As for research about the Egyptian influence, a solid shout-out to my parents! The way Sylvia learns about Jasad as she grows is how most children from immigrant families do—through stories our family and community share with us. So if I couldn’t find the answer through my own experiences or a good research dive, I called my parents and asked them a million questions they were excited to answer.
The characters in The Jasad Heir are complex and often find themselves torn between different loyalties. If you had to pick, who would you say is your favorite? Who did you find the most difficult to write?
Oh, this one’s easy. Arin was my favorite to write, and Sylvia was the most difficult. The way Arin perceives the world in The Jasad Heir is clear-cut and exacting. He faces very little of the inner conflict Sylvia endures, because his sense of self is firm. The way he feels for Sylvia throws a wrench in it, of course, but it’s still an external deviation he can isolate and examine without implicating his entire identity. Whereas the incongruence between the way Sylvia behaves, the way she views herself, and the way the rest of the world views her （as Essiya） constantly clash.
I’ll add writing scenes with both of them was incredibly fun for these same exact reasons.
Who are some of your favorite authors and how have they influenced your writing?
Oh my gosh, this is so hard. Childhood faves include Richelle Mead, Kristin Cashore, and Stephenie Meyer （fun fact: I went to my very first book festival shortly after moving to Egypt and bought The Host because it was the biggest book there）。 Nonexhaustive list of current favorite authors includes Tracy Deonn, Talia Hibbert, Tasha Suri, S. A. Chakraborty, and Ilona Andrews. These authors belong to different genres and age categories, but they share an ability to create transporting stories driven by complex characters and immersive settings. I wanted to write characters who resonated with readers even if they didn’t understand why, and a world they kept coming back to until they did.
Without giving too much away, could you share what readers can expect in the sequel?
More immersion into the different kingdoms! Scheming and subterfuge in settings we grazed in The Jasad Heir.
Angst. Longing. New betrayals.
And the above-mentioned character with a firm sense of self and little inner conflict aside from Sylvia? Well… let’s just say nothing stays untouchable forever.
And, finally, if you could visit one kingdom from The Jasad Heir, which would you choose?
Lukub! Good hikes, fun festivals, and the ever-present possibility of being thrown into a well for espionage. What’s not to love?
if you enjoyed THE JASAD HEIR
look out for
THE PHOENIX KING
Book One of the Ravence Trilogy
by
Aparna Verma
Yassen Knight was the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin until a horrible accident. Now he’s hunted by the authorities and his former employer, both of whom want him dead. But when he seeks refuge with an old friend, he’s offered an irresistible deal: defend the heir of Ravence from the Arohassin and earn his freedom once and for all.
Elena Ravence is preparing to ascend the throne. Trained since birth in statecraft, warfare, and the desert ways, Elena knows she is ready. She only lacks one thing: the ability to hold fire, the magic that is meant to run in her family’s blood. And with her coronation only weeks away, she must learn quickly or lose her kingdom.
Leo Ravence is not ready to give up the crown. There’s still too much work to be done, too many battles to be won. But when an ancient prophecy threatens to undo his lifetime of work, Leo wages war on the heavens themselves to protect his legacy.
CHAPTER 1:
Yassen
The king said to his people, “We are the chosen.”
And the people responded, “Chosen by whom?”
—from chapter 37 of The Great History of Sayon
To be forgiven, one must be burned. That’s what the Ravani said. They were fanatics and fire worshippers, but they were his people. And he would finally be returning home.
Yassen held on to the railing of the hoverboat as it skimmed over the waves. He held on with his left arm, his right limp by his side. Around him, the world was dark, but the horizon began to purple with the faint glimmers of dawn. Soon, the sun would rise, and the twin moons of Sayon would lie down to rest. Soon, he would arrive at Rysanti, the Brass City. And soon, he would find his way back to the desert that had forsaken him.
Yassen withdrew a holopod from his jacket and pressed it open with his thumb. A small holo materialized with a message:
Look for the bull.
He closed the holo, the smell of salt and brine filling his lungs.