Book Details:
The Illumination: Izol
By Mescal
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 368 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tanager Ink Publishing
Release date: November, 2025
Content Rating: PG: There is no swearing, and nothing explicit in my book. As far as fantasy series goes, it is more on the conservative side with less romantic material than most.
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Book Description:
She went into the woods an ordinary young woman. She returned marked by destiny.
When Izol crosses the boundary of the forbidden forest, she encounters a terror that should have ended her life. Instead, she is not only spared, but chosen. A mysterious messenger reveals a truth that will shatter everything she thought she knew about her family, her people, and her purpose.
Found bloodied and half-conscious, Izol returns home changed. But not everyone is ready for a young woman touched by the divine.
As tensions rise within the keep and dangerous eyes turn toward her, Izol must choose between who she was raised to be—and the powerful, terrifying truth of who she is. As the verity of her awakening begins to spread, those with something to lose will do anything to silence her.
Izol: The Illumination is a sweeping story of awakening, devotion, and betrayal. For readers who love epic storytelling grounded in emotional intimacy, myth, and wonder.
- There are many books out there about Romantasy. What makes yours different?
If I’m to be completely honest, I would have to divulge that romance novels, and romantasy at that, are not my cup of tea. A good read for me would be a historical fiction, so that I find myself writing a romantasy, and a series, is somewhat ironic, but in a good way, because I absolutely love the story I have written. I fell in love with the characters and the relationships that developed among them.
What’s interesting about my story is that it is written almost entirely in dialogue, and the story is revealed through the characters’ conversation, with me weaving together bits and pieces to create a cohesive story line.
I think you get a visceral feel for the story; actually, hearing the characters’ voices as you follow along makes for a more interactive and dynamic reading experience.
- What made you write a book about Romantasy?
A fun fact: this book was initially intended to be a children’s book containing several bedtime stories I told to my nieces ten years ago. It’s my way of paying homage to our wonderful times together.
As I began to write the story, it took on a life of its own, morphing into this fantastic, elaborate series with an intriguing story line. For me, the joy in writing this book was the unknown- not having a clear set of objectives, but living through the experiences with the characters as the story unfolded.
I would burst into laughter while writing, amused and surprised, as I realized I was writing adult fiction, and not a children’s book.
- Where do you write?
I work an 8-hour shift, so finding time to write during my workweek was a struggle till I finally found a schedule that worked for me. I do most of my writing between 2 and 5am, propped up in bed with pillows behind my back. I place my MacBook on top of a sturdy book, one of my college art books, and rest it on my lap. When that position became uncomfortable, I would sit upright on the bed.
Neither position is conducive to writing, but they work for me. The slight discomfort keeps me alert, and my eyes, heavy with sleep, remain open. On my days off, I would write continuously to the point of exhaustion at the dining room table. My one saving grace gazing during these brutal hours is munching on pistachios and dark chocolate while listening to David Tolk and Ghostly Kisses.
- Which was the hardest character to write?
BY far, the most complex character to write was Yilmaz. Given he’s so much larger than life, his intelligence, personality, and life experience place him in a league of his own, where he almost seems unreal.
I feared he would come off as arrogant, entitled, and misunderstood. My task
was to make him stand out as cut above the rest while also showcasing his humane attributes, making him likable and relatable, yet still in a league of his own.
You get a sense of these two dynamics in how he relates to people at every class level, showing respect and genuine care for them, while still maintaining a distance that does not appear cold, detached or pompous.
- If you could go back in time, where would you go?
The Sermon on the Mount has always intrigued me since childhood. I remember watching the movie Ben-Hur with my mother during Lent, and the scene with Jesus delivering the Beatitudes on the Mount captivated my curiosity so much so that it has been etched into my memory.
As a Christina and one who espouses its values, I struggle as most do, but I believe in the faithfulness of God’s word as truth. Therefore, to have been there on that faithful day, to hear Jesus’s voice and be in his holy presence would have been a mind-altering experience for me.
Meet Author Mescal:
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In my adolescent years, I was an extreme introvert, though I had a few friends I was close with; if you weren’t acquainted with me, you would probably perceive me as asocial. I believe it was in my mid-20’s that my persona changed. I graduated from college at twenty-three and began working part-time with a major US airline. I thought the job exciting and the ability to travel the world made the position hugely attractive.
My sojourn in the airline industry was only until I had decided on a permanent career path, or so I thought. Many years later, after traveling to a multitude of countries on five continents, having two boys who also traveled the globe with me, I find myself here, at this monumental moment where I’ve embarked on a new adventure, this all unfolding by happenstance, a bedtime story I told my nieces had etched its way in my mind.
The story slowly revealed itself as I sat having lunch in my office, on my commute home late at night, and while meandering the farmers market on weekends, I would see my story in my mind’s eye.
Finally, on a trip to Copenhagen in December five years ago, it beckoned me, the inner child, when I visited the statue of the Little Mermaid with my niece. Watching her entranced by the serin, I felt her wonderment as if reliving the experience of my first reading of the fairytale at the age of ten. A whispered voice caught my ear, and a single word summoned my heart. WRITE!
Invigorated by this calling, I set to paper what had been dancing in my head. Now here we are: the Izol series has been birthed. My grandmother’s words stood the test of time: “Wherever you are, there you’ll find yourself.”
The Illumination: Izol by Mescal Book Tour Giveaway
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