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Son of Osivirius follows a young pilot who crashes near a rebel base and forms a connection with the family that saves him, leaving him to decide what side of the battle he wants to be a part of. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It was one of those serendipity moments. I was struggling to come up with an idea for a scene writing exercise where the prompt was ‘three characters, all with different goals’. I was getting super frustrated, beginning and discarding idea after idea. Imagine a ‘rip the paper out of the typewriter, scrunch it into a ball, then toss it into the pile littering the floor’ scenario. I’d actually given up for the day and was cooking dinner when I suddenly remembered a short story idea I’d jotted down months before:
“A helicopter pilot in a WWIII scenario crash-lands near a valley belonging to some people who are a bit like the Amish and refuse to be a part of the war effort, but the government is trying to force them into it. They look after him, and when the government eventually comes to their valley, he has to decide what to do.”
Suddenly, neurons were firing in all directions. I combined that premise with the vibes of Avatar, and boom! I had my scene mapped out. Not only my scene, but almost the entire book.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities, especially the Masu. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?
I live in a rainforest, and have always been drawn to forest settings, and although I LOVE dragons, I wanted to do something a bit different. Big cats have always fascinated me–their power, elegance, and how they seem to stare into your soul–so giving them wings just seemed like the perfect choice. The intricacies of the world-building took several drafts to refine, but the Masu were the foundation for all the other elements.
I tend to discover things in the process of writing, and it was during the drafting of some dialogue in what was then chapter threed that I had Jayden ask, “How did you tame them?” In that moment, I knew what kind of creatures these were, and I had Flint respond, “We didn’t. They tamed us.” It was definitely not part of my original plan, but it just felt so right, and with those two lines of dialogue, my climax became crystal clear.
The dead zones evolved over the course of drafting. They were there from the start, but I encountered logic problems as I went along. At first, I ‘patch-fixed’ them, but that became more and more convoluted and complicated, which is never a good thing. It was during the beta reader stage that I talked to my daughter about the issues I was having, and that conversation opened up the simple, elegant solution that really brought the world alive.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It was really important to me to highlight a more connected way of living with the world, and letting it be our teacher. We tend to prioritise our comfort above all else, but that comes at great cost. So I really wanted to explore the idea of contentment, and what true prosperity and abundance look like.
I also wanted to explore how fear can subconsciously control us, and that it manifests in different ways depending on things like status, childhood trauma, and personality. Exploration of fear responses also naturally led into exploration of trust and betrayal.
The idea of worthiness was an interesting thing that came up in the process of writing. I know a lot of people struggle with thinking they’re not worthy, but I discovered my characters were acting from a belief that they did deserve more, but their worthiness was unrecognised. That seems to me how all revolutions begin.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
There is potential there for a series, but I don’t have any clear plans yet. Right now, I’m switching my focus to a romantic fantasy trilogy. The world-building there also has a great emphasis on connection with the natural world and features a musical magic system.
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Fledgling pilot Jayden is one of the first generation to be born on the newly colonised planet of Osivirius. Now he’s determined to get his family out of ‘Wormsville’, the part of the colony where people are little more than numbers. So when Commander Tun offers a huge reward for finding the location of the rebel base, he jumps at the chance.
Nettle hates everything to do with the colony-especially the military arm-and is fiercely protective of the simple, grounded ways of the rebels. So when she and her brother Flint discover Jayden after he crash-lands, she’s ready to slit his throat without a second thought. But as Flint nurses him back to health, Nettle’s antipathy turns to empathy, and then an unwanted attraction.
Jayden, meanwhile, has made secret plans to escape on a Masu, one of the giant flying cats the rebels ride, but when his chance to escape presents itself, he feels torn. His blood family still need him, but the lure of the valley might just prove stronger.
The connection to nature of Avatar and the dystopian political struggle of The Hunger Games meet in this action-packed and thought-provoking science fantasy novella.
Son of Osivirius
Son of Osivirius is a science fantasy novel set on the lush, dangerous planet of Osivirius, where electromagnetic “dead-zones” and rebellion complicate humanity’s survival. The story follows Jayden, a young pilot who crashes into a rebel stronghold, and Nettle, a fierce and distrustful woman who sees him as a threat. As Jayden struggles to heal and find a way back to his family, he becomes entangled in the rebels’ world of harmony with nature, flying cats called Masu, and a philosophy centered around balance. The narrative alternates between Jayden and Nettle, pulling readers into both perspectives and building a tale of survival, mistrust, slow-burning connection, and the search for peace in a world fractured by exploitation and greed.
I was hooked almost from the first page. The opening crash sequence was tense and immersive, and from there, the story barely let up. What stood out most to me was the vivid world-building. The descriptions of the valley, the rebels’ way of life, and especially the Masu, those awe-inspiring winged felines, gave me that rare feeling of stepping into a completely new world that still felt alive and believable. I loved the contrast between the sterile, suffocating colony and the lush, self-sustaining rebel enclave. It made me think hard about our own world and how we treat the natural environment, but it never felt preachy. Instead, the themes came through naturally in the characters’ choices and conflicts.
My feelings about the characters were complicated, and that made the experience all the richer. Nettle frustrated me at times with her hostility and refusal to soften, yet I understood why she was like that, and I respected her strength. Jayden, on the other hand, walked a tricky line between being sympathetic and being manipulative, and I often found myself both rooting for him and distrusting him. That tension gave the story its bite. There were also moments where I felt the romance threads were a bit predictable, but the emotional undercurrents of family loyalty, grief, and the fear of betrayal kept me engaged.
Son of Osivirius surprised me with its heart. Beneath the adventure and the danger, this is a story about belonging and trust, and how hard it is to let go of fear in order to live freely. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction that balances action with deeper themes, especially fans of Avatar or The Left Hand of Darkness. It’s also a great pick for anyone who wants an adventure with strong characters, a lush setting, and deep ideas.
Pages: 188 | ASIN : B0FMXQ3C85
LITERARY TITAN 