We chat with author S. A. Maclean about Sunsplitter, which is the epic conclusion to the spicy monster romance duology in which a cross-dimensional smuggler and her immortal partner must defend their home from dangerous beasts.
Hi, Sarah! Welcome back! How have you been since we last spoke for the release of Voidwalker?
It’s been a busy year for me! I made the big leap to writing full time, and an equally big move from Los Angeles to Seattle. I’m absolutely in love with all the amazing bookstores in the PNW, as well as the supportive author and reader community here. Plus, finally having a chilly rain-filled winter is the perfect vibe to nestle up and write a book!
Sunsplitter is the second installment in your Beasts of the Void duology and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
More tail, bigger daddy issues
For readers who haven’t picked up Voidwalker yet, what can they expect?
Voidwalker is a spicy monster romantasy – except she’s the scary one, and the immortal creature with claws and fangs is actually more of a pathetic wet cat. The worldbuilding sprawls across multiple parallel realities and the infinite Void between, with energy swords and magitech reminiscent of Arcane. And if you’re intimidated by monster romance, this is a great Monster Light introduction to the genre. Trust me, he can be very useful with that tail…
And for those who have, what’s to come in Sunsplitter?
Voidwalker was very much Fi’s book. We spent most of our time on the Winter Plane, fighting for Fi’s home and tackling the personal grief she’d been trying to bury. Sunsplitter is Antal’s book. We’ll finally journey to his home on the Twilit Plane, meet old friends and family – including his father, who is a lethal piece of work, but Antal still longs for that acceptance. Sunsplitter hits harder in every way: deeper worldbuilding, more family angst, fiercer love and fiercer fights between Fi and Antal. Plus, Fi casually rewriting the laws of reality out of spite, as usual.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Finally visiting the Twilit Plane means learning so much more about daeyari culture – and meeting so many new daeyari characters! These are immortals who have ruled the Planes for centuries, obligate carnivores who feast on humans, yet they dress in starry capes and flick their tails like aggravated cats. It was an absolute delight to delve more into daeyari lore (which I know many readers were clamoring for at the end of Voidwalker), and to build out an amazing new cast of characters from Antal’s past, from vicious antagonists to old friends. It was also a treat to finally add Antal’s POV to the story in all its angsty glory.
Can you share some insight into your plotting process for the duology?
When it comes to writing, I’m a hard-core plotter. I usually plan out all the key details across a book or series before I get started. Voidwalker was a little unusual for me, in that I originally planned it to be a standalone. I was still unagented and unpublished at the time, and it’s easier to pitch a standalone book than a series! But even before I finished that first draft of Voidwalker, I knew there was more story that needed to be told. I started work on Sunsplitter almost immediately, and fortunately, I was early enough in my publishing timeline that I ended up editing Voidwalker and Sunsplitter side-by-side, allowing me to ensure the lore and characters were cohesive across the duology.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?
For many romantasy duologies, book 1 ends with some kind of betrayal or separation, which sets up relationship tension for book 2. In Sunsplitter, I wanted to try something different: an established couple, still together and still very much in love. But here, the tension in their relationship comes from figuring out how to make this work long term, how to support each other despite the baggage and unhealthy coping mechanisms they each bring from their past. Sunsplitter is still full of romantic drama. Fi and Antal get into some fierce arguments, but working through these hurdles (both verbally, and in the bedroom) deepens their love and their commitment to each other in a way that was so rewarding to write.
What’s next for you?
Sunsplitter really expands the lore of this universe – but I hope that readers will finish the duology, realizing there is still so much more to explore, questions still unanswered. My next series hasn’t officially been announced yet, but it takes place in the same expanded universe as Voidwalker and Sunsplitter, with a brand new world and cast of characters. It’s the most ambitious book I’ve ever written, and I can’t wait to be able to say more!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I’m positively feral for the upcoming US release of Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser (messy bard MC, sapphic love triangle with two princesses). I also can’t wait for Alexandra Kennington’s next book, Drown the Bones (a sassy ghost love interest, hello??)
One of my favorite releases this year has been The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson (magical beasts, con artist FMC, grumpy immortal librarian MC). Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow was also phenomenal (magical veterinarian school with rivals-to-lovers romance!).
