As we approach the release of City and Shadow, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about my vision for the entire series.
Venom and Blaze
Venom and Blaze came out in 2024, introducing us to the characters who later go on to terrorise the protagonists of City and Shadow. It’s the story of how Venom goes from traumatised princess to terrifying ruler, someone who chooses to strike first and think later, someone who refuses to let herself get hurt again.
Fable and Legend
Fable and Legend was released earlier this year. It follows the story of one of my favourite characters, a girl called Fable. One of my favourite things about this series is that every story is interlinked, but not necessarily related. Characters that refuse to stay in the background end up getting their own novel.
Fun fact: so far Fable is the only character to appear in all of the books so far.
Omen and Myth
Omen and Myth is the short story I contributed to Bewitched Blooms, a fundraised anthology organised by author Briar Boleyn.
Chronologically, it fits in between Fable and Legend and City and Shadow – and it follows the story of Legend’s twins as they journey to meet their father.
One of my regrets for Fable is that she (SPOILER ALERT) doesn’t end up with Cobalt, her first love. In fact, he stabs her in the back and quickly regrets it. But I always felt Cobalt wasn’t really bad at heart – and so he makes an appearance in Omen and Myth. Does he redeem himself – or does history repeat itself?
City and Shadow
City and Shadow is due out this year. I’m currently proofing the galley print so as soon as I get those edits back to my publisher, we’ll have a release date and the book can be pre-ordered.
City and Shadow is probably my favourite book in the series so far. I love the character of City and I think readers will be able to relate to her. She’s uncertain where she fits in life, who her friends are, she compromises a lot of her own needs and wants to please other people… In many ways, she’s the opposite side of the coin to Venom. Will she follow Venom’s footsteps and choose to embrace the dark aspects of her character? You’ll have to read the book and see!
Fun fact: City and Shadow is the only book in the series told from one point of view.
Flame and Phoenix
I’m currently editing the fourth book in the series. It’s not been submitted to my publisher yet and there’s always the chance they’ll reject it. But my plan is to get this book tidied up and then send it to them.
The majority of Flame and Phoenix is set on Mirror Island. This gave me the chance to answer a lot of (my own) questions about the culture there. And questions like “Why don’t the Mirrors just swim off the island?” “What happens if two Mirrors have a child?” “Do they have their own set of laws?” And also one question from a particularly eagle-eyed reader: “Why, on page 12 of Venom and Blaze do you describe Venom’s mother as having navy eyes when only the Mirrors have navy eyes?”
Full transparency: that was a mistake. But it gets an explanation in Flame and Phoenix. And the truth will shock you to your core. Probably.*
Quiver and Arrow
The final book in the series is Quiver and Arrow. Quiver is a character first introduced in City and Shadow. Here’s the WIP blurb:
Quiver’s world is thrown into turmoil. And it’s only getting worse since he became king.
Someone is murdering Mirrors. The people are getting restless. His mother is acting more and more strangely. A mysterious girl has turned up, with no memory of who she is. Oh, and, on top of that, his best friend City has returned – and she’s dying. Can Quiver protect his kingdom, save his best friend and uncover the secrets hidden within his own family?
Quiver and Arrow is currently written – and I’m really proud of it. It’s the darkest, most politically complex book I’ve ever written. And it’s not for the faint of heart.
So there we go. That’s my working plan for the whole Mirrordom Legends series. As soon as there are any concrete developments, I’ll blog and post about them. In the meantime, back to editing the proof of City and Shadow!
* Note: I am not responsible if, after reading Flame and Phoenix, your core remains unshocked.
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