An exclusive insight into DARKNESS HUNTS by Keri Arthur

Posted by Caroline Kirkpatrick in Author News, Book News, Fiction, News, Recommended Reading

This month sees the publication of Darkness Hunts by Keri Arthur, the next instalment in her fabulous Dark Angels series. Read on to gain an insight into the story and its characters from the writer herself . . .

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One of the questions I get asked quite often is, of all the characters I've written over the years, who is my favorite? And my usual answer is, of course, the hero or heroine of whatever series I happen to be writing at the time.

And while that is certainly true of the Dark Angels series, I have to say my allegiance is being sorely tested, particularly in Darkness Hunts. And the character in question is not even a character.

It is, in fact, a sword. Or rather, a sword inhabited by a demon.

But not just any demon – this one happens to have an appetite for killing, and a whole world of attitude she's not afraid to share.

The funny thing is, when I first introduced Amaya into the series, she wasn't meant to have such a personality. She was really supposed to be nothing more than a means by which Risa could defend herself against her many, more powerful foes. After all, she not only has to find the keys to the gates of heaven and hell, but stop the sorcerer intent on opening those gates and unleashing hell on Earth. Of course, the sorcerer isn't the only one after the keys – there's also the Aedh and her father, both of whom are more than willing to destroy all she loves in their efforts to control her.

Then there's Hunter, who might yet prove to be a bigger problem than all of rest combined.

Risa might have Azriel by her side, but she's not the type to sit back and let others risk their lives to protect her. She needed something more than just her own skills to fight supernatural foes, and given the Reapers used demon swords to battle hell's escapees, it seemed logical that Azriel – who wants her kept safe for more reasons than what he admits – would give her one.

And while Amaya might be a demon, she's wholly on Risa's side and more than happy to kill any and all on her behalf. How could you not love a sword that says things like, pleasant not, when Risa's confronted by a particularly nasty villain, or kill good when Risa orders her not to kill?

I certainly can't. I just hope you all enjoy Amaya's growing presence in these novels as much as I enjoy writing her.

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Keri Arthur won the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Urban Fantasy and has been nominated in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards. She's a dessert and function cook by trade, and has one daughter.

Pop into your local bookshop to pick up a copy of Darkness Hunts today!