We chat with author Elizabeth Agyemang about Divine Oaths, which is a thrilling dark academia novel following a new student fueled by questions about her prestigious university and the haunting answers she uncovers as her heart pulls her in two different, dangerous directions.
Hi, Elizabeth! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, The Nerd Daily! Thanks so much for having me. Way to start with an existential question. To describe myself briefly, I’m a writer and illustrator, and the author of several books including the young adult mystery-thriller Heart-shaped Lies, and the graphic novels Fibbed and A Beginner’s Guide to Leveling Up, both of which I also illustrated.
When I’m not gushing over books or comics, I like to spend my free time dissecting classic movies and TV shows. My debut adult novel, Divine Oaths, just published and it’s a dark academia romantic fantasy that I’m so excited to share more about!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I practically grew up in the library, so from an early age I always had my nose in a book. I would read everything from fantasy to historical romances, to manga and paranormal books. I loved folktales and myths, and above all, love stories that were filled with yearning and heartache.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
- The one that made you want to become an author: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. I literally would read anything by her and her work played such an important role in my early love of fantasy books!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Your debut novel, Divine Oaths, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Atmospheric. Angsty. Magical. Alluring. Romantic.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to be swept away into the ominous and magical world that is Westfield University. They’ll be plenty of yearning, magical secret societies, anti-heroes, betrayals, genre blending, and twists and turns.
Where did the inspiration for Divine Oaths come from?
The first scene I ever wrote for Divine Oaths was inspired by the Romeo and Juliet quote “Thus with a kiss I die”. That scene became chapter four in the book, and it really sparked the story that would become Divine Oaths. I wanted to write a love story about these two tragic characters. As I got to know the characters, their story and where the book would be set in, the narrative came to life. I knew they both attended a university and that they were tied together by a curse. So, the story then became about understanding the history of the school and the threads of fate that kept drawing these two characters together—even as circumstances pulled them apart.
Those two characters became Sianna and Kasem, the main characters of Divine Oaths, and that university evolved into Westfield University, an institution in Virginia’s swamplands where the story takes place.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed writing about Westfield, researching Virginia history, and creating the secret societies that exist in the university. I love writing stories where the setting feels like a character, so getting to create this magical and eerie location was both challenging and rewarding. I also loved writing the romantic elements in the story and finding moments for the characters to navigate their growing feelings for each other even as the world was crumbling.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge was weaving in the mystery elements of the book. There are two main mysteries in the story: the mystery about the curse and how to break it and another mystery that unfolds early on in the book. Having to weave together those threads to make them feel like a propulsive undercurrent of the overarching narrative was challenging. It was really rewarding though in the end, and I think I overcame it by letting the characters guide how the mysteries unfold so that the beginning of the story ties closely to the ending. It also helped that in my young adult debut, Heart-shaped Lies, the main story is a mystery so I learned a lot about set pieces and the craft of writing in that space.
This is your debut adult novel! Can you share any insight into how your approach changed from writing for YA to adult?
One main difference in my approach had a lot to do with the fact that Divine Oaths is my first fantasy, whereas my YA was strictly a contemporary mystery-thriller. I’ve always written in the speculative space though, so I really enjoyed getting to world build and create this dark academia, paranormal romance while still being able to incorporate the kinds of fast pace twists and turns that I really enjoy when it comes to writing YA. The characters in Divine Oaths are also in their early twenties (though my main character Sianna is 19 when the story begins), so there’s a different sort of independence that comes with writing from this “new adult” perspective.
What’s next for you?
Well, I have another adult fantasy coming up. This one is about a witch and a witch hunter who are forced to fake an engagement to infiltrate a hotel with dark secrets. If you haven’t noticed, I love writing about places where the setting holds secrets of its own.
Before that, I’m back in the kids’ space and wrote and illustrated another middle grade graphic novel that comes out September 22. It’s called A Beginner’s Guide to Leveling Up and I would describe it as Coco and Kingdom Hearts meets Tron. It follows a young girl navigating loss and new friendships—all while having to face a video game that’s taken over her middle school.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I’m so looking forward to Wicked Endeavors by Kamilah Cole, which is described as a high-stakes romantasy about an elite society of witches and a vengeful teen who will do anything to destroy them. Sign me up! I’m so excited for Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray, Storm Breaker by Nisha J. Tuli, The Free Verse Society by Delali Adjoa, and If I Could Go Back by Briana Johnson. On the adult side, some books I loved so far this year are An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole, The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, and The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes, and I’m excited for Elysium by N.E. Davenport.
