This past week we gave the spotlight to Cold from the North, the first book in D.W. Ross’ Epic Fantasy series, Onyxborn Chronicle. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with their spotlights. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Cold from the North through our Q&A with D.W.!
Shall we?
D.W. Ross is an author who took the boredom of lockdown 2020 to another level by deciding to write a book despite having no experience in doing anything of the sort before – to say he never thought he would get this far is an understatement. One book has become a series, and now there is no stopping his creative mind as he plots books daily that he will absolutely never get to writing. Cold From The North was his first novel, with follow up The Darkest Dusk due out in 2021 with the closing novel of the Onyxborn Chronicles coming in early 2022. When not writing, he can be found watching pro wrestling, reading fantasy, dystopian and thriller novels, gaming, lifting weights and eating chicken wings. D.W. lives in Scotland with his wife.
Driven by the promise of an ancient prophecy which will bring the dark ways of an old god back to power and prominence, an army of invaders swarms Ogulf Harlsbane’s homeland slaughtering all those who oppose them.
Along with his people, Ogulf must seek refuge from this savage force. In his search of sanctuary, he is tasked with finding the one person who can put a stop to the onslaught.
Doing so will send him across lands and seas, have him and his closest friend navigate the intricacies of a civil war, and try to win the help of the princess fighting for her throne.
If he fails, darkness will prevail and the reign of the Onyxborn will begin.
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
APRIL 28TH – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder interview + IG spotlight
APRIL 29TH
Fantasy Book Critic – interview
Sadie’s Spotlight – spotlight
APRIL 30TH
33 South Textworks – review
“Ogulf and Melcun’s adventure branches well and, though their adventures on Esselonia feel a tiny bit contrived in parts, the final battle is very well executed.
Cold From the North looks to be setting up for a truly epic adventure, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for the rest of the Onyxborn Chronicle. I want to know what happens, dammit!
Excellent effort, Mr Ross!”
MAY 1ST
Lecari’s Livejournal 2.0 – review
“In conclusion, Cold From the North is a fantastic read. This Nordic-inspired debut is rich in lore with an exciting, fast-paced story. (Though I do recommend getting cozy before starting this book — so much talk of cold weather had me feeling a little chilly!)”
@Abbeysbooktopia – IG spotlight
MAY 2ND
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“It’s hard to believe that Cold from the North is a debut novel because the writing and the plot are so beautifully done, within such a well-realised world. This is certainly a series that I intend to continue with (and if you have not seen the stunning cover for the next instalment due later this year, check it out below), because I need to know what happens! I would recommend this one for anyone who is a fan of Norse Fantasy, and plot-driven stories.”
Book and Nature Professor – review
“As a debut novel, Cold From the North is a great entry into the to epic fantasy genre. The world building was excellent and drew the reader into the setting of the novel. The diverse places within the book were very well written. The battle scenes were excellent and just as they should be-gritty, brutal, and real. Just like war is-it’s not neat and clean. The characters were good and I look forward to more character building as the series progresses. The pacing was good, action intermixed with evenly with other portions of the plot. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. The story is gripping and I think the series will progress as we discover more about the Onyxborn and Ogulf and Melcun.”
MAY 3RD
FanFiAddict – review
“Overall, I really liked Cold From the North and I am fiercely excited for it’s sequel, The Darkest Dusk. The worldbuilding was great, with the lands of Gelenea varied and vast in their creation and histories. Even though it employs some classic fantasy tropes, like prophecies, the chosen one, and a magic weapon, Ross uses them to great effect. If there were only a smidge more character development and the pacing was a little steadier, this would be nearly perfect in its execution. In the end, I only have a few complaints in a sea of praise for this book and, considering that it is Ross’ debut, I think he’s definitely an author to keep an eye on.”
@theenchantedshelf – IG spotlight
Sue’s Musings – review
“Cold From the North does not read like a debut. The world-building is solid, the battle scenes are well-written and exciting and the characters are believable. I am excited to read the next installment in The Onyxborn Chronicles and to find out if the axe Ogulf has been carrying to Feda is indeed as important in the fight against the evil army as the Essalonians believe.”
Welcome to the Asylum, D.W.! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell me something about yourself!
Hello Timy! Thank you for having me, I have a freezing cold can of sugar free Irn Bru and I am excited for this. About me – I have a really bad mullet right now, and I think I am gonna keep it.
What inspires your writing? Do you listen to music, stare into the fire, listen to the whispering of the wind, make deals with the Devil?
Writing DEFINITELY inspires my writing. I went through a phase of only listening to Two Steps From Hell and that helped me ‘feel’ some things I needed to write scenes and bring things together. Other than that I found weird inspiration in bands like Unleash The Archers, Trivium and a few other metal bands, simply because if I was writing a musical version of my book I would want either of them to score it.
No deals with the devil yet, but I did come close when a particular scene was bothering me and I was at my wits end, luckily it didn’t go that far.
Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, Cold from the North!
There kind of is one. But it’s a whole country where they basically shut some people off because they thought they were dangerous. Built a nice big defense to keep there to an extent as well. And you could say it’s backfired in a BIG way.
Your MC is locked in an asylum. What did he/she do to end up there?
Oh, well I’ll go with my bad guy MC? I would say that they probably deserve to be in there already, so just being an absolutely deranged lunatic, desperate to take over the world, you know usual bad guy tropey stuff. As for the ‘good’ MC I could definitely see him being gradually worn down by loss to the point he might go insane…that’s not a massive spoiler is it? Probs not, people die in fantasy all the time.
Which fictional character (it can be one of yours) and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum and why?
I’ve been on a bit of a John Gwynne binge recently so I’m going with him. He’s fast becoming my favourite author and from his Twitter (I’m not a stalker I swear), you can see he’s into some pretty cool stuff. He’s full of incredible stories that he shares with the world so I can only imagine he has a few others to tell. PLUS he would be quite handy with a weapon if shit hit the fan based on his interest in shieldwalls and re-enactments so yeah, I’m sticking with that. I know I said I was NOT a stalker but I realise this has done nothing to help my case.
While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?
Okay – easy. West Coast by Kate Muir – not fantasy but my absolute favourite book of all time.
Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*
DON’T LEAVE ME HERE!!
If you are interested in Cold from the North and would like to get in contact with D.W. Ross, you can find him on social media:
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Grab a copy of Cold from the North on Amazon!
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