We chat with author Morgan Rhodes about Legends and Liars, which is the riveting sequel to Echoes and Empires sees Joss and Jericho team up with some of their greatest enemies—including two of the most powerful mages in the world—to bring an end to the queen’s empire of lies.
Hi, Morgan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure thing! I’m probably best known for Falling Kingdoms, my six book YA high fantasy series that could be pitched as “Game of Thrones for teens.” My latest release is Legends and Liars, the second book in the Empire and Echoes duology. I live in Southern Ontario, and I love coffee, cats, travel, and expensive handbags. Not necessarily in that order.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
At a very young age. I was a voracious reader by ten years old, and found that I was constantly making up different endings to the books I read if I wasn’t satisfied with the original story. Later, I realized that making stuff up and writing it down was something that could actually be a job. It took me a while (well, years and YEARS) to work out my creative process, but since then I’ve written nearly forty books under a couple of author names, and I’m still having a blast creating worlds and characters to amuse both me and my amazing readers.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
It’s a super oldie, but my mother introduced me to a series by Enid Blyton about a quartet of kids who fell into adventures together. I don’t remember all that much about the books, but I know I loved these books and that the kids had a cockatoo named Kiki as a pet. Which, of course, I desperately wanted for myself. Still haven’t achieved the cockatoo goal, though. Maybe one day! As far as a book I can’t stop thinking about…. I used to be (and still am, although I haven’t read anything by him lately) a huge Stephen King (and horror genre) fan. After watching the “It” movies, I’m newly inspired to dive back into King’s backlist and catch up….starting with an It reread.
Legends and Liars is the sequel to Echoes and Empires and it’s out June 13th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Ooh, good question… Okay, to describe Echoes and Empires in only five words – they would be: intrigue, magic, secrets, twists, & romance.
What can readers expect?
Without giving any spoilers, Josslyn Drake continues her quest for the truth in an empire full of lies, and with the help of a dangerous thief whose fate has become interwoven with hers, she’s in search of a warlock who will either help her or literally burn everything she cares about to ashes.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I must say, I did ejoy writing from Joss’s point of view in this duology. As a girl who’d lived a life of priviledge, and considered the queen herself an “aunt,” Joss has had a lot of harsh realities to face and a whole lot of growing up to do. But she never lost her sense of humor or her singleminded drive to fight for what’s right.
Did you face any challenges with writing the sequel?
The world in which Legends and Liars is set is a big one, with a lot of moving parts and a whole lot of subplots…so my biggest challenge was wrapping up this duology on a satisfying note!
What are your top tips when it comes to worldbuilding?
It depends on the writer, of course, since everyone is differnet… but for me or anyone like me – don’t overthink worldbuilding tooooo much at the beginning. I have wasted months upon months just brainstorming and worldbuilding and…well, this does’t lead to a lot of pages being written, does it? What it does lead to (for me, anyway) is doubting everything and then doing more brainstorming on top of that. So, basically, don’t overcomplicate it in the beginning. Pencil the worldbuilding in during the first draft and then come back and flesh it out. What’s important (again, for me) is dialogue and character arcs. The rest will develop organically.
What’s next for you?
I’m very excited about my next contracted book with Penguin Teen currently titled Bad Blood. It’s the first in a trilogy about two rival filthy rich rival vampire families in a resort town full of murder, mystery, and dangerous secrets. I’m calling it “Gossip Girl with vampires” and I’m having so much fun with it. Currently working on the edits for book one and it will be out Fall 2024!
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