If you’re looking for a new fantasy series to fall in love with that features plenty of action, magic, and dragons, then Duncan M. Hamilton’s ‘Dragonslayer’ trilogy will definitely be it! Plus, what’s also great about this new series is that the sequel, Knight of the Silver Circle, is set to be published later in 2019 and the final instalment, Servant of the Crown, in early 2020 by Tor Books so there won’t be too much waiting around!
The Nerd Daily had the pleasure of talking to the author, Duncan M. Hamilton, about his new fantasy series, writing, and what’s next for him!
Tell us a little about yourself!
Hi, I’m Duncan. I’m an Irish writer living in Dublin Ireland. I found my way into fantasy through a love for medieval and renaissance history. I used to be a lawyer, but released my first book back in 2013, and haven’t looked back since!
Your new book Dragonslayer released on July 2nd! Can you tell us what it is about?
Dragonslayer is mainly a story about a man who’s given up on the world, but discovers the world hasn’t quite given up on him. It explores a few themes, redemption, and obsession with power being the two main ones, all set against a backdrop of dragons, swordfights, and magic.
Why dragons?
I’ve always been fascinated with dragons. There’s something about their ancient, mysterious, and intelligent that’s always caught my interest. Ever since I started writing full time, I’ve wanted to put my own spin on them, and this story seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Where did the inspiration for Dragonslayer come from?
I read a lot of medieval history, and that generally gives me a sense of a setting I’d like to play around with. As for the story and characters, they tend to develop out of that.
Was there a scene or a character you had difficulties writing?
Even though I always have the ending worked out from a very early point in the process, the final few scenes leading into it are always a little sad for me. By the end of a trilogy, I’ve usually spent 2-3 years with those characters and the story. Saying goodbye to them and the story, and the lead up to that moment is an odd feeling!
Did you have to conduct any research for your story, characters, and world?
Not really. Between my years at Uni studying history, and all of the reading I’ve done since, I’ve a pretty big knowledge base to draw on. Having had it all in my head for so long means that it’s kind of simmered down and the flavours have blended together, allowing me to create familiar but distinct settings for the stories I write without having to do much extra work.
Now Dragonslayer is part of a trilogy with Knight of the Silver Circle to be released later this year. Can you give us any teasers as to what readers can expect?
Nope. No teasers! All I’ll say is that there’s a lot more going to happen than find dragon, slay dragon, repeat!
What’s your process when it comes to writing?
Pull one of the ideas floating around in my head and see if I can develop it into a longer story. Usually that involves brainstorming longhand (I find that writing it out by hand pulls my mind deeper into the process), and asking a lot of questions about the ideas I have, to see where the answers might take the story.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write it like no one’s ever going to read it. Don’t let worries about what other people might think of a scene or a character or a story. Write it for yourself, and get it finished. I think worrying about whether it’s good enough, whether your friends will like it, if will the racy scene in Chapter 10 shock your mum, etc etc, will strangle the process of writing. You can worry about those things when you’ve got a first draft written, and you’re editing it. Don’t try to be someone you’re not—write the story you want to read.
What’s next for you?
For fantasy, I’ve been working over an idea for a while now that’s based in an Irish setting, one blended together from a few periods of history with a couple of extra things I like thrown in. I enjoy reading sci-fi and action adventure too, so I’ve been working on things in both of those genres also. So many ideas, so little time, seems to be the story of my life!
Lastly, do you have any recommendations for us whether they be books, TV shows, and/or movies?
I don’t watch much TV these days, but when I do it tends to be travel shows or documentaries, so probably nothing fantasy relevant I’m afraid!
Author Bio
Hi, I’m Duncan, a fantasy author from Ireland. I love to blend my passion for Medieval and Renaissance history with the freedom of the fantasy environments to create fast paced heroic fantasy adventures with compelling characters and high stakes–exactly the types of stories that I love to read, and I hope you’ll like them too.
I’m really excited to announce my upcoming trilogy with Tor, Dragonslayer – a heroic fantasy tale about redemption, revenge, and megalomania. Oh, and dragons. Plenty of dragons! The first part of the trilogy, ‘Dragonslayer’, will be out in the summer of 2019.
If that’s too long to wait, then please check out my other books, all of which are currently available! You can get a free copy of my novella ‘The Frontier Lord’ if you sign up to my newsletter. You can find Duncan on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.
