Author Taylor Kelly is set to release her latest dark fantasy novel, A Ruin of Ash and Flame, on March 17. This book marks the beginning of The Aurithos Series, an intense and emotionally gripping story that blends post-apocalyptic themes with a world of magic and the Fae.
After completing her first trilogy, Kelly found this new series took on a life of its own. "I sat with it for like a month when I was writing the last book of the first series... I thought, 'I’ll just write the prologue,' and the next thing I knew, I had 40,000 words," she said. "We're committed now."
Set in a world where humans and the Fae have been at war for 200 years, the novel follows Astraea, an 18-year-old who becomes one of eight annual human sacrifices to the Fae goddess. She is taken to Sylvanterra by Thorn, the prince of the Fae, who harbors a deep hatred for humans. The story explores complex themes of morality, emphasizing how choices define individuals rather than inherent good or evil.
"Neither character is wholly on one side," Kelly explained. "It’s all about the choices you make that decide who you are as a person."
Kelly emphasized that her novel is not a traditional romance. "It’s more like a war, and there’s some romance thrown in," she said. She wanted to create a dark, complex character in Thorn. "Thorn is not dark for aesthetic at all. He’s violent and brutal, and I wrote him to be loved and hated in equal measure," she said. "Every time you turn the page, I want readers to not be sure if he’s the villain. And to be honest, I don’t know."
Kelly has grown significantly as a writer since her first published novel. "I don’t just want to put words on paper. I want to show you a movie," she said.
For aspiring writers, Kelly had one simple message: "Just start. Just one word. One sentence. Any of it. Nobody else has your story, and that story deserves to be with other people."
A Ruin of Ash and Flame will be available on Amazon, with physical copies expected to be sold locally in the future.
"If you’re curious why I write this way, it’s because my entire mission is to break your heart," Kelly said. "I want you to remember who did it."