We chat with author Karina Halle about Realm of Thieves, which follows two thieves who vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy.
Hi Karina! What is the title of your new book and what is it about?
Realm of Thieves. It’s about two thieves—one an outlier with a magical dog, the other the lord for a criminal empire—who steal dragon eggs for the black market while trying not to fall in love
How did you decide the book’s setting?
I wanted to create a fictional world where dragons existed but in a more realistic way. For example, if dragons were actual wild animals, there’s no way humans could just exist alongside them without incident. It would be like if we existed with dinosaurs—we’d go extinct pretty fast. So if there are dragons in this world, they would have to be contained (ala Jurassic Park) and sectioned off from humanity. Thus, Dragemor came to life.
Would you be friends with your main character in real life?
Absolutely. Both of them. Brynla is a badass and Andor is a ton of fun (and neurodivergent like myself so we would just mesh). Also Brynla comes with a dog, Lemi, and I can’t pass up a canine companion (especially a magical one).
Describe your main characters in three words!
Brynla: stubborn, strong, determined. Andor: playful, reckless, loyal.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That worldbuilding is no joke.
What does your editing process look like?
I always go back and edit what I wrote the previous day before I write the next chapter. Helps get me in the zone.
Set the scene of your writing space/office.
It’s got a brick fireplace, lilac trees outside the windows, crammed with books, bookish art and gothic knicknacks, and the space itself is the house’s old dining room from 1903.
Who is an author you admire?
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Is there a book that changed your life?
Jurassic Park
What was it like when you found out your book was going to be published?
Well, Realm of Thieves was written up as a proposal plus the first few chapters. I was really excited for my agent to take it out on submission but first we had to offer to Penguin, my current pubs for my contemporary work. To my surprise my editor got back with an offer in a couple of days. I was over the moon.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Speculative fiction (really anything horror, suspense, gothic, sci-fi)
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Really good negitoro rolls
What’s your favorite movie?
Jurassic Park
What is your favorite season?
Summer (I’m a PNW girl and our summers are amazing)
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Seafood
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Good food and even better cocktails
What’s a recent tv show/movie you highly recommend?
Binged Rivals and absolutely loved it. Can’t wait for season 2.
What do you do when you have free time?
Go for walks by the ocean, play with my dog, travel, go sailing, read, garden (well, stare at the garden, I don’t really do much)
What can readers expect from you next?
After Realm of Thieves, I’ve got Hollow and Legend releasing this fall. This was previously self-published and picked up by my publishers and I’m so excited for this duet to find a new audience. It’s a spicy, dark academia gothic retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow where Kat doesn’t have to choose between Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane.
