Obsidian’s Command: Konn Lavery’s New Dark Fantasy Novel
Today, I’m pleased to welcome back fellow Canadian author Konn Lavery. We had him on the blog last year for his novel, Crystal Moth Conspiracy. Now, we follow up with him regarding the release of his novel’s sequel, Obsidian’s Command.
Welcome, Konn. Tell us about your new novel, Obsidian’s Command.
Thanks for having me back, Simon! A quick one-sentence pitch would be:
A darkness calls to convict Lola Cabello from beyond the fabrics of reality, whispering words of power, she’ll ignore the consequences to herself, her loved ones, and the world, to assassinate the fallen angel who shattered her life.
This is a sequel to your 2023 novel, Crystal Moth Conspiracy, correct?
That’s correct. Obsidian’s Command continues the story of Lola Cabello from Crystal Moth Conspiracy: Ash Born Book One. It also works as a standalone novel. So, if you haven’t read the first book, you won’t be confused. Of course, if you go back and read it, you’ll find many character cameos and mythos expansions in the new novel.
Lola Cabell is the main character, as you mentioned. What made her take centre stage?
She first appeared in The Macrocosm back in 2013 with my crime thriller novel, YEGman, as a reporter who follows protagonist Michael Bradford. While drafting out the plan for the Ash Born series, I wanted the protagonist to be relatable for people while referencing my past work.
Lola Cabello lined up perfectly, considering her ending in YEGman. Her bold attitude, fearlessness to get her hands dirty, and dark nature fit well for the themes found in the series.
The Macrocosm? Let’s refresh readers on what that is.
My stories belong within The Macrocosm, a superverse spanning across time and space that I’ve been writing in for as long as I can remember. The stories are multi-genre, fitting in the horror, dark fantasy, thriller, and sci-fi categories, depending on which one you read.
The universe didn’t have a name for most of my life until 2021 with the short story collection, Into the Macrocosm. My Ash Born series does a great job of having character cameos, extended lore, while offering new readers an introduction to the vast world.
How does Obsidian’s Command fit in The Macrocosm?
With Lola as our main character, we see her journey take her deeper into the mythology of the old world. Ash Born takes place in modern times, with the underbelly housing what remains of a forgotten time.
Obsidian’s Command shows us the last of the vazelead people (a group of humanoid reptilians) and the otherworldly ghouls, dimensional lightless ones, and supernatural fallen angels and demons.
Who’s your favourite character in the book?
They’re each fun to write for their own reasons. My personal favourite would have to be Ricardo Iglesias for his rich background and the difficulties he has as a levelheaded single father who buys into the conspiracy Lola Cabello did in book one.
Who’s your least favourite character in the book?
That’s a tough one! Each of them has admirable characteristics and undesirable traits. Your opinions of the characters change as they evolve throughout the story too. If I had to pick one, I’d say I enjoyed writing Rithu Blacktooth at the beginning. While his character grew into his own, I dislike his personality. But characters have their own motives and you have to let them follow them to be realistic.
And what’s next for you?
I have multiple projects on the go. The next couple of releases are short stories. The first is Respect the Monkey found in Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology by L. Stephenson, available in December 2024. In 2025, I have Freosan in Hauntings and Hoarfrost by Tyche Books in January 2025.
The next novel I’m writing is a cosmic horror story whose release date and method is to be determined. Ash Born Book Three is also in the outline stage.
Where can readers discover you?
My newsletter is a great way to strike up a conversation or to keep tabs on my work and to get an exclusive ebook from the Macrocosm Intro Collection: https://konnlavery.com/newsletter-sign-up/
You can find my work from my website, where I have the novels, short story collections, anthologies I am in, and audiobooks. https://konnlavery.com/
If people want to interact with me, I’m active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
My new novel is available directly from me and on all distributors: https://konnlavery.com/product/obsidians-command
Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Obsidians-Command-Ash-Born-Book-ebook/dp/B0DF7ZNHNB/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/obsidian-s-command
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/obsidians-command-ash-born-book-two/id6669721556
Thanks for having me, Simon!
