about d.l. jennings
Epic fantasy author. Full-time storyteller. Currently deep into an Aztec-inspired fantasy series.
David “D.L.” Jennings has always been in love with storytelling. Fantasy was the natural outlet. He loves the idea that anything is possible, and he’s been obsessed with magic and sharp characters doing interesting things since he was a kid.
That obsession survived fourteen years in the Air Force, nine overseas tours, and whatever time zones he happened to find himself writing in. He finished his debut novel, Gift of the Shaper, while deployed overseas. These days, he writes full-time from a much more comfortable desk.
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the highglade series
the books
Dave writes epic fantasy for readers who grew up on Tolkien, stayed for Robert Jordan, and are currently working through Brandon Sanderson. No elves. No dwarves. No orcs. Maybe some dragons.
The Highglade Series has gwarái, kienari, Athrani, and Khyth instead. Fresh characters, new races, classic genre bones. Readers keep telling him they’ve never read anything quite like it, which is exactly what he was going for.
Three books are out now with Simon & Schuster’s Keylight Books: Gift of the Shaper, Awaken the Three, and Days of the Dark. The fourth novel, Dreams of Blood and Shadow, is in progress and should be ready by 2027. It’s an Aztec-inspired fantasy that has been living in his head for years and is finally on the page.
The Highglade Series delivers classic epic fantasy with fresh ideas. Sharp characters. New races and cultures. A world with teeth. If you’ve been looking for something that hits the same notes as The Wheel of Time or The Stormlight Archive but isn’t trying to be either of them, start with Gift of the Shaper.
What he's upto
When he's not writing
When Dave is not reading or writing epic fantasy, you can usually find him doing one of four things:
- Listening to '90s punk. Loudly. And without apology.
- Reading Brandon Sanderson, Tolkien, Jordan, or whoever else is stacked on his nightstand at the moment.
- Suffering through another Cleveland Browns football season, which he describes as "a character-building experience" and nothing else.
- Planning the next book signing or convention appearance. He'll be at Big Ohio Book Con in June if you want to say hello.
The Journey
Dave started writing seriously during a deployment to Africa. He finished Gift of the Shaper on another deployment, somewhere he’d rather not specify. Most of his first drafts have a passport stamp, but these days he prefers writing from home.
The transition from active duty to full-time author happened gradually, then all at once. The books found their audience. Readers wanted more. Publishers agreed. Now he spends his days building worlds instead of deploying to them.
get started
Ready to dive into the Highglade Series?
Start with Gift of the Shaper and see what readers are talking about.
Want to stay in the loop on Dreams of Blood and Shadow, upcoming events, and behind-the-scenes updates? The newsletter is the best way to get the real story.