Host Edith welcomes fantasy author Daniel Sheley to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss his character-driven dark fantasy novel The Soul Song (released April 18, 2026). Sheley explains the book’s eight third-person viewpoints, designed to let competing ideologies collide and keep heroism ambiguous. The story begins when a boy’s village is destroyed by battling dragons and he is forced to inherit the Song, a dangerous burden tied to the world’s life force. Sheley outlines key characters and how each reflects a facet of his own psyche, discusses dragons’ cross-cultural appeal, and cites myth and music as influences, including the idea that souls “hum” as part of a greater song. He shares his worldbuilding approach, extensive editing process, views on grounding fantasy in reality, escapism vs. theme-driven fantasy, and his plans for book two, The Severed Chord, plus future books. He also notes awards and credits his wife’s support.
⏰ Timestamp
00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:25 Book Release and Premise
02:55 Plot Setup and The Song
05:48 POV Structure and Moral Grayness
08:47 Why Dragons Fascinate Us
11:35 Creating Characters from Self
17:11 Mythology and Music Magic
19:34 World as Living Vim
22:47 Worldbuilding Process and Consistency
25:27 Fantasy Rules and Reader Trust
27:54 Escapism vs Literary Fantasy
30:03 YA Fantasy and Audience Fit
31:55 Writing Role Models
33:51 Is Tolkien The Standard
35:48 Fantasy Subgenres Explained
37:56 Editing A Fantasy Novel
40:41 Advice For New Authors
42:31 Hardcover Or Paperback
45:15 Why Fantasy Is Booming
47:17 Hope In Dark Times
49:44 Next Books And Series
53:39 Awards And Gratitude
55:48 Final Farewell
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Music: English Country Garden by Aaron Kenny
Video Link: https://youtu.be/mDcADD4oS5E