Queen of Starlight follows the elves of Edira and the wizards of Malicath who discover a darkness is attacking both their worlds, draining and corrupting their magic. Elves and wizards must overcome a difficult history to confront a common threat. What interested you about making reconciliation part of the central conflict?

I’ve never been one to write entire groups of characters as all bad or all good. In the first book, Daughter of Starlight, the wizards of Malicath are mostly seen as the enemy, so for the second book, I was eager to bring a more nuanced approach to both the wizards and their world.

Reconciliation is not easy; it is often messy and uncomfortable, especially when past grievances run deep. This concept was important for me to include in Queen of Starlight because its impacts can be explored on both the personal level and on the level of a broader community. It forces different characters, each in their own way, to confront their own biases, and to wrestle with the messiness that comes with breaking down layers of mistrust. All of this not only helps me expand character development, but also the need for an alliance between former enemies matches the book’s broader theme of finding and embracing balance. 

Luma has to reckon with her mother’s dark magical legacy in this book. How did you develop that inheritance as a source of both threat and ultimately power while avoiding the trap of making it purely a burden?

When I first began thinking about how to approach the main themes of this book, it was important to me to focus on the idea of balance as a core concept: the idea that everyone has dualities within them, and that this fact is nothing to be ashamed of. 

As Luma explores the history of her mother’s dark magic, she is forced to confront the legacy passed down to her. In doing so, she grows from someone who thought she had to hide or ignore parts of herself, to someone who sees the power inherent in embracing all aspects of her magic. 

At the end of the first book in the series, Daughter of Starlight, Luma rejects the role and title of Queen. In this second book, Luma’s evolving understanding and acceptance of her mother’s dark magic legacy helps prepare her not only to defeat Hex but also to step into the role of Queen in a way that feels authentic to her. 

What attracts you to young adult fantasy as a way of exploring subjects such as identity, grief, responsibility, love, and power?

Growing up, I was (and still am!) a voracious reader, and the books I read as a young adult not only shaped my worldview then but also continue to inspire me today! 

Now, as an author myself, I love writing in the Young Adult genre because in your teens and twenties, sometimes the search for identity and for love, combined with the transformative power of grief and taking responsibility for yourself, can feel lonely and overwhelming. The Young Adult fantasy genre lets me use unique settings and magical systems where the books’ characters can wrestle with and confront these same feelings in a way that, I hope, helps my readers navigate their own journeys in the real world a little more easily. 

Are there characters or corners of this universe that you would especially like to revisit in future books?

If I were to write a third installment of this series, I think it would be a prequel focusing on Luma’s mother. I believe there could be a fun story there, exploring Seren’s adventures on Edira more deeply as she navigates and grows into her own inherent magic as a dark witch. 

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