The Longlight Legacy

In the shrouded valley, the people of longlight evaded destruction. For seventy-five years they quietly thrived, isolated from the world, nurturing a small flame of hope. It took less than one hour for them to be annihilated.
— the book of longlight

Many years ago, I visited a town where toxic waste from a processing plant had leeched into the soil, seeping under homes, into gardens, schoolyards and playgrounds. Children playing in the fields, people working on their lawns or just walking the streets were exposed to carcinogens and many became mortally ill.

I was appalled that this was allowed to happen, and that people’s lives were destroyed by such a blatant disregard and disrespect for the environment. I kept wondering what it would be like to grow up in a world where the devastation of war and pollution were present everywhere. Images of a boy, alone, walking through a ravaged wasteland kept creeping into my mind. It was all too easy to extrapolate children being sacrificed so that the rich could maintain their power. And imagining a fabulous world where our dreams were being devastated right alongside the earth’s.

This was what I started me writing The Dirt Eaters. As I worked, the story grew and grew, and I quickly realized that I couldn’t tell it all in one book. I’ve been immersed in Roan’s world ever since.

Click on the cover images for more information on each book.


A brief interview with Dennis on the trilogy

More on the cover artwork

Covers in translation