We chat with author Marina Lostetter about The Teeth of Dawn, which concludes the riveting and mind-ripping epic fantasy trilogy, where a rebellion struggles to tear the mask off the illusions and enchantments of a society shrouded in layers of mystery.
Hi, Marina! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a full time author and part-time clay artist. I’m originally from Oregon, but now live in Arkansas with my spouse, Alex. We have two black cats (though one of them is clearly a witch trapped in a cat’s body), and one foundling dog. My background is in history, and THE TEETH OF DAWN is my seventh novel.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My parents instilled a love of stories in me from the start—a lot of my earliest memories are of my mom reading things like The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to me and my brother.
I wrote my first real story in the fourth grade, after reading The Hobbit, which was definitely above my reading level at the time. I struggled with it, but prior to my dad handing it to me I’d only ever read mystery novels (Nancy Drew being my gateway drug). It opened up a whole new world of story telling to me—I’m not sure I would have naturally gravitated to other works that were formative for me, like The Wolf Tower series by Tanith Lee or The Farthest Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks, without it. And while it’s the fantasy that would stick, it was the journey Tolkien wrote about that first stuck out to 10-year-old me.
I remember that first story oddly well—better, even, than a lot of stories I’ve written in the last few years. It was about my friends and I getting lost in the woods, and included a long list of items I’d brought with us just in case I needed to save the day with my “survival skills” (ie. camping skills). I’ve been writing ever since.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Vellum by Hal Duncan
The Teeth of Dawn is the final installment in your Five Penalties series and it’s out January 28th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Their penalties have come due.
For those who haven’t picked up the Five Penalties series, what can they expect?
Dark epic fantasy with a twist! We pitched the first book as Mistborn meets Hannibal, and I think those vibes are still accurate. I’ve been told it has one of the most unique magic systems a lot of my readers have encountered, and there are many layers to uncover—the world itself is as much a mystery to unravel as the plot and characters. The series begins with our main character, Krona Hirvath, trailing a serial killer, and ends with her uncovering the sins of her world’s hidden history. All through it, both her understanding of herself and her home are transformed—and she personally goes through some amazing physical transformations to boot.
It has gods, monsters, magic, and mayhem!
And for those who have, what’s to come in the conclusion?
Readers might recall that the beginning of book two took a hard turn into an aspect of the world that was only hinted at (and largely regarded as myth) in book one. Book three does something similar—right out of the gate, the “rules” as they’ve been established for the world are immediately upended again. We’ll get to meet the Valley’s gods, in the flesh, and they may be nothing like expected. All of the lies the Valley’s cultures, politics, and religion are based on will be revealed. The world as it really is will be laid bare.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring one last time?
I deeply adore my whole cast, but it was especially fun to write Thibaut, Juliet, and Mandip playing off each other once more. A middle-aged male escort, an over-the-top opera singer, and a naive young noble make for an unlikely trio, and their dynamic brings me joy every time.
And I’m really proud of the way I was able to round off the final stages of Krona’s character arc. She embodies power, capability, and compassion despite being heavily filled with doubt. And she fights a horde of undead kings at one point, which was extremely entertaining to write.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing and closing off the series? How did you overcome them?
Oh boy. Did I ever. This was my most challenging literary project to date. It was a very complex book to execute, because not only was I wrapping up all the threads I’d introduced in book one and two, but I was also introducing brand new threads that had to be tied up by the end. In some ways, THE TEETH OF DAWN is two novels in one. People who have read my sci-fi novel Noumenon Infinity might recall the way I followed two interstellar convoys in that book, telling the independent story of each, until by the end it was clear how the two stories came together to create a bigger, singular tale. I’ve done something similar in THE TEETH OF DAWN, and getting these two different aspects of the story to flow together was difficult—but in the end I think I pulled it off! For me, a lot of writing is re-writing.
What’s next for you?
I have several irons in the fire. I’m in the process of editing both a fantasy novella and a co-written near-future horror novel in order to get them ready for submission. I’ve also started drafting a gothic romance with cosmic horror elements, and hopefully I’ll be able to get that to my agent soon.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is at the top of my list! I’m also looking forward to getting my hands on The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, and Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker. And I’ve recently become intrigued by Polybius by Collin Armstrong.
