Ask the Author: David Dalglish
“Throw at me whatever silly, stupid, random question you feel like, and I'll do my best to answer. Those answers might even be interesting or entertaining, though I make no promises.”
David Dalglish
Answered Questions (207)
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David Dalglish
She never read/liked fantasy books with a lot of the more traditional sword and sorcery fantasy elements like orcs and elves and medieval kingdoms. Skyborn shed a lot of those elements for something slightly more modern feeling, which she was always really excited for.
David Dalglish
Uhh...probably Lycaena from Vagrant Gods, I'd guess.
David Dalglish
A little bit yes, a little bit no? The original Shadowdance books, when I self-published them, were just those first three that have been translated. I then wrote three more, adding onto the story when I signed with Orbit Books, but there's no big cliffhanger or unanswered questions after the third book. At the same time, yes, there's clearly more, and it continues even beyond the other three untranslated Shadowdance books, because it eventually leads into my Half-Orcs series as well.
If I was to give a solid yes or no, I think yes, you'll overall be fine.
If I was to give a solid yes or no, I think yes, you'll overall be fine.
David Dalglish
If I remember correctly, Tommy is Devin's deceased wife's brother, which makes him their brother-in-law.
This question contains spoilers...
(view spoiler)[Can I please pitch you an idea for sequel to the vagrant gods please? I relinquish any claim or right to any profit generated out of this idea. Ultimately it’s about Cyrus developing a cult following as he sparks revolutions across the former.
Another idea—the prime opposition is the usurper kings son a distant relative to the god incarnate. (hide spoiler)]
Another idea—the prime opposition is the usurper kings son a distant relative to the god incarnate. (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
I appreciate the suggestions, but should I return to the VG series, it'll be because I've got an itch to tell a specific story I want to tell, which means it's going to be one personal and close to me. If you like the idea, tho, you've got my full blessing to write any and all fanfic exploring it :)
This question contains spoilers...
(view spoiler)[Does Serphim take place in the same universe as your other stories? (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
I think I tossed in the tiniest of easter eggs to imply it was potentially the case, but basically no, it's a fully separate story/world with its own rules and lore.
This question contains spoilers...
(view spoiler)[In the half orc series could someone develop into a god through belief and sacrifice like in some of your other series?
Could Thren become an actual god instead of just as good as one? (hide spoiler)]
Could Thren become an actual god instead of just as good as one? (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Nope, just now how the worlds work in the Dezrel books. Basically each individual world had exactly one god or goddess, who then crafted that world and populated it with life. (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
Um, if I could wave a magic wand and just get whatever I desired, it'd be an animated rendition, Castlevania on Netflix style, of Vagrant Gods. That'd be sick.
This question contains spoilers...
(view spoiler)[Do you ever feel worried about readers getting the wrong impression to certain characters? I fear if the vagrant gods got adapted and successful Everlorn will inspire a fandom of fascists or Shadow dance got adapted Threnn will be looked at as an inspiration to men like the joker or Tyler Dryden from fight club. As a teen boy when I read Thren’s ‘death’ I thought this mass murderer deserved because he was a cool man. (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[For a long time, I never even considered the possibility. I knew that my villains were popular, and I'm rather proud of how fun/fascinating/interesting my villains tend to be. But starting with the Keepers Trilogy, I'd say, I definitely started to be more aware of this possibility. The God-Incarnate in the final Vagrant Gods trilogy is probably the most clear example of that, in showing how a ruling emperor wasn't necessarily some awesome powerful badass but making him much more emotionally stunted, confused, frustrated, and petty. (hide spoiler)]
This question contains spoilers...
(view spoiler)[Hello Mr.Dalglish i recently finished the legacy of the watcher and I loved Thren’s inclusion but I’m a little worried about it.?This and soul keepers marks two times where a beloved character explicitly was confirmed dead getting retroactively made not dead and that to me can make individual character seem a lot less personal and emotional. Though to be fair the way Threnn went out was anti-climactic but y’know (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[It's kind of you to list it as only "two" characters I've done that for! But dead characters returning is...kind of a thing I've done a lot, especially in a world with necromancers and warring gods. Think undead Qurrah, for example. Even dead characters show up, like ghostly Darius in the later Half-Orcs.
That said, I do know what you mean, and just know I am keenly aware of the risk. Tesmarie in the Keepers was a purely selfish decision, plus I felt like it gave a final note to the trilogy far more befitting what I first wanted to do with the books. As for Thren, I talked about this extensively in the note at the end. I just thought I did an absolutely terrible job with his death way back when, before I ever knew who his character was. So in that regard, I felt like I was correcting a mistake.
Moving forward, I do not think it'll be a common occurrence. I'm overall getting better at planning ahead and knowing where my stories are going, and my character deaths are far less compulsive on my part. I don't want people to read a character death and think I'm just going to overturn it later, and to be fair, I have a *lot* of characters who have died who stayed dead, even some incredibly popular ones. (hide spoiler)]
That said, I do know what you mean, and just know I am keenly aware of the risk. Tesmarie in the Keepers was a purely selfish decision, plus I felt like it gave a final note to the trilogy far more befitting what I first wanted to do with the books. As for Thren, I talked about this extensively in the note at the end. I just thought I did an absolutely terrible job with his death way back when, before I ever knew who his character was. So in that regard, I felt like I was correcting a mistake.
