1 Author, 7 Questions: Tigest Girma
Prepare thyselves, mortals! I sat down with Tigest Girma, author of the seductive and blood-soaked Immortal Dark, a story full of dark-academia politics, enemies-to-lovers romance and VAMPIRES! We talked about Tigest’s writing process, the inspiration behind Immortal Dark, and perhaps we even get a sneak peek at what’s in store in book two!
What was your initial inspiration for Immortal Dark?
The spark for Immortal Dark came to me while watching Twilight during lockdown. I started thinking what was it about these creatures that was so intriguing and a question popped into my head. What if vampires originated from Africa? I started writing it soon after.
Can you describe your writing process? Are you more of a pre-plotter or do you let the plot develop as you write?
My initial drafts come to me in vivid scenes which I quickly jot down. Only when I begin to revise do I start to sketch a loose outline. I try to identify my midpoint and ending, leaving everything else to discovery writing which is my favorite way to do it.
There is a lot of East African myth and folklore woven into the lore of Uxlay and the vampires you’ve created in Immortal Dark. What was your research process like? Were there myths or legends that you wanted to include, but ultimately had to be left on the cutting room floor, so to speak?
I grew up on Ethiopian monster tales which were often about hideous creatures that tricked and killed unsuspecting heroines. The idea of falling in love with monsters however wasn’t a theme that was present. I drew on Ethiopian history, language and native animals to craft and ground the new myth I was forming around vampires.
I LOVE the characters in this book – not just our main pair of Kidan and Susenyos, but all the characters! Yusef, GK, Slen, Ramyn… they’re all so fantastic! Who was your favorite to write?
I enjoyed writing Susenyos’s dialogue. He is confident, almost arrogant but also quite mysterious. I loved his exchanges with Kidan and the moments he challenged her viewpoint.
The rules of Uxlay University and the political machinations of its many families are so complex and it was fascinating watching them weave together as a reader! What was it like developing the world of Uxlay as a writer?
It took a lot of moving several pieces around! I knew from the beginning Uxlay University would teach an arcane philosophy, but the politics and the ambition to inherit powerful houses came on much later. Naturally, it led to some beautiful tension between these families as they battled to safeguard their legacy.
What are some books you’ve been reading recently or would recommend?
Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton is a YA Fantasy about a deadly siren who has to serve as a bodyguard to the prince who segregates her kind. I love a strong heroine and Saoirse knows what she wants. There’s also a sprinkle of romance which is how I like my fantasy. I’ve also just finished The Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig where a girl with a monster trapped inside her mind tries to cure herself of magic by teaming up with the captain of the guard. Very immersive and beautifully written.
What are you working on now? Any exciting sneak peeks as to what we’re in for with book 2?
I am working on book 2. One thing I can share with you is new villains enter the world and cause mayhem for our main cast of characters!
Immortal Dark
by Tigest Girma
The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia fantasy, where a lost heiress must infiltrate an arcane society and live with the vampire she suspects killed her family and kidnapped her sister.
It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.
Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her—the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.
To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University—where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos—even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan’s own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.
When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat—and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.
