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The Presence of Magic
The Heart Scarab examines the fates of warriors, mystics, and serpents who are navigating a landscape that has been altered by mining, politics, and tribal magic. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
THE HEART SCARAB is Book 2 of the second series, so there are many strands of plotlines. The writer assumes that a reader who made it this far into the story is invested in the characters and ready to see them triumph.
Mostly, my stories are about the women, but this setup offers two men to carry the plot. Rufus el Arrivi has been present in all the previous books. Now, as a grown man with children, he decides to run for the office of khalif in open elections in a duchy where refugees called Rundi are allowed citizenship.
Meanwhile, Stuben works with Rufus as police in Urbyd and witnesses some difficult moments for the refugees. He breaks with Rufus and goes on an adventure with Obye, who is laboring to recover some Rundi who are abused at a stone quarry.
My inspiration comes from a love of the characters and my own questions about how their lives shape – sometimes as much of a surprise to me as to you.
Were there any characters that you especially enjoyed writing for?
Kore is 14 now and has inherited the treasure of Rularim. She attends a wedding in Utica, traveling with Rufus and her half-brother Karisma. Always willful, she gets into plenty of trouble.
Bybiis, the beastmaster, has worked through some of her problems with finding a place among the tribes, following her own destiny for working with sea serpents. She has met Aresur, who has some skills with magic and takes the banner for countering Ulaya, who wants Bybiis dead. I had fun with Aresur and her sideways attitudes about how to handle a difficult boss. She manages to
undercut Ulaya at every turn.
How did you balance magic and its use throughout the story to keep it believable?
Ah, magic…Hedge magic belongs to Aresur – charms and hexes – and Bybiis has many tattooed skin wards. The serpent pouches are based on a real occurrence in our world where sharks make pouches out of seaweed fronds as an incubator for living newborns. Bybiis has harvested a clutch of serpent pouches made the same way. When a holder stares into the hole drilled through the brain of the dead serpent fetus, she may connect with the holder of a similar pouch. I like it! Mostly, though, I wanted the presence of magic in their everyday lives, and several characters don’t believe in its power over them.
Can you give us a peek into the next book in this series? Where will it take readers?
THE IRON SNAKE is about resistance to a larger country tangent to the duchies and sending assassins to take or kill the children in order to weaken leaders. We follow Rufus again and Stuben, who grows into his leadership roles. Kore becomes a young woman – vulnerable to abduction, in fact – who becomes an opponent to Ulaya (and more) and her scheming ways. I keep setting obstacles in the paths of primary characters and fashioning a plot where they must work together to get ahead.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Meanwhile, Stuben el Cylahi has taken a position as police in the duchy capital of Urbyd where he butts heads with his boss Rufus el Arrivi. Stuben realizes that he also must strike out on his own and joins a group of Rundi who are on mission to recover some quarry slaves. His witness of coming events makes him wish that he had remained nearby Rufus. Can Stuben regain his tribal status?
The Heart Scarab: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel
The Heart Scarab is a sprawling and layered fantasy tale set in the richly imagined world of the Duchy Wars. The story weaves together the fates of warriors, mystics, and serpents in a landscape scarred by mining, politics, and old tribal magic. Atrium introduces us to Bybiis, Raykiim, Ulaya, and a cast of many others who grapple with serpents both literal and symbolic. At the center are the mysterious serpent pouches, objects of power and danger that drive much of the conflict. The novel is both an adventure and a meditation on power, sacrifice, and what it means to serve something larger than yourself.
The prose is often strange and textured, with voices that shift from tribal chants to raw dialogue. At first, it made me stumble, but then I leaned into it and realized that Atrium wanted me to feel disoriented, just as her characters are when they confront forces beyond their control. I admired the guts it takes to write like that. Some sections flowed like a river, pulling me along without effort. Others were jagged, forcing me to slow down, reread, and sit with the unease. I liked that tension.
