendable... and that
might be enough for him to slip through, at least temporarily. The sly one had
unwittingly helped him by dispatching the jötnar, but only one death would free
him completely and forever and he would receive no assistance from the son of
Fárbauti in that regard.
And now
the little mortal was in danger once again. He had never dreamt she would have
any involvement in what would come to pass, but then the trickster had stumbled
upon her and suddenly she was trapped right in the middle of it all. If not for
the mischief-maker, she would be safe in Miðgarðr, oblivious to the drama
unfolding outside her realm, living a normal life; instead, she could well be
the catalyst that would determine the future of all nine worlds. Which way she
would tip the balance remained uncertain. That was why he needed to reach her
as soon as possible—he needed to influence her to take the right path. If not,
all would be lost.
Book trailer
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About the author
Nicki J Markus was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist.Nicki launched her writing career in 2011. She published works through Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing before both companies closed their doors. She is now self-publishing some of her works.
Nicki also writes M/M fiction under the alternate pen name of Asta Idonea and has had several short stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing.
Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader and in her spare time enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.
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Interview:
Please welcome The Ragnarök Chronicles author Nicki J. Markus to Diane's Book Blog.
What is your favourite
part of the story, The Ragnarok Chronicles?
Oh gosh, there are so many scenes I love, it’s hard to pick just
one. For lighter, comedic moments, I love the bathroom scene early in Book Two.
That really brought a smile to my face as I wrote, and it still makes me laugh
when I reread it now. But for drama, I think my favourite moment comes towards
the middle of Book Three. It’s a scene between Loki and Surtr. I don’t want to
give too much away and spoil the story for readers, but I jokingly refer to it
as my Coriolanus scene as it has many parallels with a scene between Martius
and Aufidius in the Shakespeare play.
Where did the idea
for The Ragnarok Chronicles come from?
I decided to write The
Ragnarök Chronicles when I was rereading the Norse myths. I’d previously
studied the myths—And loved them!—when I was writing my BA (hons) dissertation
on Tolkien at university, and I wanted to revisit the stories after finally getting
around to seeing the Marvel MCU films. (Yes, I confess, I’m a rampant fangirl
at times!)
I’d previously had this idea of a young woman who sees an
approaching frost in a vision, but it hadn’t fit within any of my
works-in-progress at the time, so I’d scribbled it down and set it aside. It
was as I was reading about frost giants, the idea suddenly came back to me and
began to develop into a plot.
What began as a simple story idea quickly became a labour of love,
and this book has more personal meaning to me than anything else I’ve written
so far, not least because I had something of a religious epiphany whilst
writing it and became Lokean. It may amuse you all to know that when given the
choice of picking between five and ten questions for this interview, I chose to
answer nine, since nine is a special number in Norse mythology! ;)
I wanted to write Loki as I see him, with a strong basis in the
original myths. He’s not perfect—he’s something of an anti-hero—but what I’ve
always loved about the Norse gods is how human and recognisable they are. They
are none of them perfect, they all have flaws. And that makes them wonderful
characters to write.
I wanted to create a story around the Norse gods that could be
read and enjoyed by someone with no knowledge of the original myths, but which
would also hold many references and special moments for those who do know the
stories. I hope I have succeeded!
If you were stranded on
a desert island which of your characters do you want by your side?
Loki, of course, because I’m madly in love with him! :)
Matters of lust love aside, he would be a useful guy to
have around. He could light the campfire, hunt for game.... He’s resourceful
and cunning, so if I stuck with him, I’m sure I’d survive.
Who or what inspired you
to be a writer?
I loved books from a very young age. When we were children, my
mother would ask me and my sister what we wanted to do with her for the
afternoon. Invariably, my sister would want to play with dolls and I would ask
to read a book. So, you can see books and reading have been a lifelong habit,
and even back then I dreamed of writing a book myself one day.
It was an ambition that stayed with me for many years, but I never
did anything about it. It was only after my move to Australia that I decided
enough was enough: if I wanted it, I should do it. I have a wild imagination,
populated with so many characters and tales, and I wanted to write so I could
share them with others.
Who is your favourite
author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Wow, it’s always so hard when I’m asked to pick just one as there
are so many authors I love! If you twist my arm, I guess I would say Chelsea
Quinn Yarbro. She writes historical paranormal fiction and her main series
revolves around the vampire, Saint-Germain. If you don’t know these books and
enjoy vampire tales, you should definitely check them out.
What I love about Yarbro’s writing is both her elegant prose style
and the meticulous research she puts into her novels. I get excited for every
new release and she has never left me disappointed.
What is your typical day
like?
My husband works shifts, different times every day, and so my own
routine tends to slot in around what times he’s getting up and coming and
going. That said, I usually try to start the day with some exercise. After that
I’ll go online for about an hour to check social media and emails and deal with
anything I need to do on there. Then if I have any editing jobs in (I’m a
freelance editor and proofreader), I will work on those for a few hours
next. When that’s done, I will turn to
my own writing for a bit, and if possible I’ll fit in either some music
practice, language practice, or do some drawing. In the evenings I do another
quick check of emails etc., answer letters from my pen pals, and catch up with
any TV shows or films, and then I finish the day with a little reading time
before bed.
How do you overcome
writer’s block?
If I get a block in my writing, my general response is to step
away for a while. If I have a second project on the go, I will likely go to
that one for a bit until I feel inspired for the other piece again. If I don’t
have any other manuscripts in progress, I will scribble poems or vignettes,
just to get the creative juices flowing. Reading can also help, or watching a
film or two in the genre in which I’m writing.
Can you share a little
of your current work with us?
I have a couple of projects on the go at present. I just submitted
a quasi-historical M/M short for an anthology submission call, and I am working
on the second draft of another M/M short (a contemporary tale) for a different
anthology call.
Meanwhile, in my mainstream writing, I have commenced a new novel.
This one is a paranormal/gothic piece set in the Regency period. I hope to
complete a first draft by July/August 2015.
What book are you
reading now?
I just
finished a fascinating biography on Thomas Cromwell, and now I am reading an
M/M fantasy novel by Andrew Q. Gordon (one of my fellow Wayward Ink Publishing
authors) and, in French, I am reading Manon des Sources.
Giveaway
Prizes: 3 x eCopy of The Ragnarok Chronicles and Swag signed by Nicki J. Markus
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