About the Book

Book: Immortal Abyss (Duology Book 2)

Author: Katherine Briggs

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release date: September 17, 2024

Seize the throne. Seek the legend and conquer the Abyss.

Nations rise and fall in the aftermath of war over the Eternity Gate. The corrupted desert throne stands empty, and the Immortal Abyss awakens. Drought ravages the continent, and people long for the rebirth of a starpalm, who will rise from among mortals and end their judgment.

Orphaned at birth, Tol grew up hiding in the farthest corners of the desert, training under powerful rebel fire wielders. She now dedicates her life to the Rebellion’s cause to seize the throne and Abyss from the surviving dynasty and deliver both to the coming deity.

Chosen as the Rebellion’s messenger, she travels to reach sympathizers capable of identifying the starpalm. Familiar figures haunt her dreams, and her path twists with every step she takes. Can Tol fulfill her purpose and summon a legend? Or will her country perish under the judgment of the twin gates?

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About the Author

Katherine Briggs crafted her first monster story at age three. Since graduating from crayons to laptop, she continues to devour and weave fantasy tales while enjoying chai tea. She, her coadventurer husband, and rescue dog reside outside Houston, where she classically educates amazing middle school students, teaches ESL to adults, and enjoys studying other languages.

More from Katherine

Hello friend!

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t overcome something difficult in your life? Maybe it was a bad habit you wanted to outgrow, a closed door you wished to open, or a choice you needed to make.

Within God’s will, Jesus in Matthew 19:26 says, “With God, all things are possible.” (ESV)

This is why I wrote The Immortal Abyss. Like you, I have felt stuck in my limitations and circumstances. My protagonist Tol, an orphan, strives to carve a new life for herself by joining a rebellion and bringing reform to her corrupted country. But how can she serve her cause if she can’t overcome her weakness in her fire gifting?

Like Tol, we can’t rise above challenges alone. So, what do we do?

Ask God for help and thank Him for promising to never abandon us.
Seek friends who will reciprocate spurring one another on to persevere.
Remain focused on our purpose.

If you’re looking for an adventure fantasy that will encourage you to never give up on what is good, please enjoy The Immortal Abyss, sequel to The Eternity Gate and conclusion to The Threshold Duology.

Cheers to journeying across forbidden lands, meeting new friends, taming dragons, and overcoming the impossible!

~ Katherine Briggs

P.S. If this encouraged you, please join my story newsletter by visiting my website. As a welcome gift, you also will receive my science fiction and fantasy short story collection, Experiments and Enchantment.

Interview with the Author

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

For The Immortal Abyss, the deserts of the southwest United States inspired me greatly. My husband’s family lives in New Mexico, and the texture of the sand, the color and shape of the Sandia Mountains, and the different types of forests are fascinating. The landscape of my story borrows inspiration from the many twisted rock formations I’ve had the privilege to see while traveling through that part of the country. For another literary pilgrimage, I have taken up indoor rock climbing, and this has also found a place in Tol’s story in The Immortal Abyss. Tol is much more skillful in climbing than I am, but I also climb under far less peril than she does! Otherwise, I think we’d have the same amount of fun scaling climbing routes.

How do you select the names of your characters?

Naming book characters is an important process. Once I find the right name, it feels like the personality of the person truly comes to life and the character begins to “walk” in my mind. Inspiration for names can come from anywhere. I borrowed Tol’s name from the daughter of my favorite restaurant owner. She, like Tol, is plucky and courageous, and it seemed to fit well. Other names, like Bohak, just jumped out of nowhere and also seemed to fit.

What was your hardest scene to write?

The protagonist of The Immortal Abyss undergoes a life-altering change near the middle of the book (minor spoiler!). Depicting this, especially as it is shrouded in the trappings of fantasy genre world building, was tremendously difficult. I think reaching the correct balance of wonder, danger, and realism was key. My beta readers and editors at Enclave Publishing were instrumental in helping me achieve the final result.

What comes first, the plot or characters?

Almost every writing instructor will say that characters come first and foremost above plot. However, sometimes my story ideas do start with plot. Is that a bad sign? I don’t think so. Characters are the catalyst for plot. The second can’t happen without the first. No matter how wonderful your plot idea is, there are characters propelling the action. Who are they? Why are they doing what they’re doing? That’s where the story treasure lies.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

When not writing, I enjoy cooking healthy meals from scratch, especially snacks and treats. My husband and I find that we have more energy and generally feel better when we limit the amount of refined sugar we eat, so we try to sweeten foods and drink with honey, maple syrup, etc. One of my favorite healthy treat recipes is for Fudgy Pumpkin Blondies with Chocolate Chips by food blogger Paleo Running Momma. Click here for a link to the recipe, and isn’t it a perfect time of year to enjoy pumpkin?