I kept coming back to the characters. Bybiis is wounded and stubborn, scarred inside and out, but she burns with an energy that made me root for her even when she drove me crazy. Raykiim had this mix of charm and darkness that made me wonder how much of him was his own and how much came from those serpent pouches he guarded. And Ulaya, chasing her twisted experiments, was chilling in her certainty. What hooked me most was the sense that everyone here carried scars, literal or otherwise, and the story kept asking whether scars make us stronger or just remind us of what we’ve lost. The emotional weight of that question stayed with me.
The Heart Scarab isn’t an easy read, and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. It’s for readers who enjoy being challenged, who like complex worlds with no hand-holding, and who don’t mind wandering through passages that feel more like songs or riddles than straightforward narrative. If you want to be immersed in a world that feels alive, harsh, and unpredictable, with writing that pushes you out of your comfort zone, then The Heart Scarab is worth your time.
Pages: 539 | ASIN : B0FLF6ZHN1
Courage and Perseverance
The Matrix Opal follows a beastmaster who has escaped brutal imprisonment, whose talents make her a target, leaving her to struggle to find a place among the tribes of her world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have a great heart for Bybiis, gifted and isolated. People in groups fear what they don’t understand. Rather than getting to know her abilities, some are trying to silence her. After her rescue, Bybiis seeks a mentor to grow her talents, but the books on magic are destroyed, and the few remaining gifted people are in hiding.
Many readers may be trying out new ideas without guidance, the impetus for innovation. We need courage and perseverance. Bybiis feels isolated and misunderstood, unable to forge an identity that works in public. I feel that readers will relate to her struggles, trying to match their strengths and fresh ideas with a place in the community where they are valued.
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?
You ask good questions. Characters return to specific locations in the story. I feel we learn by traveling, mostly about ourselves in comparison to other cultures. On Dolvia, the tribes easily mix, and tolerance is needed for odd customs. The groups are not militant until an outside force causes enough harm that the duchies band together and form a militia in defense.
For protection the gifted clutch are gathered at Greensboro beach, nominally charged with dredging the area for construction of a port. I liked the setting of a rocky beach below basalt cliffs. I spent days staring at images of basalt formations in Australia and Ireland.
The primary characters are diverse women from various tribes. My mission was to fill up the scenes with action and confrontation, with stuff happening in the background too. In each scene, the plot advances for two or more characters. I have lots of characters in my head.
This book has some amazing creatures. What was your favorite character to create and write for?
The sigpywa are fun, aren’t they? Overgrown centipedes with horns on each side of the many plates. They are as big as a bus and accept riders on their backs. Residents of one city paint them and add streamers on the horns, much like elephants are painted for parades in India. And sigpywa love water, always trying to go for a swim in the pond.
When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Book 2 of The Duchy Wars is titled THE HEART SCARAB and may come out before the year-end holidays in 2025. We’ll see.
Young characters are growing into adult roles, such as Kore who is an unloved girl who inherits the treasure of Rularim and must accept some formal duties as a result. The voice of Stuben also emerges as one to follow when he confronts his tribal leader Rufus el Arrivi. Stuben’s voice is strong in all the remaining sequences.
There’s a teaser for you. LOL
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Amazon
Ariseng knew that she was expendable, but she would leave the stone forest and embrace their mission only if the Matrix Opal was hers, for magic and protection. She didn’t know that her true enemy lived among her new friends.
This standalone science fiction novel presents a fresh protagonist and sidekick. Familiar characters from the previous 5-book series also grow into adult roles, such as Bybiis the Beastmaster who struggles to find her place among the tribes that populate Dolvia’s city-states. Kristos el Arrivi meets Ariseng who is from a very different tribe and unwilling to harness her skills for the resistance. Will the young leaders learn to work together before their training is overwhelmed by a Ciska assassin group?
The Matrix Opal: A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel
Stella Atrium’s The Matrix Opal, the first entry in The Duchy Wars series, is a sweeping, character-driven dystopian science fiction novel steeped in tribal politics, cultural legacy, and the struggle for identity and power. At the story’s heart is Bybiis, a beastmaster whose talents have made her a target in a volatile landscape of duchies, magic, and militarism. Her brutal imprisonment and eventual escape catalyze a layered tale of resistance, recovery, and reckoning, with a sprawling cast of warriors, mystics, and manipulators orbiting her journey. The novel weaves perspectives from various narrators and even animals, creating a chorus of voices that echo across deserts, forests, and stone cities.
