In conversation are debut authors Lani Forbes and Sheena Boekweg who chat about royalty and characters in their novels, The Seventh Sun and Glitch Kingdom, along with favorite series!
Themes of kingdoms and battles for the throne are so common in Young Adult literature right now! Why do you think we (as writers and readers) are so attracted to these kinds of stories?
SHEENA: The whole idea of happily ever after is often ingrained in us from childhood through a history of mothers whispering those bedtime stories as we fall asleep. It becomes part of our understanding of how the world is supposed to work. But it’s fascinating to follow the ways that idea changes as we grow older. Teens are learning the difference between fairy tales and reality, but there is something so appealing about finding a place for real people with real flaws inside the magic of living the life we thought was promised.
LANI: Absolutely! I think the idea of living in castles and finding your prince or princess is so ingrained into our society from childhood that these stories almost become nostalgic. They remind us of simpler times when we thought we could storm the castle and defeat the dragon, when love might have been as simple as finding a glass slipper. I also think we are fascinated with this other way of life that seems like it would be so much more glamorous or exciting. We are attracted to the idea of success, of absolute power, and fantasize about what that would be like for us to live.
How do you take the nostalgia of royalty stories and put a fresh spin on it?
LANI: That’s such a challenge because you want it to be new and exciting enough that it’s fresh, but you also want to make sure you stay true to the elements that make us love these stories in the first place. For me, I really tried to draw on history for inspiration. In studying the structure of ancient Mesoamerican societies, a common theme is the idea of independent city-states that are conquered and united into a single powerful empire. The Chicome Empire in The Seventh Sun is entirely fictional, but I designed it using that same historical structure. Each of the families of the individual city-states are their own royal family in a way, but still underneath the emperor. I also included that the royalty are descended from the gods and their blood contains the power of the gods, which adds an interesting power dynamic beyond a crown.
SHEENA: I really wanted to show how easily royalty could topple. It’s that time after a kingdom falls and there’s this vacuum of power and people rushing to try to claim it that’s the most fascinating to me. Glitch Kingdom started as a YA fantasy world first, with magic spun from ghosts and pious clerics of the Savak who can see the future by drinking from seer water, and a prince who betrayed the kingdom for a very good reason he doesn’t quite understand. Then came the idea that this fantasy world was actually a fantasy video game that was breaking down with the characters stuck inside it. It made approaching the traditional structure a little more meta, so I could play with the rules of magic by giving it a logic even the reader can’t deny. Also the main character Dagney is the daughter of an executioner whose first kill is supposed to be the traitorous prince who once made fun of her at a royal ball. She hates him, and now she’s in the position to decide whether or not she can kill him. I often find the most interesting people inside royalty stories are the ones who don’t wear the crown, but the common people who move the crowns like chess pieces.
How are the princes and princesses in your stories different from the traditional “prince charming” and “damsel in distress” characters?
SHEENA: My handsome prince, Prince Ryo is a goofball who’d rather be playing a prank with his best friend, but at his heart he’s just a kid who has lost his parents and who can’t understand why he feels so invincible. He’s trying to cope with grief while also trying actively not to die. There’s not a princess in Glitch Kingdom. Dagney is the plus-sized daughter of an executioner who approaches problems with both hands holding an axe, McKenna is an assassin queen who doesn’t know the players she thinks she is tagging out of the game actually die, and the most badass character in my book is a disabled hacker named Bluebird_ofdeath who breaks into the game in order to save the boy she loves. Her weapon is her heart and her brilliance and her laptop.
LANI: I love that! I think so often we only think of “strong women” as ones that can wield a deadly weapon (WHICH IS STILL AWESOME BY THE WAY), but strength can take many forms, including strength of your heart and strength of your conviction. I really wanted Mayana to be a character that is strong because of her empathy and her ability to stand up for what she believes in no matter the consequences. Ahkin is definitely not your traditional “prince charming” either. I kind of imagine him to be a little surly, a little grumpy, but in an endearing way. He struggles with insecurity and wants to maintain an image of control, but underneath he really fears that he doesn’t have what it takes to lead his empire. He hopes that by interpreting the stars or gaining knowledge that he can prepare, but life doesn’t always work out that way. The concept of duality is huge in ancient Mesoamerican thought, and I really wanted Ahkin and Mayana to be dualities of each other, dualities of heart and mind. The beautiful thing about duality is finding balance, and I think Mayana and Ahkin have a lot to learn from each other.
What message are you hoping to send to your readers through your story?
SHEENA: Both Dagney and Bluebird choose their ingame bodies to reflect who they are outside the game, and that to me is the ultimate act of rebellion against the idea that women should only look a certain way. They could choose the standard princess image, but instead they chose themselves. I hope my readers take away the message that no matter their size, and no matter their health, they are enough. And I hope I can echo that message now by recommending SICK KIDS IN LOVE by Hannah Moskowitz, and UNBROKEN edited by Marieke Nijakamp. Disabled voices tell disabled stories best, and I’m well aware of the privilege that let me tell Bluebird’s story of hope and happiness while also silencing and rejecting stories by disabled writers unless they stick to stories of pain. Disabled stories matter, and I’m here to lift and amplify your voices any way I can.
LANI: The biggest message I want readers to take away from The Seventh Sun is the importance of following your heart. I think so many times we don’t share what we think or we don’t stand up for what we believe in because we are afraid of the consequences. We are afraid of being true to who we really are. But as Mayana learns in the book, “if you ignore the heart for too long, when it finally does grab your attention, it often screams and demands that you listen.”
What are some of your favorite royalty stories?
LANI: I am a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas, and I especially love her Throne of Glass series. I love Aelin as a strong female character with a ton of personality. I enjoy watching how she comes into her own power and fights to take back the throne she’s lost. I love the political dynamics of the different kingdoms. I think the details she puts in to bring these very distinct worlds to life is incredible. I also really enjoyed the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black and how she explores the darker side of politics and power against the backdrop of a fantasy faerie realm.
SHEENA: I have to recommend WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT by Isabel Ibanez which is an extraordinary Bolivian Fantasy with an evil king, told with authenticity and love and a side of salteñas. I also adored THE MERCIFUL CROW by Margaret Owens, which is a masterclass of worldbuilding and approaching prejudice and privilege, while also following around an angry girl and two dumb royal boys. And I’m super excited for A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown which is an own voice West- African inspired fantasy about a princess and a refugee trying to save their families which comes out in June.
You can find Lani on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, along with at her website.
You can find Sheena on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, along with at her website.
