Only those from the most powerful magical families can attend Blackwater Academy, but new student Alka has them fooled. Now it’s time to take down the oppressive wizard ruling class from the inside…
We chat with Andrew all about his latest novel, It Ends In Fire, along with book recommendations, writing, and more!
Hi, Andrew! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hmmm, let’s see! I was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the US when I was 4. I grew up in San Jose, California, went to college at Vassar in New York, and then moved back to Silicon Valley where I got a job in game writing. I’ve worked in games for the past 12 years as a writer, designer, and team lead, working on games like Choices, High School Story, and Cause of Death. And I also write YA fantasy. That’s also a thing I do!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
- The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
- The Stand by Stephen King
- Red Rising by Pierce Brown
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Honestly, I’ve always had it. I was very sick as a child, so I lost myself in books, in fantasies and grand adventures. For as long as I can remember, I’ve known I want to be a storyteller.
Your latest novel, It Ends in Fire, is out July 6th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Queer teens burn down Hogwarts
What can readers expect?
Stolen identities! Forbidden romance! Blade-based magic! Magic! Murder! So… much… murder!
Where did the inspiration for It Ends in Fire come from?
My process involves having a zillion ideas whirling around in my head at all times, and then a Eureka! moment where I realize how to connect a few of the. I’ve wanted for a long time to write a story about an impostor in a magic school, someone cheating their way through on a stolen identity. But I didn’t have an actual story to go with this idea until I was rambling to a friend about my gripes with the Sorting Hat, and how I think the only explanation for a system like that is if the school is explicitly trying to cultivate division and heirarcy, if the sorting is meant to engender conflict. And as I said that, a lightbulb went off over my head as I connected these two ideas, and IT ENDS IN FIRE was born.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Every time I draft a book, I hit a point at about the 75% mark where it all falls apart, and with this book, it really fell apart. I had a huge crisis of plotting and structure that I had to massively rewrite to fix, and then after finishing it, realized that my original iteration had actually been stronger, so I had to rewrite the rewrite all over again. It was… not fun.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
The plot of IT ENDS IN FIRE revolves around three school-wide challenges that Alka has to overcome, and with each, she’s only able to do it through trickery, cunning, and deceit. All three of those scenes were incredibly fun to write, because I love a moment where an underdog turns the tables on the powerful, when someone pulls off the impossible to the shock of everyone rooted against her.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best advice I’ve ever received was not to retreat behind familiar tropes whenever a story began to get personal, to allow myself to push deeper and get realer. The worst? Probably worrying about adverbs. “Adverbs are fine,” he said smugly.
What’s next for you?
Something… very new. And different. Something I’m very excited about.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Let’s see… a few favorites…
- What We Devour by Linsey Miller
- Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
- There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
- The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Shvarts is the author of the Royal Bastards trilogy. He has a BA in English Literature and Russian from Vassar College. He works for Pixelberry Studios, making mobile games like High School Story, Choices, and more. Andrew lives in San Jose, California, with his wife, son, and two cats. Visit him online at www.andrewshvarts.com.