What struck me first—and stayed with me—was the vivid, tactile writing. Atrium doesn’t shy away from discomfort. The scene of Bybiis’ public display, when she’s stripped and revealed to be covered in intricate, painful tattoos, is both horrifying and mesmerizing. It’s raw and unflinching. I found myself wincing, but I couldn’t look away. It reminded me why speculative fiction matters: to mirror, stretch, and expose real-world cruelty under the guise of the fantastic. Atrium’s prose, at times poetic—like the whispered verses that open Part One—flows easily into guttural pain and sharp political commentary. It’s a jarring but effective blend.
I was also drawn to Ariseng, a young girl from the whispering people, whose intelligence and defiance steal the show. Her ritual scene with the matrix opal is spellbinding. She is forced to reveal her back, tattooed with ward-imbued newts, and when the opal flares against her skin, it’s a spiritual moment turned performance—both mystical and sad. I admired her sharp tongue and sharper mind. There’s something powerful about watching a scrawny, wild-haired teen go toe-to-toe with seasoned warriors and win their respect.
Still, the book isn’t all blood and fire. There’s heart here, too. Kelly, a pregnant poet and friend to Bybiis, anchors the emotional thread with her unwavering loyalty. The pacing sometimes lagged with dense dialogue or too many side characters, but I appreciated the attempt to build an entire world—with politics, language quirks, and social codes that felt lived in. The glossary at the end was a lifesaver. This isn’t a book that hands everything to you; you earn it, slowly, like learning to walk a new land in borrowed boots.
The Matrix Opal is a bold, weird, and fiercely original novel. It’s not for the faint of heart or the impatient reader. But if you crave complex women, layered politics, and prose that hums with tension and poetry, this book will grip you. I’d recommend it to fans of The Broken Earth trilogy, or anyone tired of predictable sci-fi fare.
Pages: 510 | ASIN : B0F3PQDH8D
Paranormal Gifts
Utcan’s Talisman follows a woman helping her friend escape a manipulative ruler trying to exploit his healing abilities who winds up in a small fishing village where they rekindle past connections and make new allies. What was your inspiration for the wild journey you take readers on in this novel?
I’m glad that you see Bybiis the scholar as the protagonist. She’s the narrator of two sections of the book (with five sections). Bybiis had no tutor or role model for how to develop her paranormal gifts. Trial and error can be painful and doesn’t expand her potential, plus she’s resentful that others are indifferent to her need to serve her growing powers.
This theme resonates with isolated gifted persons — like artists or athletes — who are not in step with siblings or school friends, and who must leave the family situation to explore a higher calling. The struggle is extra difficult for a woman with no family and discounted by the powers that be.
One inspiration was from Gene Wolfe’s Executioner series where the protagonist was an executioner! The reader saw him as a whole person with flaws and hopes and setbacks and betraying his friends even.
The twist I added is that Bybiis is female and not able to trade on her looks. Male readers often read past the story action for the women, waiting for a hero to make his entrance. Only Bybiis can save Bybiis.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think makes for great fiction?
Wow, the human condition. A broad question. I can give a broad answer, I suppose. Science fiction stories are often about a hero who solves a problem that sets a specific situation right and protects the innocent. He wins the day!
My worldview was more about a community of people who need the skills of the group to succeed. People of the same tradition may not like each other, but over the decades, they discover the rewards of working together into progress for the nation or city-state, or duchy. Leaders are often just men or women who are thrust into positions that demand character and integrity – like Zelensky in Ukraine. Those who lack the needed moral fiber find other routes to political rewards.
What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
Count the cost. It’s about the story, not about being famous. I teach young writers in online courses. I’m always amazed when they talk about a publishing career and what celebrity will play the book’s hero in the movie.
Writing has many stages, and the first few can seem overwhelming for how time-consuming and reiterative is the process. Can you devote the hours to developing a distinctive writer’s style and a plot that’s fresh and compelling?
