As darkness closes in on the city of shattered light, an heiress and an outlaw must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other.
We chat with author Claire Winn about her debut novel City of Shattered Light, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi Claire! Thank you for joining us. Can you tell the readers a bit about yourself?
Hey, thanks so much for having me! I’m a sci-fi author (and hopefully a fantasy author soon, too!), and my debut City of Shattered Light was just released. I’m a legal/technical writer by day, and outside of writing, I’m into everything nerdy (think cosplay, anime, video gaming, LARP, and tabletop). I love exploring and creating other worlds, so I’m a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy.
Can you tell our readers what they might expect to find in City of Shattered Light?
It’s a young adult cyberpunk adventure that’s often compared to Six of Crows and Aurora Rising. It’s led by two fierce girls—a runaway heiress, Asa, who’s fled home to save her test-subject sister, and Riven, a gunslinging smuggler who needs a heck of a bounty to secure her place in one of the city’s matriarchal crime syndicates. The girls clash when one kidnaps the other, but they end up with bigger problems when a brilliant, tech-corrupting A.I. monster locks down the city and begins pursuing them. The story features a team of queer disasters contending with bounty hunters, A.I. machinations, and underworld players. I had a lot of fun writing it.
Where did your inspiration for City of Shattered Light come from?
City of Shattered Light started with a few different pieces of inspiration. I envisioned a runaway space-princess, hiding her identity on a rickety transit ship, with a stolen alien heart beating inside her backpack—and I wanted to find out how she’d gotten there. I determined that her backpack contained a piece she needed to save her sister, but what piece of her sister was missing? Who’d done this to her? All sorts of awful answers came to mind, and eventually I wrote the lead-up to that scene.
Then, as a contrast to her, I wanted a female Doc Holliday-inspired space gunslinger, a girl who’s ferocious because she knows she’s running out of time. And something I frequently think about is the damage a superhacker could wreak as more devices go online, and I imagined a nasty, sentient A.I. that had taken over a high-tech city and could hack anything as it pursued the main characters.
The emotional basis for the character arcs was a bit personal. Asa’s arc is about fiercely resisting what the world expects of you and finding happiness on your own terms, while Riven’s is about finding something to fight for despite an uncertain future.
City of Shattered Light is out now! What was your favourite part from drafting this book to publication? And what are you most looking forward to right now?
There have been a few high points so far. Before I’d landed an agent, I was working on draft four or five and feeling the pieces click into place. I realized I’d fallen in love with the characters and their world, and knew I wanted to fight for this story.
Since signing my publishing contract, one of the best parts has been getting responses from readers. This includes DMs on social media, being tagged in aesthetic reels and Instagram reviews, and finding TikTok videos. It’s been so fulfilling to see strangers connect with these characters and realizing instantly that we now have something in common.
For the entire process, bookstore visits were probably what I was most looking forward to. Signing stacks of preorders was incredible, and I got an early surprise when friends started finding CoSL on Barnes & Noble shelves six days before publication (!!!). Now, I’m really looking forward to making more “field trips” to bookstores that carry it and signing stock. There’s something truly amazing about knowing it’s out there in public, waiting on shelves to be discovered.
Honestly, though, I’m also looking forward to wrapping it all up, sending the last of my preorder campaign swag, and then sleeping for a week. As great as this year has been, it’s also felt like a neverending finals week.
What did you enjoy most whilst writing this book? Were there any particular challenges?
The world-building and the characters were the most enjoyable. Dreaming up Requiem—a grimy, glittering paradise—and the ride-or-die team of badass misfits who inhabit it. Writing tons of interactions that never made it into the story, simply to discover who these characters were. The plot came afterward to pull it all together, but I kept discovering small character details and pieces of the world along the way.
On the other hand, it was a challenge to write an ensemble cast, a complicated plot, and a story that spanned three planets—especially while keeping the word count in an acceptable range. CoSL was originally told from four points of view, not just the two of the current version (well, three if you count that secret chapter), so there was more to juggle. And the complexity of the story’s setup meant a lot of work to keep things clear for readers and seal the tiny plot holes that popped up. There was also some technical research, but I’m also lucky to have friends in technical fields who were willing to answer questions about how to make specific, intricate pieces of the story work.
Who do you think is the most interesting character to write?
That’s hard, because I enjoy both of my MCs immensely for different reasons. Riven’s voice came more easily because she was so much fun to write—she’s cocky, morally-gray, and grabs the plot by the throat, but she’s also prickly and brash for a reason. Asa was harder to pin down, but she’s a lot like me as a teenager (naïve and nerdy, but fiercely determined and cooler under pressure than she realizes). Both of them are bisexual, and both of them are strong in different ways. I love their push-pull dynamic of trust, secrets, and betrayal as they move from reluctant allies to something more.
If you could describe this book in five words, what would they be?
Breakneck. Visceral. Vivid. Gritty. Heartfelt.
What are you currently reading at the moment and what is your all-time favourite book that you would recommend for everyone to read?
I’ve just started Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat. It’s gorgeous, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
One of my all-time favorite books is Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. It’s an excellent starting point for his books. Everything Sanderson writes is a masterclass in deep world-building that’s balanced effortlessly with deft plotting and solid characterization.
Are you currently working on other projects?
Yep! I have an adult fantasy in the works, which is dark and bizarre and gives me chills sometimes. I also have an adult science-fantasy project on the brainstorming deck, which has a vibe a little closer to CoSL. Currently, I’m also polishing up the sequel to CoSL, which is self-indulgent and close to my heart right now. I hope I get to share that with readers someday.
Do you have a playlist for when you’re writing? Or did you create a playlist for your book?
Absolutely. I find that I explore ideas most effectively when listening to new music, and music often helps me discover the tone of a scene or the heart of a character. Once I have momentum in drafting, I can listen to the same song on repeat for a week, but in the brainstorming phase, the right music is critical.
I also do create playlists for each book I write (and some for particular characters). They’re not listed publicly, but a few songs for CoSL include Takeover by Zardonic & the Qemists, Trouble’s Coming by Royal Blood, Made by Battle Tapes, Glory by The Score, Wicked Stone by Slash + MKC, Neo Tokyo (Dance with the Dead Remix) by Scandroid, and anything by K/DA.
Lastly, could you give us some recommendations of your favorite reads of 2021?
Ooh. These weren’t all published this year, but I’ve recently enjoyed reading Legendborn, the Midnight Lie, Bonds of Brass, Crownchasers, and Seven Devils.
A few 2022 books that I’ve gotten to read early (and was blown away by!) are Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long, We Who Hunt the Hollow by Kate Murray, Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings, and Mindwalker by Kate Dylan. I’m excited to see more sci-fi!
