Book Tour Q&A: Heir of Magic and Mischance by Rachanee Lumayno
Today we're taking part in the book tour organized by Escapist Book Tours for Heir of Magic and Mischance by Rachanee Lumayno! Continue reading for the book blurb and a Q&A with the author.
About the book
Adalynn Taethen wants nothing more than to serve her beloved home, the kingdom of Rothschan, in their famed military. But when a disastrous meeting destroys her dream, it also uncovers long-dormant family secrets and newfound magical powers for Adalynn.
With Enlar, a fellow fledgling magician, she decides to travel to Calia, to learn more about her magic. And maybe, even, her family.
But Calia is Rothschan's sworn enemy, and those who use magic are even more hated and feared by Adalynn's people.
Now she must master her magic before it destroys her — and before an insane official, bent on revenge, destroys all Adalynn holds dear.
Heir of Magic and Mischance is the third book in the Kingdom Legacy series.
On to the interview...!
Thank you so much for joining us for this Q&A! We’ll start off with one of our standard podcast opening questions–tell us something great that’s happened recently.
You mean besides Heir of Magic and Mischance being released? :) I’ve been keeping busy on the acting side, and just finished a voicing a video game that should be coming out this summer.
What are you currently reading or what’s up next on your TBR? What made you pick up this book?
I’m always reading, but not always books of my choosing. Since I narrate audiobooks, I read a lot for work. I’m currently narrating a mystery and then a children’s book is next on my horizon. For fun, I picked up Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries — I have to admit the gorgeous cover caught my attention.
What is one book you want to shout about to the world? What about it makes you love it so much?
One of my favorite book series is the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. She’s one of my favorite authors, too. She was writing strong female characters before it was trendy. I love the Enchanted Forest Chronicles (a four book series) because each character is unique, and the leads are all strong, smart, and capable, but still have slight flaws or personality traits. Reading that series at such a young age really made an impression on me, not to mention the books are really fun and witty.
They say to never judge a book by its cover, but a cover is still a marketing tool that helps sell books. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of your book?
My cover artist, Fiona Jayde, really knocked it out of the park for this book. I gave her the outline of what I needed visually for Heir of Magic and Mischance’s cover, and when she sent me the mockup, I was just like, “I have no notes. Please, take my money.” I think it helps that this is now our third collaboration, and she has an idea of what my books should look like.
The girl on the cover is my main character, Adalynn, showcasing some of the magical abilities she stumbles into in her story. And she’s wearing a uniform in Rothschan red. There’s some design elements in the background that also hint at other events in the book.
Gosh, I love this cover!
Are there any challenges specific to continuing a series vs starting it?
My biggest challenge is — I’m a pantser. Which means, I don’t really outline, and when I started writing this series, I didn’t have a strong idea of where the overall series would go or what the world was like. It’s coming to me as I write it. Which means sometimes I write a section, and then realize it contradicts a bit of worldbuilding I’ve already set up. Or I forget what I’ve already established as canon. One of these days I really should get more organized. :)
When you started the series, did you have a clear idea in mind for how you wanted to continue it in subsequent books? How, if at all, has that changed while writing this book?
The only thing I knew when I started this series was that each book would focus on a different character from each kingdom. I deliberately wanted a series where readers wouldn’t feel intimidated if they started in the middle. But as I’ve continued writing, certain characters keep coming up, and some are slated to play bigger roles in future books. This is also the first book that *semi spoiler alert* doesn’t have an ending similar to the first two books. Whether I explore the implications of Heir of Magic and Mischance’s ending in this series or a different one is unknown.
How do you manage character growth vs consistency over a multi-book arc?
For me, character growth as a writer means being true to the core essence of my characters, and having them react accordingly. When you’re creating a character, whoever they are (are they shy? Bold? Unhinged?) is always central to how they approach a situation or react to another person. Your character can grow and change, but those base personality traits will always be in the background, and should always be reflected in their actions, even over time. For example, someone who’s insecure and shy might be that way in book one, and by book three learns to trust a little and come out of her shell, but there will still be people or situations that might push those buttons and make her retreat a little, or make her a little wary. To completely take away those base personality traits just because she’s “grown” would be a complete betrayal of character.
Which location that appears on the page in the book would you like to visit?
Although there are seven kingdoms, the only ones that have gotten much attention so far in the series are Calia, Orchwell, and Rothschan. And a little bit of Annlyn in the south, but I’ll explore that one more in depth later in the series. Bomora and Shonn (the home countries of two of my biggest supporting characters in the series) have been hinted at, but never fleshed out. I have the concepts now for Books 4 and 5 (which will feature Bomora and Shonn, respectively) and I have to say, I’d want to visit Bomora. Partly because I’m working on the book featuring that now, and also because it took a turn I didn’t expect when I started writing it.
There’s also a mysterious seventh kingdom (so mysterious, I don’t even know a thing about it!), but as I’ve been working on the series I have an idea of what role they’ll play later. But for now, I’d want to visit Bomora!
Which do you find harder, starting a series or continuing a series?
This isn’t quite the answer to the question, but I find it hardest to stay the course and not write other non-related books. I have an idea for a duology, and a few standalone books, completely not related to the Kingdom Legacy books, but I know I need to finish this series first before deviating. There’s just too many things I want to write!
Is there anything you can tell us about any current projects you’re working on?
I actually started book 4 in the Kingdom Legacy series before Heir of Magic and Mischance was finished, which was unusual for me. With the first two books, I completely finished the project (that includes the final manuscript) before moving on to the next novel. But the ideas for Books 4 and 5 were so vivid to me, I had to start getting things down on paper. I’m still in the first draft for it, but I can tell you it focuses on one of my favorite supporting characters from the first two books, Rhyss.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us! Do you have any parting thoughts or comments you’d like to leave for our readers?
Thank you so much for checking out this interview, and I hope you enjoy Heir of Magic and Mischance and the rest of the Kingdom Legacy series!
And finally, where can you be found on the internet if our readers want to hear more from you?
The best place for news is www.rachanee.net - I have a newsletter that readers can join for the latest on my books and other endeavors. I’m also fairly active on Instagram, www.instagram.com/rachaneelumayno
Where to buy the book:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/kingdomlegacy3
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3GW3K25
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heir-of-magic-and-mischance-rachanee-lumayno/1142547272