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A Man Driven By Greed
The Kingdom Thief follows Princess Sitnalta as she races to undo a thief’s reality-warping wish, becoming the lone keeper of the truth in a world that no longer remembers who she really is. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The Sitnalta Series finds itself focusing a lot on this coin- its origin, its powers, and the power of wishes. Through the first book, with Sitnalta’s relationship with the troll, Najort, we look into the consequences of wishes done with the right motivation, and by good people. For the sequel, I wanted to look at the reverse. Wilhelm is not Najort. He is not Sitnalta. He is a man driven by greed, and what would that look like, if he were to acquire the coin and make a wish.
Sitnalta and Navor’s relationship holds so much emotional weight. How did you approach balancing romance with the fast-paced plot?
For someone their age, the idea of a budding romance can be what drives a person. In a way, it is the plot. Navor wants to help Sitnalta, and Sitnalta wants her home back. This should be in balance with what is happening outside of their little bubble. For them at least, their feelings are just as important as magic, and politics, and stopping the mad man who has stolen a kingdom. When you look at the world through the lens of two young people and their feelings, one thing is never more important than the other. As a parent of teenagers, I’m surrounded by that on a daily basis, and that was my approach.
If you could expand one section of the story, give readers more time in any particular place or emotional moment, what would it be and why?
I would love to spend a lot more time in Navor’s head. He has a lot on his plate right now. Writing his dreams, his fears, and his hope for the future was a lot of fun, and I would love to have done a lot more of that.
What can readers expect in book three of the Sitnalta Series?
Oh, without giving too much away, I can say that we have tragedy, a very different type of romance, and so many questions about the past get answered. In a way, this is almost a prequel, but still very much Book Three. Sitnalta would not have been ready for these answers before now. I hope that wasn’t too cryptic.
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Princess Sitnalta has been living happily ever after with Queen Aud and King Gerald as her adoptive parents, enjoying the peace in her world. Her growing friendship with the mysterious Prince Navor leads her on a journey to visit his island kingdom. While there she receives the horrible news that her kingdom has been conquered and cruel King Wilhelm is responsible.
With King Gerald and Queen Aud imprisoned, Prince Navor and a secretive network of spies as her only allies, Princess Sitnalta feels lost and adrift. Nothing about Colonodona’s takeover seems right, and Sitnalta suspects magic may be to blame.
Far from home and unsure of whom to trust, Sitnalta must find a way to save her kingdom, and return her beloved Aud and Gerald to their rightful thrones.
The Kingdom Thief
The Kingdom Thief kicks off in a fantasy world. Princess Sitnalta is happy with her adopted parents, King Gerald and Queen Aud. She has a blossoming friendship, maybe more, with Prince Navor. But then a thief named Wilhelm gets his hands on a magical wish-granting coin. He rewrites reality itself. Suddenly, Wilhelm is king, Sitnalta’s parents are traitors in a dungeon, and she’s a fugitive. The catch is, Sitnalta is the only one who remembers the “real” world. She has to figure out how to fix a history that nobody else knows is broken.
I found this central idea really compelling. It’s a fantastic hook. The “gaslighting-by-magic” concept, where the hero’s entire reality is upended, creates immediate, high-stakes tension. I was completely on board. The writing itself gets the job done. It is clear, and it is direct. It moves the plot forward at a really fast clip. Sometimes, I will admit, it moved almost too fast. I felt the story leaped from one major plot point to the next. It was a whirlwind of a ball, a boat trip, and a new reality all in just a few chapters.
When Sitnalta discovers her world is a lie, I was devastated for her. The connection between Navor and Najort (the troll he is a reincarnation of) was a genuine surprise. I thought that was a brilliant twist. It added a new layer of tragedy and sacrifice to the story. I just wish I’d had more time to explore what that felt like for both him and Sitnalta. Their romance, which I was rooting for, was a really bright spot in the story, and it made total sense that their connection would grow so strong given the magical problems they had to solve together.
I really enjoyed the book’s finale. This book is a lot of fun. It is packed with creative ideas, big twists, and a classic good-versus-evil fight. I would absolutely recommend this for a younger YA reader, or really, for anyone looking for a quick, imaginative fantasy adventure. It’s the kind of book you can read in a weekend and just have a good time with.
Pages: 227 | ASIN: B0G1VTB3C3
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