Author Interview- Jaye L. Knight

When news arrives that Emperor Daican has been in contact with his chief war strategist, it signals potential doom for the country of Samara. Determined to intervene, the resistance in Landale, headed by Lady Anne, embark on a covert mission in hopes of unearthing further information. However, a shocking discovery leads to complications no one could have foreseen. 

Armed with their newfound knowledge, they set out for Samara to warn the king. War is inevitable, and they must face two desperate battles—one on the walls of Samara’s great stronghold, and the other on the battlefield of Jace’s heart, where victory might only be achievable through great sacrifice.





In honor of the release of the 3rd installment of The Ilyon Chronicles, Samara's Peril, I have the pleasure of sharing a little author interview I did with Jaye. I wanted to ask a few questions that gave us a truly behind-the-scenes peek into the life and mind of this talented woman. Enjoy!

What was the very first moment that the idea for Ilyon was born? Was it a character, an image, a line?

(Jaye) It was on page 206 of DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul. Yes, I did just go and hunt it up. What a rush of memories! It was the moment where it’s discovered the my favorite character in the series is half-blooded. It’s odd that it jumped out at me the way it did. It’s not like I had never written about half-blooded characters before. But something about the moment made me pause and idea for Jace began forming in my mind. Within about 24 hours, I started writing Resistance. It all happened that fast.

(Grace) That's wonderful, sometimes great journeys are begun at a moment's notice. But then you look back and realize a lot of little moments and experiences were leading up to this point of creating something beautiful. Ilyon was a seed in your heart that was just waiting for the right time to bloom. And your fans are so glad that it did!

Who is your favorite book character that you have ever written? This includes characters from your previous two series Pirates of Faith and Makilien Trilogy.

(Jaye) Jace. Definitely Jace. While I do adore many of my other characters, such as almost everyone in Ilyon Chronicles, Sirion from Makilien, and Justin and Kyle from my Pirates books, I don’t think any character will ever top Jace. There’s something special about him and how I relate to him. Probably because so much of him came from difficult periods of my life. I think he will always mean more to me personally than any other character.

(Grace) I have read all of your series and I would have picked Jace as your favorite. There is an emotional depth to him that is unlike any of your other characters. No one makes me feel as much as Jace does, I have literally felt painful and sick over him. But he also brings me great joy. I, along with many of your other fans love him so much.

If a character from one of your favorite TV shows could make a guest appearance in Ilyon, who would it be and why? What would they do?

(Jaye) Oh my, so many choices. I think Daryl from The Walking Dead (yes, I am a Walking Dead fan) would fit in well with the Resistance group. He’s a lot like Jace, actually. A broken individual with a great heart. They would probably get along really well. He would definitely be a good asset to them. Another part of me gets positively gleeful at the thought of Raymond Reddington from The Blacklist going up against Emperor Daican. I think he would drive Daican insane. For all Blacklist fans, would that not be delightful to see?

(Grace) *heads to google to look up shows that she has never seen* Awesome!

What's your go-to writing snack?

(Jaye) Sadly, I haven’t discovered one yet since I went gluten free. It’s not as easy to find quick snacks like that. But, before I had to go GF, my favorite writing snack was cheddar Combos pretzels. I miss them SO MUCH.

(Grace) You have my sympathy, food is one of the best things in the world.

What's the hardest experience in your personal life that you in turn put into your writing?

(Jaye) I come from a special needs family. My youngest brother has Asperger’s syndrome and OCD. It has led to some very difficult times for us as a family. This is along with a lot of medical problems I’ve had to deal with over the last several years (which I’ve thankfully figured out now). I’ve had times where I’ve really struggled with depression and feeling hopeless. A lot of that has gone into writing Jace’s character because I can more fully understand and feel his emotions because of what I’ve experienced. 

(Grace) I can sympathize with you a bit on that note. I will say though, sometimes the greatest trials and hard moments can be turned into a gift that upholds and uplifts a lot of other people. I have personally been deeply touched by your characters and your stories, and I know others have as well. Praise God that He gives us the gift of turning our dark moments into treasures of truth and hope. We, your fans, thank you so much for sharing what is truly part of your soul. Thank you so much for the hours upon hours of time you spend in creating this world of Ilyon. We appreciate your stories, and we appreciate you, Jaye. Congratulations on the release of Samara's Peril, it is a magnificent book and I cannot wait for the next one!

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You can purchase Samara's Peril at Amazon, the Ilyon website . Follow and connect with this fantastic author on Twitter and Facebook, and her blog! And if you haven't begun this series, I highly recommend getting started! 

Book Review- Half-Blood

For all his years as a slave, Jace has known nothing but the hatred people hold for his mixed blood--one half human, the other half the blood of a race considered monsters. Always, he is the outsider and quickly learns it is better to keep to himself. Yet, when his volatile ryrik blood leads him to do the unthinkable, he is thrown into a world of violence and bloodshed. 

Forced to become a gladiator, Jace finds more and more of his heart dying as his master works to break down his will not to become the monster everyone believes he is. When a stranger interferes with his master's harsh punishment, Jace's world is upended yet again. But with it comes the possibility of hope that has long since died. Could the man possibly hold the key to escaping the hopeless darkness that is Jace's life? Is there such a thing as life beyond the cruelty of slavery? 

