We chat with the lovely Marie Rutkoski about her latest novel The Hollow Heart, which has intrigue, romance, and magic abound and is the heart-stopping conclusion to Marie Rutkoski’s Forgotten Gods duology.
Hi, Marie! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and about The Hollow Heart?
I live in Brooklyn with my two sons, my partner (Eve Gleichman, whose novel for adults, The Very Nice Box, was published in July 2021), a lot of books, and our four cats. That’s too many cats, I know.
The Hollow Heart is told from three different points of view: Nirrim’s, Sid’s, and an unnamed god’s. It’s a mix of fairytale, romance, and a villain’s story. I don’t think it spoils too much to say that Nirrim is the villain here! Sid, meanwhile, has returned home to Herran and is pining for Nirrim, without knowing what has happened to her and what she has become. I do love pining in a novel, and sapphic pining is even better.
What is it like for you when you start into the next part of a story? Is there anything that you pay special attention to when writing the continuation of a story?
For this book, I had to remember not just what I wrote in The Midnight Lie but also everything in The Winner’s Trilogy, since Sid is Kestrel and Arin’s child and has to navigate their difficult past. I’ll be honest, I initially wrote a scene featuring Kestrel’s father and had forgotten that his arm had been cut off at the elbow in The Winner’s Kiss. I had to go back and edit that in.
Among the gods you’ve written, which one is your favorite to write?
The god of death.
If you’d been faced with Nirrim’s choices when it came to losing her heart, do you think you’d have faced it similarly?
I probably would have made the same choice. It would have been difficult for me not to know something, particularly if I had worked so hard to know it. If I had been Pandora, I would have opened the box.
What are your favorite types of scenes (romantic, angsty, etc.) when you’re reading/writing?
I love romance AND angst, but maybe I’d say that I’m happy reading anything about intricate relationships between people. Sid’s chapters in The Hollow Heart were my favorite to write, especially the ones where she’s navigating her relationships with her mother, father, and godfather (Roshar).
I loved the cover of The Midnight Lie, but the new covers are absolutely STUNNING. Can you talk a little about the change and who the artist for the new covers is?
Ruben Ireland is the artist of the new covers and I love his spooky, beautiful aesthetic. I think both new covers capture Nirrim’s character. In The Midnight Lie, she is loving, quiet, and thoughtful. She tries so hard to be a good person that she sometimes puts other people first in a way that is harmful to herself. In The Hollow Heart, she is completely different. She wants to change the world, and is willing to be ruthless. Ruben was incredible in how he portrayed her emotions in each book. And the new covers are so vibrant.
What sorts of shenanigans would Sid be getting into if brought to real life?
Breaking hearts and forgetting names. She is a total lady rake! But also very true to the people she loves. She’d also be really great at that TikTok challenge “Do you prefer masc or femme?”
Are there any hints you can give our readers about what might be in store for them?
Murder, mayhem, long buried secrets revealed! And kissing.
Do you have any projects you’re working on, what comes next after The Hollow Heart?
My novel for adults, Real Easy, will be out Jan 18, 2022. It’s a literary thriller set in 1999 at a strip club where one dancer is murdered, another goes missing, and a third tries to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Will you be doing a virtual event for the release of The Hollow Heart? How can we help celebrate your upcoming release?
Yes! I will be launching The Hollow Heart with Zoraida Córdova, whose new book (for adults), The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is truly divine! Books of Wonder is hosting the event on Crowdcast on Tuesday, Sept 14, 6 PM EST.
Oh my God that line about Sid absolutely rocking that TikTok challenge is so. Spot. On.