Q&A With Blake Arthur Peel 

Mickey Mikkelson was kind enough to connect me with Blake Arthur Peel! Blake Arthur Peel is the author of Fall Of Radiance which is book one in the Rangers Oath series. 

Q: Blake welcome to Book Notions! Would you please give a brief description of Fall Of Radiance & discuss where the idea for the story came from? 

A: Thank you! Fall of Radiance is a young adult epic fantasy series about a ranger’s apprentice named Owyn and a mage named Zara. Together, they discover a breach in the Arc of Radiance—an enormous dome of magical energy protecting the kingdom of Tarsynium. This breach is letting in demons, and only Owyn and Zara can prevent them from destroying everything they know and love.

The idea came from a few places, primarily Stephen King’s novel Under the Dome, and works of fantasy authors like Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan.

Q: How long did it take you to write Fall Of Radiance? Other than entertaining readers, what lessons and reminders do you hope readers learn and remember once they turn the final page? 

A: I started writing Radiance back in 2017, and it took me about two years to finish the entire series. I didn’t really set out to teach any ‘lessons’ when I wrote this story, other than to write about decent human beings doing heroic things. I think that’s a trend in most of my writing. I believe that everybody has the capacity within them to be heroic, and if my books inspire people to stand a little taller and fight for what they believe in, all the better.

Q: Since Fall Of Radiance is the first novel in a series, what can fans expect in books 2, 3 and beyond? How many books do you plan on writing in the series?

A: The series has five novels and a prequel novella, and I consider it to be complete. As Radiance progresses, readers can expect Owyn and Zara to be tested in new ways, and for the overall stakes to go even higher.

Q: Congratulations Blake on your books being picked up & distributed by Simon & Schuster! How does it feel knowing that one of the big publishing houses are publishing your series?

A: Thank you! It’s incredible—and honestly, more than a little surreal. It’s always been a dream of mine to see my work on bookstore shelves, and now that it’s here, I couldn’t be more excited.

Q: Who would be your dream cast to play the characters in Fall Of Radiance? 

A: Oh, that’s a great question. For the main characters, I suppose I would like someone young and plucky to portray Owyn and Zara—maybe actors like Dean-Charles Chapman (who played Tommen Baratheon in GoT) and Mille Bobby Brown. For Elias, the mentor, I always pictured someone more grizzled like Tom Hardy.

Q: How does it feel knowing that people say Fall Of Radiance is perfect for fans who enjoy popular fantasy series such as A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, The Cosmere Universe by Brandon Sanderson & The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan? 

A: Humbling, to say the least. Radiance is my first series, and to hear it compared to such great authors / series is unbelievable to me. Hopefully, that means I’m on the right track as an author, and that readers will enjoy my other stories moving forward.