Q&A: Jay Kristoff, Author of ‘Empire of the Dawn’

We chat with author Jay Kristoff about Empire of the Dawn, which is the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.

Hi, Jay! Thank you for once again sitting down with us to answer some of our burning questions, this time for Empire of the Dawn. It feels a bit surreal that we’re here already, at the publication of book three, so firstly, thank you for the incredible ride!

How are you feeling after wrapping up the Empire of the Vampire trilogy?

A little sad to say farewell, but mostly incredibly grateful. This series has been an amazing journey, and I couldn’t be happier with the final book. I know you’re SUPPOSED to say this when you’re promoting the New Thing, but EMPIRE OF THE DAWN is honestly the best book I’ve written. I can’t wait for it to be out in the world.

The title of this novel, Empire of the Dawn, is, dare we say, a bit more hopeful than the last. What can readers expect?

DAWN came out in Australia last week, and early readers have been sending me videos of them crying and throwing the book across the room, so make of that what you will.

You always manage to throw in some big, unexpected, but very much appreciated, reveals. What were you most excited to explore/write in this final instalment?

That’s very hard to talk about without spoilers! But the end of Part 3 is probably the best kick to the soft parts I’ve ever written (you’ll know it when you get there).

It’s been an incredible ride alongside these characters, who each embody a different core aspect of human nature. Which character will be the hardest to say goodbye to?

That’s like asking which one of your kids you like best! I’ve spent the most time with Gabriel and Dior, so I know them best. But there’s a piece of me in all of these characters. A third book in a trilogy feels a little like the last day of school – you’ve spent years with these people, seeing them almost every day, and now you’re never going to see them again. So it’s all a little hard.

Dawn delves deeper into the deadly politics of the different vampire factions. Which noble vampire faction was your favourite to explore, and why?

Probably the Voss. I spent the most time with them, and they’re a interesting exploration of how morality declines in the face of eternity, and how tedious and awful immortality would actually be. Living forever sounds like a good deal at first, but the more you think about it, the more it feels like hell.

The Voss make good devils.

You have such a great knack of humanising characters that ought to be unforgivable (Jean-Francois and the Last Liathe, to name a few). What’s your go-to piece of advice for aspiring writers when building polarising characters?

Every villainous character should have an understandable guiding principle. Even if their moral core is rotten, your reader needs to understand the WHY of how that rot set in. People doing awful things for what they believe are good reasons is far more compelling than villainy for the sake of villainy. 

One of my favourite themes explored is the role of hope – of both losing it, and finding it again – and of humanity in crisis. How important is it to include both the dark and the light in your work?

It’s imperative! I write dark books, but nobody wants to slog through 800 pages of hopelessness and turn the final page to discover the villain standing atop a pile of charred hero corpses, laughing maniacally. The search for the light, and the idea of holding on to hope when all seems lost is really at the core of the books.

As a long-time reader, it’s been incredible to watch your career grow from strength to strength. This is your 18^th book (!!). How do you like to celebrate when you hand in a completed manuscript?

A bottle of good whiskey is usually on the cards! And I tend to reread the novel on the week of publication – just to take a breath and acknowledge all the work it took to get there. Writing is hard, and taking a few short moments to pat yourself on the back is time well spent at the end of a long road.

You’ve just kicked off your Australian and US tour. What’s one tour must-have while you’re on the road?

Exit row seats with extra leg room (I’m six foot seven).

Lastly, recommend us a book to add to our TBR!

Careless People by Sarah Wynne Williams.

It’s the best and scariest book I’ve read this year.

Will you be picking up Empire of the Dawn? Tell us in the comments below!