Elric, The Village Stuck Between A Rock & A Hard Place
A beautiful speculative dark fantasy novel that deals with the ramifications of generational trauma and parental abuse. A girl named Pyet, betrayed by her own flesh and blood mother, runs away after learning of her grandmother’s death, which takes her to the strange town of Elric where magic is in the air. But this is not a place of beauty and enchantment. Elric is a dingy town hidden beneath a constant veil of gloom.
As Pyet spends more time amongst the town, she grows fearful of the denizens of Elric who avoid her like the plague, but eye her warily like hungry predators lying in wait.
What secrets will she uncover in this unwelcoming town? Has Pyet finally found a home where she can belong? Or will this bizarre village of Elric prove to be her undoing?
It’s a gripping puzzle of a tale that comes together in a haunting climax that will leave readers dumbstruck. I highly recommend this one for fans of speculative dark fantasy.
See AJ’s full interview with “Cassandra” on Patreon
Cassandra Celia (her/they) site logo… “Her Rage, Their Nightmare”
A Choice Between The Devil of Lore & The Devil Known
AJ: I like to think every story starts with inspiration. Whether it’s a line from a song, an abstract idea, a personal experience, you name it. So, what would you say was the inspiration for The Elric Undoing?
Cassandra Celia, author of The Elric Undoing
CC: Elric wouldn’t be the book it is without that cover. I was genuinely inspired by the art (which I had), long before the book was finished!
I write out of order, I think. All of my covers are picked before the story comes from my brain. I’m inspired by art in all forms.
To your point, music, other writing, paintings. My art is inspired by art.
AJ: From inspiration, to the physical copy in your hand, a journey took place. How was your journey, Cassandra? Did it go according to plan, hitting all the stops? Was it tumultuous? Did you get lost? Were there setbacks?
CC: Oh my god were there setbacks!
Haha it absolutely did not go the way I anticipated, which is why I think Elric is still the book that makes me nervous. Before it was finished, I queried to a small press publisher, who was slated to publish it late 2023.
And that’s everyone’s dream, right? A publisher WANTED it. A publisher backed me enough to put their name on it.
But without going into any detail, once I was “an author with a publisher”, it wasn’t as glorifying as I thought it was. Elric was a completely different book before the experience I had with my small press.
I left that situation feeling very lost, and they almost broke me. And I went back into Elric to defeat those demons. And, well, you know what came out of it 😅
I’m really proud of the journey Elric went through. And I hope that comes through.
AJ: In my humble opinion, it made it through and you wholeheartedly deserve to feel that sense of pride!
AJ: I always wonder, did you know your final destination with Pyet’s story, or did you find it along the way?
CC: Without spoiling anything, yes. I always knew what Pyet’s journey would be, even if the book changed so much during the writing process.
The book, at its core, is about wanting to belong, and what that means. No matter what that looked like or how it played out, Pyet’s thought process would always revolve around that one goal.
The Elric Undoing by Cassandra Celia
AJ: I think, like any journey—hiking, driving, cross-country skiing, spelunking, magic ring disposal—writing a story almost always has a point, whether it be on day one or day one-thousand-and-one, where the thought of quitting and turning back comes to mind. What was that moment like for you? Was it brief? Was it difficult?
CC: I never wanted to quit writing Elric.
Did I want to stop publishing when I dropped my publisher?
Yes, for a second. But that moment was brief. SO BRIEF! Because Pyet was going to speak her mind no matter what. She wouldn’t shut up in my head 😂; it was for my best interest that I let her speak her mind.
AJ: I don’t think I’ve ever gone on a trip, a journey, without losing something…might be a me thing. But I know we all lose something when writing a story. Often this is called “killing your darlings” in the editing process. What did Elric lose that ultimately served it for the better?
CC: It lost its initial intent, for sure. Like I mentioned, it was a different story than the final product, some time ago. It was more hopeful, the relationships were different. But I think now, looking back at the final product, that difference makes it better and stronger.
AJ: And through it all—especially editing—the story changes and our daily lives bleed into the writing, whether it be through prose, narrative, or something entirely different. I call this the “soundtrack” to a story’s progression. What would you say was going on in your life, the world around you, that served as The Elric Undoing’s soundtrack?
CC: I feel attacked by this question. Haha Other than everything else we unpacked, the state of the world was changing. People couldn’t trust one another (and they still can’t), and there was a distinct divide in the States (and there still is). That definitely shaped this story, and acted as the backdrop, if you will.
AJ: Now, if there were a soundtrack in existence that could best accompany reading this dark fantasy novel, what would it be?
Beware the village of Elric…And Watch My Review on YouTube
CC: Well now, you’d have to read Elric to find out, wouldn’t you? 😉 It started out with “cult leader”, by KiNG MALA, but you can find the rest in the playlist I made at the end of the book.
AJ: As you continue to develop new projects, do you believe there is a reason to revisit Elric for a future tale?
CC: I write stand-alone books, let me say that first and foremost. But there might be a cover that exists, that might have me revisit the town of Elric…
AJ: What advice would you give readers, before patting them on the back and sending them down your literary roads?
CC: Read the warnings. We are all in control of our own content consumption. That part is important. (**CONTENT WARNINGS- “Death, Organized Cult” -from Cassandra’s website)
But second? Have fun. I like play with my writing I love to do things that go against the grain. I’d like to think that even through the horrors, you can tell that I had a good time writing it.
AJ: Anything else you’d like me to share with folks? Factoid? Links? Sale? Image?
CC: HOUSE OF HARROW! My newest book released June 17th, this year. It’s told from the perspective of a rat and a crow, and is a dark folk tale about a woman made of wax that plucks children from their homes to devour them. I think it’s genuinely my best work to date.
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