Lovers of dark, high-octane adventure will be enthralled by Sarah Harian’s Eight Will Fall, a genre-bending YA fantasy standalone, perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Leigh Bardugo.
We chat to author Sarah Harian about her upcoming YA fantasy novel, Eight Will Fall, which releases on November 26th. She chats about its inspiration, what she has learned since her first novel was published, book recommendations, and more!
You can find Sarah on Twitter and Instagram, along with at her website.
Hi Sarah! Tell us a little about yourself!
I’ve been writing since I picked up the Nancy Drew novels at eight years old. My first “book” was about twins who found a portal to an underground realm in the garage during their birthday party, so I guess you can say I’ve come full circle.
I really like learning and reflecting on my own growth, and I’m at the point in my life where I’m really trying to do this actively by taking on writing projects that are probably way too ambitious, reflecting on what I’ve learned, and reading other books mindfully. In my spare time I play video games and going out to eat with my husband. We live in Portland, Oregon where food is basically a way of life. I eat a lot.
Your new novel, Eight Will Fall, publishes on November 26th. If you could only use five words to describe it, what would they be?
Bloody, adventurous, creepy, claustrophobic, and magical.
Now, let’s hear a little more! What can readers expect?
I pitch this story as Stranger Things meets The Descent, set in the Mines of Moria. It’s about a group of young magicians who’ve been given an impossible task, and know they likely won’t survive. It does have this overwhelming sense of dread throughout the whole thing that a lot of horror has, but Larkin, the protagonist, is young, naive, hot-headed, and stubbornly refuses to let go of hope.
Where did the inspiration for Eight Will Fall come from?
I’ve had a weird affinity for caves my entire life–I honestly can’t tell you why. I also love the really big video game dungeons, like the ones in Skyrim and World of Warcraft. I wanted to create this huge multi-level subterranean world that embodied the fear of the unknown, somewhere where the darkest depths are completely unpredictable when standing at the entrance.
Was there a certain aspect of the novel, such as a scene or character, that you really enjoyed writing?
I loved writing the third quarter of the book because things get so strange. This is where the story goes full cosmic horror. Larkin begins to piece together what the group is going to face once they get to the bottom of the cave, and all the clues begin to click into place.
If Eight Will Fall was adapted, is there anyone that would be part of your dreamcast?
You know, every time I write a YA novel, I imagine that it’s adaption would feature unknown teenage actors who are getting their lucky break. It would be so appropriate, given that in general, getting a book adapted for film or TV is considered an author’s lucky break. Of course, I did fantasize a film adaption for Eight Will Fall and even tried to place actors with characters, but was finally like, Nah. No one knows who these kids are. And it just felt right.
Your first novel published in 2014. What have you learned since then?
I’ve learned that I need to trust my gut and start standing up for myself. I’m pretty gullible and easily influenced when it comes to feedback and critique, which are obviously both very important for authors. BUT, no one knows my vision as well as I do, and no one cares about my career as much as I do. As I continue to write, I need to make sure that vision and career don’t get pushed to the side in favor of the market or how a story should be told in order to have a wide appeal. I’d rather have a small group of fans deeply resonate with my stories than have a ton of readers think I’m just okay.
What’s next for you?
I’m about to finish up my next YA horror, so fingers crossed that I have good news about that book in the coming months. I also have some exciting news about an adult horror project that I’m working on, which I’ll be announcing some time early next year, so stay tuned!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
Two books that I read this year and really liked were Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero and Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand. Both were unique, thoughtful, and a lot of fun.
