Tristan Dineen is an award-winning independent author best known for his Dark Fantasy Falhorne series. With two books already under the Canadian’s belt, What We Reading sat down with Tristan to talk about everything from the influences behind Falhorne, the current state of the Fantasy genre and how his path in the writing world was forged!
Thanks for speaking with us, Tristan! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
It’s a long story, but in a nutshell, I read The Hobbit in sixth grade and that gave me the desire to create fantasy worlds of my own. It still took me until my 30s to actually sit down and write my first novel, but the seed was planted. But even before my first brush with Middle Earth, I was obsessed with Robin Hood and King Arthur as a kid, so the writing was definitely on the wall.
I’m currently an ESL teacher based in Canada, at least when the realms of my imagination aren’t calling me away!
Talk to us about Falhorne. It’s already made quite the splash, and even bagged a few awards, right?
The two books of the Falhorne series chronicle the epic quest of Tagus, one of the few surviving members of an ancient military order dedicated to defending the followers of the Elder Gods. In the process of confronting the brutal feudal authorities oppressing his people, he uncovers an ancient evil that threatens to consume all that he holds dear.
Assisted by a mixed crew of unlikely companions, he discovers that he possesses an unparalleled ability to wield the mystic powers of his forebears, but will it be enough to defeat the insatiable appetite of He Who Thirsts?
What is the number one goal you want your work to have with readers?
To think critically about what they have just read and how it relates to our own world.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author?
I can only go with what my readers have told me. My world and my characters are vividly depicted and the plot unfolds at a fast pace. But the main thing is that all the characters in the story have understandable motivations for what they do and are not so different from you and me.
What would you say has been your biggest success so far?
Simply embarking on this journey as an independent author has been a remarkable experience for me. Getting started as an independent author was a challenging process. I was lucky to be part of a local genre-fiction group of authors and they welcomed me into their circle even though I hadn’t yet published anything. Marian Thorpe, author of the Empire’s Daughter series, played a mentorship role for me and I doubt the Falhorne series would have seen the light of day without her kind assistance.
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was a chance find. I just stumbled across it in a bookstore one day and was not prepared for the vividness of the world I was about to be drawn into or the remarkable characters who were masterfully developed to a level I’d never encountered before. That book ended up being quite an influence on me.
What’s one tip you would give your younger self if you had the opportunity?
Passion is a beautiful thing, but so are connections. Writing isn’t a solitary endeavor and it will be far easier if you don’t try to make it one!
What do you make of the Fantasy genre at the moment? Do you think it’s in a good space?
Fantasy worldbuilding today tends to be more grounded and realistic, with an eye for the environment and the believability of cultures, nations, governments etc. Science fiction has paid close attention to these things for a very long time and the fact that many fantasy authors are now doing so as well will take the genre in interesting new directions.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
I’m going to keep writing and sharing. If people like it, that’s jolly good.
Follow Tristan and all of his work over at his blog or on Twitter/X
Check out our interview with Aesyn Cravery
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