I’ve seen many writers with talent drop out. Even though they may have control of language and a strong narrative voice, they may not have found a life-long theme to pursue. What do you want the world to know? Not about you the writer, but about the human condition, that’s so compelling that you devote your life to exploring the dynamics of the struggle?
For me, it was presenting multi-dimensional female characters. What is your essential need to write?
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
You ask good questions. Book 6 is titled THE MATRIX OPAL and may come out in 2025. The writer’s style takes a turn in that narrators are multiple and not restricted to one section. I figure that if the reader has made it to Book 6, then she knows the characters. So we can mix it up for character voices and POV.
Bybiis is joined by more young gifted characters. A powerful enemy emerges with child kidnappings and assassinations. The demands to grow paranormal powers are more than how to live well. The gifted group must put their skills into service for strengthening group defenses.
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Bybiis el Putuki and her friend Opin the healer must navigate the demands of the khalif in Utica who would turn Opin’s gift to serve him. Jesse Hartley and Hershel Henry find each other, but each is very changed from recent events. Can they reawaken the currents of feeling between them?
When Bybiis is able to force a release from the khalif’s control, she and Opin land at a small fishing village from where Mrs. Shaw is exploring the ruins of a lost city. Jesse Hartley joins them, but the conflicts that grew in Utica get more intense. Jesse is distracted when Hershel Henry invites her to rejoin her father the Consortium General at the rainbow bridge construction site.
Utcan’s Talisman
Utcan’s Talisman by Stella Atrium, the fifth installment in the Tribal Wars series, immerses readers in the adventurous journey of Bybiis el Putuki, a young woman entangled in daring exploits and complex political intrigues. Alongside her friend Opin, Bybiis faces the formidable challenge of resisting the manipulative intentions of the Khalif, who seeks to exploit Opin’s healing abilities for his own gain. Their escape leads them to a quaint fishing village, where they encounter new allies and reunite with Jesse Hartley. As Jesse and Hershel Henry attempt to rekindle their past connection, they must navigate the changes that time has wrought. Meanwhile, the escalating tension and peril in Utica force its inhabitants to defend their lives, even if it means defying their leaders.
Through Bybiis’s experiences, readers are drawn into Utica’s rich history and culture. Bybiis emerges as a compelling protagonist—resourceful, courageous, and unwavering in her loyalty. Her internal struggles with identity and belonging add depth to her character. The world-building in this novel is exceptional, painting a vivid picture of Utica as a city that is both familiar and otherworldly, with intricate details that enhance its allure. Atrium skillfully intertwines themes of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of knowledge as Bybiis navigates her place in the world and uncovers hidden truths. The plot is dynamic, filled with unexpected twists that keep readers thoroughly engaged. Despite the large cast of characters, each is relatable, though some may find the abrupt introductions challenging to follow. The novel’s exploration of the tension between tradition and progress is both thought-provoking and relevant, offering insights that resonate with contemporary issues. The book’s complexity can be daunting, especially at the outset, where the storyline takes time to unfold.
Utcan’s Talisman offers a rich, engaging narrative that will captivate fans of the series. Readers will be drawn into the rich world the author has created and find themselves deeply immersed in the story as it unfolds waiting to see where the characters’ paths take them next.
Pages: 416 | ASIN : B0D98LQ75B
Political Turmoil
Tribal Logic follows a group of people who find themselves struggling to survive in a world plagued by political turmoil and shifting loyalties. Could you please share what inspired the initial idea for this series and how it evolved as you were writing it?
Well, um…that’s a big question. I’ve been writing the series for over three decades. And maybe I learned how to write! The situations and characters get better with each book.
Political turmoil is a big theme in the series. In the previous book HOME RULE, the tribes gain a new leader and feel that they are united. With TRIBAL LOGIC, we expand the worldview to include a military coup at Stargate Junction and a rescue mission into the asteroid field.
I like to think that the action reflects moments in our own world, like when the cosmonauts were in space for over a year and returned to find a dismantled Soviet Union.
For evolving themes, we added more magic into TRIBAL LOGIC. Characters begin to meet others from an elusive tribe with skills in making wards, charms, scripts, and hexes – mostly to defend themselves. One new character is a young healer named Opin who can lay-on-hands for relief from a bleeding wound. I researched Indian and Middle Eastern traditions of healing and learned a great deal about our larger world too.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?
