Stormvalor follows a woman and a man competing in a prestigious tournament, one to prove himself, the other to save her kingdom, who feel a spark for each other and end up in the cross hairs of a ruthless assassin. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I’ve always been fascinated with gladiators, and I wanted that to play some kind of role in the series. It seemed perfect to incorporate this tournament to a lost god that would utilize the gladiator concept, while also bringing those three main characters together. Using that stage to set up the book, it also allowed me to express the impact the loss of the seven gods has had on the world and their culture. What was once considered honorable and right has become a hazy gray area for people to climb the social ladder, regardless of the cost. This also plays into the theme of hope and faith in humanity, something I think a lot of people are struggling with these days.

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 knew I needed at least two kingdoms with a rich history, as well as elven kingdoms, but as I plotted the arc of the series, those two kingdoms spread into five, each with a different identity and different goals. I think I drew inspiration from a lot of different sources: the epic and rich customs of Wheel of Time’s countries, the ice cap that’s a lot like the Wall in Game of Thrones (but it doesn’t hold back whitewalkers); the tenuous unity of ACOTAR; the concept of a Lord Ruler from the Mistborn trilogy. But I pulled a bit from our own world cultures as well. Elpisio is a bit like Mecca meets Vatican City. The Surak are loosely based on the nomadic tribes of Mongolia but with their own cultural intricacies. The islands of Pal Ka’iko are inspired by my trips to the Hawaiian islands. Each kingdom has roots that connect with something from our own world, even the elves.

I really tried to pull inspiration from all the books and cultures that have always inspired me, and turned them into a rich, diverse world. As I wrote the first book, each kingdom evolved a little more to give it even more depth. The history of the world and the war grew darker, with greater implications for our main characters as the books progress. Everything in this world slowly evolves as I write, but the roots remain firmly in place.

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

Duty and self preservation versus desire is a big one in Stormvalor. Aethan thought he had his life figured out, but his duty to his family, country, and the five kingdoms is challenged, forcing him to accept hard truths and make difficult choices. Aslyn’s entire purpose in the book is to fulfill her duty to her kingdom to preserve it for the future, but what she wants gets in the way. Blackblade is all about self preservation, but Aslyn cracks his defenses and challenges everything he built his identity around. 

I also wanted to explore the concept of a world without its gods, and how that might affect the people as well as the land. Crops quickly whither and die, livestock is often emaciated or diseased, fish can cause illness, storms come and go suddenly and without predictability, stars have vanished, shadows are deadly, knowledge has twisted, and no one has truly seen a blue sky for centuries. Things aren’t looking good and if something isn’t done soon, it will become catastrophic.

It was also really important to me that all characters, big and small, evolve and learn that doing the right thing, while rarely easy, could be what is best for everyone. It’s a concept that I feel people really need to see play out to restore hope and faith in humanity. Goodness and kindness can persevere even in the worst circumstances.

Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?

Stormvalor releases June 9, 2025. Book two is coming later in the year or early 2026. I don’t really have a firm date for that one yet. I don’t really want to spoil any of the fun by saying too much about the next book, but I will say this. Aslyn and Blackblade explore the imperial city and the imperial palace searching for information about the emperor’s plans, and some of those truths shatter everything they thought they knew about the history of the realm and their own fates. Meanwhile, Aethan seeks to make good on the promise he made Aslyn in the first book, but his path leads to treason and deadly secrets. From book two, everything really begins to ramp up for the remainder of the series. And yes… there will be dragons!

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