We chat with author Sara Shepard about Agatha Harkness: Fall of the Coven, which follows Agatha Harkness who finds herself yanked out of her mysterious past and plopped in a modern-day high school, and the race is on to find the key to saving her coven while discovering first love and battling an ancient foe.
Hi, Sara! Welcome back! How have you been since we last spoke three years ago for the release of Wait For Me?
I’m doing well! Hard to believe it’s been three years.
Your latest novel, Agatha Harkness: Fall of the Coven, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Twisty, magical, fun, historical, and (surprisingly) romantic!
What can readers expect?
In the comics, we don’t see a lot of Agatha Harkness’ backstory, so this was a fun opportunity to imagine who she was before she was the powerful witch, mentor and occasional antagonist. This iteration of Agatha’s story begins in Salem, MA during the time of the Witch Trials. Another witch in her coven has double-crossed her and stolen the Darkhold, disappearing through a portal into another time. Naturally, Agatha follows her…but to her surprise, she’s transported to modern-day Salem, and everyone assumes she’s a student in a boarding school right on the grounds of where her coven’s settlement once was. She has to go undercover in search of the witch who stole the Darkhold …and she has to get up to speed on being a teen in 2026…and in order to remain undetected, she can’t really use strong magic. So it’s a little bit of a comedy of errors mixed with a mystery—and the culprit ends up being a huge surprise—but don’t worry, Agatha still gets to use a lot of fun magic along the way.
Where did the inspiration for Agatha Harkness: Fall of the Coven come from?
I was so excited to do a YA Agatha book. I knew I wanted to do something with Salem, considering she spends some time there in the comic world, but I also wanted to make it modern. It sort of grew out of that!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I don’t typically write fantasy or sci-fi, so it was fun to dig into the “rules” of the genre, especially being a witch. I really enjoyed exploring Agatha’s powers and her frustration of when her powers were limited. I also really enjoyed researching what happened during the Salem Witch Trials. Some of the victims were punished without a fair trial, and a lot of it stemmed from superstition and a fear of outsiders.
This year marks 20 years since your debut novel Pretty Little Liars published. What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned about yourself and as an author over the years and with a number of books to your name?
I can’t believe it’s been 20 years. I remember writing the first book so vividly. I’ve learned certain things the hard way—people can be cruel in online reviews, for example—but at the same time, readers can also be so generous, and the connections I’ve made have been so fulfilling. I’ve also found that writing is a humbling career. I had a lot of success with PLL, but other novels I’ve written haven’t gotten as much traction; I’ve learned to be okay with that. As long as I’m proud of what I’ve done, that’s more what matters. I’ve also learned that my best projects are the ones that I feel most passionate about—and the ones I have the most fun writing. Sometimes it’s hard to find that “fun,” but it’s better to wait than to force a story that just isn’t working. I’ve put aside a lot of novels that haven’t “worked”—thousands and thousands of pages.
What’s next for you?
I have a graphic novel coming up in the DC universe about the Birds of Prey (Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Oracle, and the Huntress)—also as young characters. Like Agatha, I felt a little nervous writing about them because of their long history with fans in the comic (and movie) world, but it was so much fun inventing new stories. Also, the artist for the project, Stephanie Pepper, is incredible.
I will also have a new YA novel out soon called TELL ME EVERYTHING—it has a little bit to do with YA and is another twisty, mind-bending mystery!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I really enjoyed UNGODLY RICH, by Katherine McGee—it’s a modern take on Greek gods and goddesses as super-wealthy movers and shakers in Manhattan. It was soapy and fun and I learned stuff I didn’t know about mythology, which is always a plus as a reader.