I see TRIBAL LOGIC as a pair to the next book UTCAN’S TALISMAN that will be released in August 2024. The story arch is satisfied over the two books. There are many characters, but we mostly follow the urge to connect between Jesse Hartley and Hershel Henry. Jesse is a flawed character – high-handed and a poor negotiator. We love to hate her and wonder how she will make a place for herself.
Dr. Greensboro is a primary character still, married to General Shaw. Her research has led her to a remote fishing village called Sergiio, but events bring the world to her door.
My principle is to show women in more roles than newlyweds or evil queens. I keep exploring how relations operate over time and how women make choices to keep the marriage fresh and manage the decades for child raising. The stories tend to stretch out rather than being satisfied with winning the day.
What was one of the hardest parts of Tribal Logic for you to write?
Each book section has its own narrator, so we see the world through the eyes of Jesse Hartley, then Dr. Greensboro, then Hershel Henry, then Bybiis el Putuki. Developing the individual voices so each section is personal and conversational with a specific point-of-view can be a challenge – and a reward.
After spending a hundred pages with Henry’s voice, we are jolted to encounter Bybiis’s view of him as a feckless philanderer, for example.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
UTCAN’S TALISMAN is Book Five in the series and slated for release in August 2024. Utcan is from the tribe with magic. His talisman is modeled after a found-in-nature “mermaid’s purse” that’s actually a folded seaweed frond where a shark has inserted a fetus for extra incubation. For sci-fi, I was able to embellish that idea to a talisman where the holder can peer through a hole in the head of a dead serpent and talk with another holder. Ha, ha…I love magic.
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A change in leadership on Stargate Junction makes all characters question how the future will shape. How to survive the shifting loyalties among the city-states? Will my home even be there when I return?
While on a deep space rescue mission, Hershel Henry misses karsci on Dolvia the Abydian khalif steps down. Within the turmoil, will Henry connect with Jesse Hartley, or is that romance lost forever?
Tribal Logic: Book Four of The Tribal Wars
In Tribal Logic, set in Dolvia, readers are reintroduced to the persevering Brianna Miller, who remains in captivity. Her friends, determined and unwavering, strive tirelessly for her release. Brianna’s courage and resilience have made her a symbol of strength among the other women. This time, the narrative spotlights Jesse Hartley, who emerges as a central figure skillfully navigating the tumultuous political landscape of their world. The stakes are higher than ever, with Jesse appearing as a potential savior in this intricate situation.
The book also delicately explores the evolving relationship between Jesse and Hershel Henry. Despite their shared goal of liberating the captives from the clutches of an oppressive company, their personal paths have significantly diverged, casting doubt on the future of their romance. As a reader who thoroughly enjoyed the third book in the series last year, I approached this with high expectations, which were fortunately met. For those familiar with the series Tribal Wars, this is the first book in a new trilogy that is part of the series. It does not disappoint readers with its exciting adventure and political intrigue. Newcomers to the series are encouraged to start from the beginning to fully appreciate the depth and evolution of the narrative. One of the book’s strengths lies in its character development, particularly in showcasing a female protagonist in a leading role. The story unfolds at a suspenseful pace, keeping readers eager to discover the characters’ fates. The novel’s rich tapestry of characters and its intricate plot add depth to the narrative, making it more engaging. While navigating through the large ensemble of characters may require some initial effort, the payoff is in the form of compelling dialogues and well-crafted individual character arcs that enrich the reading experience.
Tribal Logic: Book Four of The Tribal Wars is a captivating science fiction novel that takes readers on a thrilling adventure filled with complex character dynamics and political intrigue. This book is an excellent choice for anyone who loves well-crafted stories that blend action, suspense, and thought-provoking themes. With its engaging plot, relatable characters, and well-paced narrative, Tribal Logic is a must-read for any science fiction fan looking for an exciting and intelligent read.
Pages: 419 | ASIN : B0CW3VGXPM
LITERARY TITAN 