Cassie Sanchez Shares the Magic and Meaning Behind the Darkness Trilogy

From Stay-At-Home Mum to Award-Winning Fantasy Author

Cassie Sanchez reveals how video games, New Mexico landscapes, and a love for superheroes inspired her gripping fantasy series, The Darkness Trilogy.

Cassie Sanchez brings magic, heart, and high-stakes adventure to life through her award-winning Darkness Trilogy. A self-proclaimed fantasy and superhero enthusiast, she crafts stories rooted in themes of redemption and forgiveness—laced with elemental powers, political intrigue, and unforgettable characters. Writing wasn’t always part of her plan, but when her sons left home and the question of “what now?” echoed through her halls, Cassie found her answer in storytelling. Inspired by video games, New Mexico’s rugged beauty, and the boundless possibilities of the fantasy genre, she embarked on a literary journey that has since captivated readers across the globe.

In this interview with Reader’s House Magazine, Cassie opens up about her path from stay-at-home mum to fantasy author, the origins of her morally grey assassin Azrael, and the creation of Pandaren’s richly imagined world.

Cassie Sanchez enchants readers with heartfelt characters, rich world-building, and emotional journeys that linger long after the final page.

What inspired you to create the character of Azrael, the Angel of Death, in your debut novel, Chasing the Darkness?

My inspiration for Azrael, a morally gray assassin who didn’t believe he could be the hero, came from a video game. I found the back story of a certain character intriguing, and one day the creativity bug hit. I wrote a scene about an assassin betrayed by his team and hanging in a dungeon, and this became part of chapter four in Chasing the Darkness.

How did your upbringing in the Land of Enchantment influence the magical realms depicted in The Darkness Trilogy?

New Mexico, aka the Land of Enchantment, is a uniquely beautiful state in the southwest with rugged deserts and majestic mountains. Although the land of Pandaren in my books doesn’t have any magic per se, I did use aspects of the landscape and climate. In Chasing the Darkness, there’s a desert called the Desert of Souls where magic is suppressed when you travel across it. Living in the desert for fifty years made creating this area easy. During the summer, we have our monsoon season of afternoon rains, so I included this in Embracing the Darkness to enhance the setting. Also, the University of New Mexico’s stadium is called the Pit, which I named the training arena for the Hunters, a group of assassins whose job is to find Spectrals (those with magic).

Could you share your experience of transitioning from a stay-at-home mum to an award-winning fantasy author?

As my kids started the process of leaving home, I had a bit of an identity crisis and felt I hadn’t accomplished anything important in my life. Logically, I knew this wasn’t true. I had raised two wonderful boys, one of which challenged me to write a book because I loved reading so much. I took a writing class at our local college and fell in love with creating stories. A fire burned inside of me and with it, a sense of purpose. I dove into the deep end of learning the craft of writing by reading books and participating in online classes. I wrote another book during this time, but it’s a mess and currently shelved. Two years after taking that life-changing class, Chasing the Darkness was published.

In Embracing the Darkness, Jasce faces political intrigue and foreign magic. What challenges did you encounter while developing these complex plot elements?

In my first draft, I had made ETD too complex to where my editor said I had thrown in the entire kitchen sink into the story. The challenge was to simplify the story while still engaging the readers and keep them turning the page. Another concern was ensuring all the new characters had enough screen time, for them to have a purpose and not fade into the background. Lastly, creating people from foreign lands with their own magic while tying it into the magic system from book one was a challenge.

How do your personal interests in superheroes and fantasy genres shape the themes and characters in your books?

I loved watching superhero cartoons when I was young and like any kid, I longed to be special, powerful, and possibly fly. When I transitioned from stay-at-home mom to author, I discovered that writing gave me the freedom to do things I’d never be able to do in “real life,” and like reading, was a way to escape the mundane. So, I created characters with the ability to heal, or teleport, or manipulate the elements, and woven within the Darkness Trilogy are the themes of redemption and forgiveness, while good triumphs over evil.

Could you discuss the significance of the map of Pandaren and how it enhances readers’ immersion into your fantasy world?

I can barely draw a stick figure, so the first edition of the map of Pandaren was an enormous circle on a large piece of paper that I originally created because I had no idea which direction my characters were going. My very elementary map became a guide to the location of the towns, the garrisons, mountains, and other landmarks. As a reader of fantasy, I’m fascinated by the maps of other lands and worlds. I also discovered I’m not alone in this and other readers share my interest, so I used a computer program and created a more intricate map of Pandaren. Fair warning, those programs are complete time sucks, and you will lose hours of your life.

What can readers expect from the concluding book, Conquering the Darkness, in terms of character development and plot resolution?

For my romance readers who need the HEA (happily ever after), not to worry. Without giving away spoilers, Conquering is Jasce’s journey of redemption, forgiveness, and healing within himself and those he loves. I put him through some gut-wrenching trials, but they were needed to bring him full circle and to make him the man he truly wants to be.

“Conquering is Jasce’s journey of redemption, forgiveness, and healing within himself and those he loves.” – Cassie Sanchez

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors who wish to craft compelling fantasy narratives?

My advice – learn as you go. Keep studying the craft of writing, world building, and magic systems while you’re actually writing. This helps put into practice what you have learned. Also, the first draft is supposed to be awful, and perfectionism will kill your creativity. Lastly, consistency and discipline are key as you figure out your style while giving yourself grace to fail.