"Quest of Fire: The Unending Light" by Brett Armstrong -- Author Interview

 Book: Quest of Fire: The Unending Light

Author: Brett Armstrong

Genre: Christian, High Fantasy

Release Date: December 30, 2025

War has consumed the Lowlands in both Jason and Anargen’s eras. Each teen struggles to keep true to the Quest as the armies led by the dark powers of the Lowlands edge closer to victory.

A secret buried in Ordumair can guarantee that evil Monarch Ilyron destroys the Tower of Light Anargen has striven to defend. And Jason’s brother, Dorian, has found an equally powerful weapon in the mysterious land of Jhi. The ancient threat of dragons returning to the Lowlands threatens to plunge the Lowlands into ruin.

Losses that leave both teens grieving deeply and an ever-diminishing list of allies means they must be willing to give everything to rescue their world from the looming desolation. But they must face the truth that it is still far too little to win, unless they can hold on till the King’s Day arrives.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

1. What is your favorite part about writing?
For me writing is kind of like trekking through the mountains. I know where I’m starting
and where I’m going, and I can even see the peaks of other mountains I’ll be
crossing—which correspond to the start of the book, its end, and the major story beats
along the way. But everything between the peaks, I discover much like a reader would
and there’s so much richness to the woods and rivers and rocks and caves and
meadows you encounter in those valleys. That sensation of looking around and being
utterly surprised by how this story world has sprung up around me while I traverse it,
that’s an incredible feeling. And especially rewarding as spiritual themes and motifs
spring up that I hadn’t planned but I can see growing up and fitting as naturally within the
story as those peaks I knew I would see.

2. What is your least favorite part about writing?
I’m probably not the only writer to say this, but at least when it comes to publishing, the
marketing side of it all is my least favorite part of it. I’m an awful salesman. And I feel like
some kind of huckster any time I go to convince someone to try one of my books. It’s not
just the notion that as a writer I’m desperate for people to read my books and terrified
that they will at the same time. There’s just something about trying to get a reader to buy
something that just…I don’t know. I just don’t like it. Talking about the books, I’m 100%
cool with. When I have start talking about the book for sales reasons…ugh.

3. Do you have a way to keep track of your story ideas?
It took me a while to become that organized, but I do have a way of keeping track of them.
As soon as I’m sure I want to write a particular story, I create a folder on my laptop
around the project. I make a document for the first draft of the manuscript and usually
write at least a couple hundred words of the story. I also take down what the overall story
is as I understand it at that moment. Then I add supporting reference documents, like lists
of characters and places as appropriate. That way if I’m not able to start on a story right
away, because of other deadlines or, you know, life just happening, I can quickly refresh
myself when I’m next able to work on the story. Over time, as I imagine new scenes or
realize particular themes or details need to be included, I also add those into the folder.
Most recently I started keeping track of my favorite lines or significant themes or moments
in a manuscript that I’ll want to call out later for the purposes of sharing about the story.

4. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
It varies pretty drastically, but I would say at this point it averages out to two or so years.
Active drafting is really only a few months, but with edits that rounds out to be about
seven months of concerted, focused activity. The rest is me having an idea or even
several scenes ready to go, but another manuscript or circumstance takes priority at that
moment. Of course, with The Unending Light, I waited probably about a decade to get to
tell that story. I’m definitely biased, but it was well worth the wait to get to tell the story as
it turned out to be. Which I credit to the Lord, because the most important part of drafting
is definitely prayer. Months, years of praying that the story will take on the colors,
contours, etc. that the Lord would have for it. My goal is to be a brush in the Master
Artist’s hand and I’m a crude one at that, but however long it takes to make the story into
what it needs to be, I’ll be laboring on it.

About the Author

Brett Armstrong has been exploring other worlds as a writer since age nine. Years later, he still writes, but now invites others along on his excursions. He’s shown readers haunting, deep historical fiction (Destitutio Quod Remissio), scary-real dystopian sci-fi (Tomorrow’s Edge series), and dark, sweeping epic fantasy (Quest of Fire saga). Every story is a journey of discovery and an attempt to be a brush in the Master Artist’s hand. Through dark, despair, light, joy, and everything in between, the end is always meant to leave his fellow literary explorers with wonder and hope. Always busy with a new story, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and spending time with his wife and son.

 

More from Brett

Quest of Fire is a story told across seven books that took twenty years of dreaming and drafting. A story about the High King, who is a reflection of the King of Kings and the great story He has composed in which we are all taking part. Our God is described as “a consuming fire”*, a fire that also refines us and is shaping us into His likeness. My hope with the Quest of Fire series is that after reading it that fire has caught and blazes in the reader’s heart and gives them the courage to stand firm. Because Quest of Fire is filled with moments in which a vast, terrible darkness seems certain to crush a small group bravely bearing up that light, and they must choose to stand firm no matter the cost. The final entry in the series, The Unending Light, picks up that theme and sees it to its harrowing end with epic battles fought across a world built with rich, immersive detail. Heart warming and rending moments take place that just as much as the dramatic and sweeping conflicts force the protagonists to face the dark and choose whether they will remain in the light and see the Quest of Fire to the end or turn back and flee like so many others around them. So my hope is that others will read and join in the Quest of Fire, because even though it is fraught and hope is fragile, there is one truth that both the protagonists of The Unending Light and we need cling to: “the darkness has not overcome the Light.”** This story, like the great story, is about Him.

* Hebrews 12:29

** John 1:5

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Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 20 (Author Interview)

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Locks, Hooks and Books, July 22

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Brett is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card, an eBook copy of The Unending Light, exclusive digital map poster, and series theme music!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/EgmVf/quest-of-fire-the-unending-light-celebration-tour-giveaway