Moving forward, I do not think it'll be a common occurrence. I'm overall getting better at planning ahead and knowing where my stories are going, and my character deaths are far less compulsive on my part. I don't want people to read a character death and think I'm just going to overturn it later, and to be fair, I have a *lot* of characters who have died who stayed dead, even some incredibly popular ones. (hide spoiler)]
This question contains spoilers...
(view spoiler)[Have you gotten many people expressing bafflement at Zusa and Alyssa got together romantically?
I was baffled my first reading.
I just finished re-reading the series and it seems pretty obvious they were more than friends (hide spoiler)]
I was baffled my first reading.
I just finished re-reading the series and it seems pretty obvious they were more than friends (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
Nah, as you said yourself, there's plenty of nods toward it throughout the books. Some people may be surprised, but I suspect it's on the lower end of numbers.
David Dalglish
Hrm, this list shifts and changes over time, but I think it is roughly something like this (in no specific ranked order).
Bloodborne
Hades
Elden Ring
FFXIV
Chrono Trigger
Factorio
FFX
Baldur's Gate 3
Starcraft 1 and 2
FFVI
Dark Souls 3
Lies of P
Bloodborne
Hades
Elden Ring
FFXIV
Chrono Trigger
Factorio
FFX
Baldur's Gate 3
Starcraft 1 and 2
FFVI
Dark Souls 3
Lies of P
David Dalglish
You got it right on your first try, Vi-kiss is how I also pronounce it in my head (but I've also never been a stickler for pronunciations for any of my characters, so if that bugs you hearing it that way, consider yourself with full permission to refer to them as Vi-siss).
David Dalglish
Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed the Paladins! And the Half-Orcs books do get into Redclaw's children starting in...book six, I believe? They're not 100% the focus but their story does continue on from there.
David Dalglish
I mean. If you ever become a billionaire and want to create a Vagrant Gods anime, I will certainly not say no ;)
David Dalglish
Um, ok, let's rapid fire these.
Favorite game: Bloodborne
Song: Answers by Masayoshi Soken
Seraphim character: Bree. She was just so much fun to write.
Ocarina of Time: on release on the N64
SF2: way way way back when, my parents took us out to pizza once a week, and the restaurant had a small arcade section, and SF2 was one of the cabinets, so I played it a ton there, until we eventually got the SNES version so we could play it at home.
Favorite game: Bloodborne
Song: Answers by Masayoshi Soken
Seraphim character: Bree. She was just so much fun to write.
Ocarina of Time: on release on the N64
SF2: way way way back when, my parents took us out to pizza once a week, and the restaurant had a small arcade section, and SF2 was one of the cabinets, so I played it a ton there, until we eventually got the SNES version so we could play it at home.
David Dalglish
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Hard for me to really know these specifics without actually writing through the stories and pondering how it'd go and who major players are. Most likely she'd make some attempts, and face major backlash both internally from the other god-incarnates and from traditionalists throughout the empire. When the Everlorn Empire is based around the idea that the God-Incarnate is the perfect ruler for humanity, suddenly saying thousands of years of decisions were incorrect or wrong is going to make waves. Again, most changes would take place in the capital, where Sinshei had direct presence and influence, whereas the farther reaches of the empire would have people just flat out disregard her decisions and maintain status quo. (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[The key thing to remember is that, no matter what Sinshei said or even told herself about altruistic notions, she is very much desiring power for herself. All her reformations she had planned distinctly benefitted herself, either upon becoming God-Incarnate, or who she was prior.
And then the second thing is that, should she have become God-Incarnate, all the prior gods would have *hated* her. They'd have been furious, and relentless, in assaulting her mind with arguments and deviations to her plans.
So in all reality, stuff would have changed, yes. Improvements, even! But they likely would have been focused in the capital, first. Equality among sexes for the worthy...but conquered areas? Well, they need to be humbled first with the Joining Laws, which would almost certainly stay the same. She would have left Thanet alone, though, true to her word in that regard.
So overall, definitely better than her brothers, but she'd have been haunted during her entire reign, constantly conflicted in her attempts to issue any meaningful reformations, and with a high likelihood that whoever followed after her centuries later to become the new God-Incarnate would have undone most if not all of the changes. (hide spoiler)]
And then the second thing is that, should she have become God-Incarnate, all the prior gods would have *hated* her. They'd have been furious, and relentless, in assaulting her mind with arguments and deviations to her plans.
So in all reality, stuff would have changed, yes. Improvements, even! But they likely would have been focused in the capital, first. Equality among sexes for the worthy...but conquered areas? Well, they need to be humbled first with the Joining Laws, which would almost certainly stay the same. She would have left Thanet alone, though, true to her word in that regard.
So overall, definitely better than her brothers, but she'd have been haunted during her entire reign, constantly conflicted in her attempts to issue any meaningful reformations, and with a high likelihood that whoever followed after her centuries later to become the new God-Incarnate would have undone most if not all of the changes. (hide spoiler)]
David Dalglish
Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed the trilogy! As of right now, there are no plans to continue Cyrus's story. If I do, it will likely be a one off, something I do when I've some time between projects. Currently, I've got six new books lined up for Orbit, all set to publishing in the next three years, so even if I choose to write some more in Thanet and Gadir, it's going to be a bit. I won't ever say never, but for now, it's unlikely, sorry :(
David Dalglish
If this is your very first book, my advice would be to simply have fun. Don't worry about marketing or publishing or agents or any of all the stuff that can suck the joy out of writing. Just...do your best to tell a fun, interesting story. Expect it to be rough. Expect it to need a lot of work. And when you're done, know you accomplished something extremely difficult that, no matter what happens next, you can be proud of.
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