We chat with author AdriAnne May about Divine Descent, which is the thrilling sequel to Exquisite Ruin, a darkly romantic reimagining of the Minotaur myth, where Sadaré and Daesra are torn apart in the underworld—and new relationships may complicate their way back to one another.
Hi, AdriAnne! Welcome back! How has the past year been since we last spoke for the release of Exquisite Ruin?
Hi, and thank you so much for having me back! This past year has been very busy, with the launch of Exquisite Ruin, my adult debut, followed five months later by the launch of my latest YA fantasy, Lady Dragon—my first year with two books releasing! It feels like I’ve barely gotten a breather before Divine Descent’s release (the sequel to Exquisite Ruin), but that’s a fun problem to have.
Divine Descent is the second installment in your Labyrinth series and it’s out March 31st! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
I’ll go with all Ds in honor of the alliterative title: dark, deadly, dominance, desperation, desire.
For those who haven’t picked up Exquisite Ruin, what can readers expect?
Exquisite Ruin and Divine Descent are both loosely inspired by the Greek myth of the Minotaur and Dionysus/Ariadne. Sadaré is my version of Ariadne, a sorceress who wakes up in a maze with no memory and only an immortal demon, Daesra, for company. The problem is, he hates her for reasons she can’t remember, and yet the two must work together to make it out of the maze alive. Which mythical figures inspired Daesra, the MMC, changes throughout the course of the story, but first he’s mostly a Theseus-type figure. It’s a true enemies-to-lovers romance arc, with lots of action and kinky spice, plus a mysterious maze that’s also a character in an of itself. Oh, and a chimera sidekick that’s basically a pug. (Shoutout to Pogli!)
And for those who have, what’s to come in Divine Descent?
In keeping with the sequence of the original myth, the sequel brings us to the underworld after the first book took us through the maze. I don’t want to say much more than that for fear of spoilers, but you can expect more dark romance, fantasy action, and kinky spice … plus a new POV character who really tries to come between Sadaré and Daesra. He might also be the god of death.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
I really enjoyed writing Isha, the god of death. Trying to make him relatable and give him vulnerabilities while he’s not only the villain of the story but also an incredibly powerful god was a fun character exercise. I hope people like him more than they hate him—or at least love to hate him!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?
This was my most challenging book yet, mostly because it sold based on a paragraph. The paragraph sounded good, but when it came to actually translating that into an entire book, it was quite difficult! Our two main protagonists/love interests are separated, so I had to maintain both a connection between them as well as tension within their separate arcs, and to create another dark romance plot outside of theirs without completely destroying that connection. Also, it was my first time writing 3 POVs. I overcame these challenges (I hope) by doing a lot—and I mean a lot—of advanced structuring and plotting. No pantsing to be seen here.
This is your sixth novel! What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a writer and about the publishing world since your debut?
As far as writing goes, I’ve learned that plotting vs. pantsing really saves time and creative energy, at least for me (your mileage may vary!). As for publishing, I’ve learned that you really can’t tell which project will be successful or not, and there’s not much you can do as the author to move the needle yourself other than to write the best book you can and hope for the best.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on more adult romantic fantasy projects that I can’t talk about yet!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m *really* looking forward to All Hail Chaos (out May 12th), the sequel to Sarah Rees Brennan’s Long Live Evil, an uproarious and yet heart-wrenching portal fantasy that was so much fun and endlessly surprising. That twist at the end … ! I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
