From fan-favourite Scarlett St. Clair, the bestselling author of the Hades & Persephone series, comes a new epic fantasy filled with danger, darkness, and insatiable romance.
We chat with author Scarlett St. Clair about her new book release King of Battle & Blood, along with writing, book recommendations, sequels, and more!
Hi, Scarlett! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m Scarlett St. Clair and I write fantasy romance. I was a librarian for five years before becoming a full-time author—a dream I had since I was thirteen. I live in Oklahoma with my perfect dog Adelaide.
As the year draws to a close, how has 2021 been for you?
2021 was the best and worst year of my life, to be honest. I had so many career highs and so many things to be thankful for, but on the other side, I lost my father to COVID at the end of 2020, so I went though most of this year grieving. I think, probably, what I am most thankful for is that I got to share part of my successes with my Dad before he passed.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
When I was thirteen, I started reading The Lord of the Rings. It was my first fantasy novel and I guess, up until that point, I hadn’t realized the possiblitiy of creating a whole world by writing but after I finished, I realized I wanted to do the same thing. Looking back, I’d always loved writing, I just didn’t know what I wanted to write until LotR.
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!
If we’re being literal, the first book I remember reading was a Dick and Jane book because I learned to read in first grade.
The book that made me want to become an author was The Lord of the Rings.
A book I cannot stop thinking about at this moment is A Game of Retribution because I have to write it. HAHAHA.
Your new novel, King of Battle & Blood, is out November 30th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Something like: Immersive, romantic, dark, and tension-filled.
What can readers expect?
I think they can expect to fall in love with two morally grey characters.
Where did the inspiration for King of Battle & Blood come from?
Really the inspiration behind this book were the two main characters, Adrian and Isolde. They sort of charged into my head one day and their story formed around that first argument which centered around Isolde demanding to know why Adrian wanted a wife if he could not sire children to which he responded, “Do you wish to be a breeding mare?” and the rest is history.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
My biggest challenge was my deadline. I had to write a lot in a very short amount of time and it was very emotionally and physically taxing. I was very close to a breakdown at points, and my carpal tunnel definitely took a hit. I mostly talked to my editor to get through it all and we made a plan to ensure I don’t have to put myself in that situation again. It’s rough.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I’m not exaggerating when I say loved every character and every moment in this book.
King of Battle & Blood is part of the Adrian X Isolde trilogy! Can you give us a little tease as to what comes next?
Revenge.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
I think the advise I took most to heart was to layer emotion into my prose.
The absolute worst ‘advice’ was don’t become a writer. There’s no money in it.
What’s next for you?
Over the next four months, I will write A Game of Retribution which is Hades POV of A Touch of Ruin. I find his POV harder because he’s a very quiet character, but also because these books have a different plot, so it is like writing a whole new book.
Lastly, what have your favourite reads of 2021 been?
I enjoyed A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet, Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly, and Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh.