See where Jace's story all began . . . 

It has taken me forever and a day to get this review up. I actually won a copy of Half-Blood in a photo contest weeks ago. Then I had to read it (a very dangerous concept, reading a book for pleasure when you are desperately trying to finish high school). And finally I had to review it. But here it is now in all of its rushed glory.

*Tears and wailing*, oh Jace! Bless your heart, you poor baby! I wanted to reach into the words on the page and grasp the face of this gentle-hearted young man and sob, "You are not worthless! There is such a thing as love, and light! Hang in there sweetheart, Elom is sending help!"

I may have to reread some parts from Resistance and The King's Scrolls with Jace and Kyrin. I need to read the moments where he is given a chance to show how truly gentle and caring he is. And I  especially need the moments when Kyrin refuses to give up on him, or reaches him with a gentle word or touch. It's that or therapy, so I figure rereading the books is cheaper.

Regardless of all of the pain this book brings to your poor heart, it was so neat to finally get a deeper glimpse into Jace's background, well, his soul really. Knight forcing you to endure Jace's suffering only made him all the more real a character, and it only made the other books seem richer. I have an even greater appreciation for who Jace is, and who he will continue to become. 

And I am so shipping Kyrin and Jace even more than I ever was before! Let's hope we get some more relationship developments in the next book, Samara's Peril.

Check out the fantastic author Jaye L. Knight on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. And check out the other books in her Ilyon Chronicles on Amazon. There is also more Ilyon fun here.

Book Review- The King's Scrolls (Jaye L. Knight)

Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor's persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance--not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.

Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia's last surviving copies of the King's Scrolls--the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican's men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.

When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy's triumph?


Book 2 in The Ilyon Chronicles, read my review for book 1, Resistance here.


I bought this book preorder on Kindle around 2 weeks ago. It came out this week and I have already finished it and am fiercely craving the next. This series is just my cup of tea when it comes to the fantasy genre; there is a perfect blend of normal reality and of the fantastical, the races are easily identifiable, and the storyline is exciting without being unnecessarily weird. Knight is a fantastic author and has really has inspired me more than any other homeschool-graduate-turned-author to pursue my own dream of writing.


What I Didn't Like


I have read all of Knight's books, starting with her Pirates of Faith series when she wrote under the pseudonym "Molly Evangeline" and The Makilien Trilogy, another lovely work of fantasy. In all 3 series there has been at least one whipping scene. The worst was by far in The Makilien Trilogy, that one was just painful, but in truth, I am kind of over whipping scenes.


Perhaps I am jumping the gun a bit since The King's Scrolls is only the 2nd book of the series, but I would like to see some villains suffer, if only a little bit, maybe even have a few die off, there are plenty to choose from. But again, this is just me, and I don't know what the grand plan for this series is, for all I know, Knight is currently rubbing her hands together in some dark liar and purring in delight as she plots her villains' painful and untimely demise. I have faith in her.


What I Did Like


Ugh, where to begin.


I adore the characters, Kyrin, Jace, Kaden, and all of the others.
Jace just sets my heart positively thumping, his deep emotions, tender heart, and fierce protectiveness of Kyrin is so fascinating, oh yes, and his eyes, I love to imagine his eyes.
I identify with Kyrin so much, she and I are very similar. The way she absorbs everything so deeply, her protective instincts, and, yes, her memory. I have one of the best memories of anyone I know, and it is definitely an interesting characteristic. She is a lovely mix of strong, and weak.  I love the relationship between Jace and Kyrin, it is built on trust, mutual affection, and a deep need for each other. Their story is absolute gold, I can't wait to see where Knight takes them!
Kaden is adorable, he's the buddy and friend that we all would love to have around. He is a steadfast member of the story that helps to keep you grounded.
As for the other characters, I really enjoy the fine group the Knight has created. They are a solid set of characters that keep the story alive.


Dragons! I never used to be into dragons, when I was little and thought of dragons I would either think of those very grim looking Chinese dragons, or of the TV show "Dragon Tales", which I was not allowed to watch. But ever since I first saw How to Train Your Dragon I have been completely in love with them. Knight does a lovely job with these creatures, both in this series and in The Makilien Trilogy. The dragons of this series are simply beautiful.


The different races. Sometimes I feel that fantasy writers get a little too excited at the idea of "no boundaries" and just go a little nuts. They create so many bizarre names/race/places/weapons that I feel overwhelmed and worn out. Not so with Knight, she created only a few races, but they are easily identifiable and incredibly interesting


A lovely ending. She did the same with Resistance, and I deeply appreciate her sticking to the unwritten rule of leaving the reader with a satisfying ending. And by a satisfying ending I don't mean that you feel finished with the series, oh no, you just get a chance to draw a breath before begging for more.


What I Want More Of


Kyrin and Jace, obviously, these two are so compelling.


I want to know more about the other races, especially the ryriks. I am desperately curious about Jace's origins, and I have come up with more than one scenario in my own mind where we get to discover more about him. I want to get to travel to some of the more exotic parts of this world and learn about this world.


I'll say it again, I cannot wait for some of these villains to get what is coming to them. Especially a certain, well, I guess all of them.


Check out The King's Scrolls, Resistance, and Knight's other series!


You can also follow her Goodreads and her blog!