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Women Pushing Back
Bound in Flames follows a young woman whose long-buried magic rears its head during a moment of fear and fury as she copes with her particularly brutal life. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
The Savage Hearts series has been taking shape in my head for nearly ten years. I wanted to explore the darker side of an oppressive kingdom, specifically what happens when a single religion is allowed to control politics and power, and how easily that leads to cruelty being justified as righteousness.
I also wanted to flip a familiar fantasy narrative. In this world, humans are the villains, while the “monsters”—the orcs—are largely peaceful, and once lived in harmony with them and their magic before the war. At its core, the series is about resistance, especially women pushing back against systems designed to control and silence them. Each book follows a different FMC who represents a different way of fighting oppression, and despite not being warriors, they continue to stand for what is right.
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?
The setting was actually fairly solid before I ever put pen to paper. A lot of my early thinking focused on how magic would manifest differently for humans and orcs, and how those differences shaped where and how each culture settled.
The Wild Lands became a space where I could fully embrace the raw and untamed side of the magic system, which naturally led to questions about economics, trade, and survival. From there, I sketched a map, planned trade routes, and used the geography itself as a storytelling tool. I’m a complete nerd when it comes to worldbuilding, so figuring out how everything fits together was honestly my favorite part.
From there, it was a matter of working through where I wanted to have this story start. The initial story that I saw in my head is actually 3rd in the series! I had to back it all the way up to tell the important beginnings of this world.
What was the inspiration for Cleo’s traits and dialogue?
I was getting tired of fantasy heroines who are barely out of their teens, always knew the right thing to do, and were somehow always victorious. I wanted to write a story for me, to create a character where readers sit inside Cleo’s fear and uncertainty as her magic spirals beyond her grasp. She’s 26, anxious, and carrying trauma that seeps into everything she does. Her power is unpredictable at times, and every time she reaches for it, she knows she doesn’t have any control over the consequences.
Her sass is also her armor. It’s the shield she uses to hide her anxiety and keep the world at arm’s length. But around Dex, that edge softens, her defenses dull, and she allows herself to be seen. Even terrified, even knowing her future is uncertain, Cleo chooses to stand with the orcs and protect those she loves. I wanted to remind readers that bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s being terrified and choosing to act anyway. Trauma is real, and it’s something I know personally. I wanted to write a character shaped by it, but not defined by it—and to give readers who relate a place to belong.
Where will Book 2 take readers? When can we expect to see it released?
Kneel in the Ashes releases June 1st, 2026, and takes readers deeper into the Wild Lands and deeper into the rot at the heart of the kingdom. When Rowan saves an orc from Ostelan Knights, she’s pulled into the middle of a brewing war, but this time on the opposite side. Trained by the Church of the Silver Hand in her youth to be a weapon, Rowan was meant to become a monster in the name of righteousness, but she ran instead. 11 years later, she’s seeking redemption for the cruelty carried out in the Church’s name, and vengeance for everything they stole from her childhood.
The book expands the world, revealing the motivations of the Ostelan Crown and the Church, and how deeply corruption has poisoned the kingdom. Each installment in the series offers a different female perspective on life under oppressive rule, and how even the smallest action can turn the tide of war.
No masters. No mercy. No surrender. Welcome to the rebellion.
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When Cleo is rescued by Dex, a ruthless orc chieftain of the Blackfoot Clan, she’s thrust into a world ruled by savage loyalty and primal power. For centuries, the humans and orcs have been locked in brutal war after the Ostelan Crown broke the ancient treaties, driving the orcs into hiding. Now, Cleo’s untamed magic is the key to saving the orcs—but it also tempts her with a darkness she may not escape. As her power grows and her bond with Dex deepens, she faces an impossible choice: choose to fulfill the prophecy, sacrificing herself, or surrender to the seductive magic and risk everything to be with the one she loves.
Dex has vowed to protect his people at any cost, even if it means using the woman fate has bound to him. But Cleo’s fire stirs something primal in him—something far more dangerous than war. As tensions rise and the stakes grow higher, Dex must decide whether his duty to his clan outweighs the undeniable pull of his heart.
Bound in Flames
Bound in Flames follows Cleo, a young woman trapped in a brutal life until her long-buried magic erupts in a moment of fear and fury. Her escape pushes her into a violent world shaped by prejudice, power, and ancient conflict, and her path soon crosses with Dex, an orc chieftain who is far more dangerous and far more compelling than she expects. The book blends dark fantasy with intimate character work, vivid trauma, and a slow-burning bond that blossoms amid cruelty, captivity, and war.
I was pulled into Cleo’s pain in a way I didn’t expect. The writing hits hard. The author doesn’t flinch from the ugly parts of Cleo’s life, and that honesty hooked me right away. The scenes of abuse are raw. What kept me going was the spark beneath it all. Cleo’s voice has this stubborn edge that refuses to die, and I found myself rooting for her even in the worst moments. The worldbuilding unfolds through emotion rather than long explanations, and I liked that. It felt natural. It felt lived in. And the moment her magic breaks free felt huge.
The introduction of Dex adds a shift in tone that I didn’t know I needed until it arrived. The banter between them carries a bite. It feels risky and strangely warm at the same time. Dex has this mix of humor, menace, and quiet conviction that drew me in fast. Their chemistry doesn’t rush. It simmers. The writing leans into that slow build, balancing danger with curiosity in a way that made me grin even as the situation around them stayed grim. I liked how the story lets them challenge each other. There is a sense of two people learning their power in a world that wants them crushed. Some moments made me laugh. Some made my chest tighten. The blend felt messy and human and honestly pretty addictive.
I walked away thinking about the bigger ideas running under the story. Power that comes at a cost. Survival in a world built to break you. The strange tenderness that can bloom between two people who have every reason to mistrust each other. The writing doesn’t hide its darkness. It leans right into it. But it also offers hope in these sharp, glowing little shards. I felt that more strongly than I expected. It made the whole experience land with a weight that surprised me.
If you enjoy dark romantic fantasy with emotional depth, brutal stakes, and complicated characters who fight for themselves even when the world tells them not to, this book will hit the spot. Readers who like morally gray heroes, slow-burning tension, trauma-to-power arcs, and a world that feels rich with conflict will get the most out of it. It is intense, bold, and highly recommended.
Pages: 366 | ASIN : B0F16V46X6
LITERARY TITAN 