The Dryad’s Crown follows an orphaned wood nymph raised in a corrupt city and trained to be an assassin who finds a way to escape her violent past, only to be pulled back by a tragic death and seek revenge. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

As a kid, I loved epic fantasy, and I loved superhero stories. I was a huge Marvel Comics nerd. Still am! Originally, The Dryad’s Crown came to me from the perspective of the husband and him discovering that his wife had this whole past and an alter ego. She had these amazing powers. But as I was thinking about it, I decided to tell the story from the perspective of the wife and daughter. Yes, there’s still the alter ego aspect, but it became a larger story about self-discovery and healing. As a novelist, I can make my canvas as large as I want it to be. So, I became interested in telling a massive multi-generational saga about the fey and the gods living among us.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?

I spent about a year working on just the setting before I started writing the story. I wanted to create a fantasy world that felt immediately recognizable and required little explanation. Like Middle Earth, Westeros, the Continent, or the Six Duchies, the continent of Amon in Efre Ousel is all vaguely medieval and vaguely European. I’m not inventing anything new. Efre Ousel is a medieval world. Few of the comforts we associate with a more modern age exist. Nobles from coastal cities would have access to books, finer clothes, spices, and herbal medicine, but it’s an extravagance not available to everyone. No printing presses—only patient scribes with a quill and an inkpot. To me, it. came down to one guiding statement: “There are more secrets, wonders, and mysteries contained within these four continents and the seas between them than could be explored in several lifetimes.” I wanted a setting where I would never run out of stories to tell.

The goal was then to share rich details and nuance from the setting over the course of the first novel, to explore the history, mythology, and cosmology of this place. I wanted to delight readers with all the unique customs, common phrases, and distinctive art. My favorite part about a fantasy setting is when it has a “lived-in” quality. Not something that was invented, but explored. I can turn any corner, and I know there will be something there.

The setting didn’t change as I was writing. It was already fairly locked in. It just expanded as our characters traveled out from their home.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

In The Dryad’s Crown, I wrote about family, self-discovery, healing, mercy, love, and much more. But as I understand theme, I think it’s the reader’s responsibility to decide what the themes are, i.e., what is being said about those subjects. You don’t want the author making declarations about such things, but they’re usually wrong. Maybe The Dryad’s Crown isn’t saying anything? I hope it is, but I’ll leave it to the reader. I will say this: Maricel’s story arc is one of my favorites, moving from being fairly helpless to quite capable and self-reliant. I think there’s something there. I also love Timon’s story. He’s a priest who hid away in his temple, and by the end, he understands his true calling. If you’re looking for themes, I think the “minor characters” also have a lot to say.

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

The next book, War of the Hounds, is a novella interlude that tells the story of Bren Caius during the war. It’s based on Shakespeare’s Henry V. War of the Hounds is already published and available. People can download the ebook for free from my website. (Link below.) However, I’m currently writing the second novel in the main series. The Summer Sword should be available next year.

I gave some hints toward the end of The Dryad’s Crown about where the story was going. We find out about a promise made between a god and the Fey Court. That will have some repercussions. We also learn more about Mendal Caius and his ambitions. In The Summer Sword, we lose some important people. New characters are introduced, but don’t expect everyone to make it to the end. The Dryad’s Crown is fairly self-contained as a story. But once you get into The Summer Sword, we’re cutting the brake lines and going full speed. Jump out at your own risk!

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