Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz: 8 quick & cheeky questions
A cursed prince walks into a bar… no, this isn’t a joke. It’s the start of Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz and things only get messier from there.
Anyway, I was lucky enough to get the chance to interview Melissa to celebrate her book. Because: Ancient weapons of devastating power! A sarcastic barmaid! A fake engagement/marriage! Just delightful. Truly.
I made sure to ask the important questions such as: What gets you banned from a fantasy tavern immediately, best examples of faking dating in movies and books plus who Rings of Fate is very much not for.
And if you weren’t already familiar with the author, Melissa de la Cruz is the author of over 80 books across genres and age groups and Rings of Fate is her leaning into snarky humor, romantasy, snarky barmaids and a broken prince. I’m pretty sure I’ve even seen some authors and readers comparing it to The Princess Bride, so I don’t know about you, but for me…yep, sold!
Read the interview below.
Thanks so much for chatting with us today Melissa and congrats on the launch of Rings of Fate! I’m so honoured to chat with you!
1. Firstly, I know Rings of Fate is gonna be a good one for the readers who love a fake engagement. It's my favourite and anecdotally I know a lot of readers who eat that right up too! So, what are your favourite films/movies and books with these types of premises, whether in the fantasy genre or outside of it?
My favorite fake dating movies are Easy A, The Proposal, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. For books with the trope my favorite is “Better than the Movies.” I love this trope, because it’s so delightful when the “fake” stuff becomes real - such a thrill!
2. Your genre portfolio is truly impressive, as the author of over 80 books for readers of all ages! What is your favourite genre or one you naturally gravitate to, to write? And what is your favourite genre to read? What would it be if you could only pick one?
I love writing fantasy although it is the HARDEST genre since you have to build the world and the magic system and the history. That’s a lot to do! But I love it. It’s my favorite for sure. Fantasy is also my favorite to read. Right now I am loving the Travis Baldree Legends and Lattes series.
3. You’ve written across genres and generations of readers. How would you say you’ve evolved and grown as an author from your beginnings to now?
I think you learn with every book. You learn what makes characters come alive, what people enjoy reading, you learn more about plotting and pacing. I’ve never written such a long book before, so that was a new learning experience. I do think I have gotten better with every book especially this year, but I also look back fondly on my books like Blue Bloods or The Ring and the Crown where I was writing from youth and enthusiasm and wanting to experiment.
4. Romance and fantasy or romantasy or fantasy romance etc. is truly having its moment, especially now. Can you recommend some of your favourite authors and their books/series of this genre that you’ve been inspired by?
I love Fourth Wing, I thought that was really a moment in publishing like The Hunger Games. I also love anything Holly Black or Maggie Stiefvater write, they are my favorite authors.
5. I’ve noticed that if you break any of the house rules at Raven’s Beak tavern, you have to buy the whole tavern a round of drinks, which is totally fair. But what behaviour would immediately get someone banned from the tavern?
Getting handsy with the barmaids! None of that please!
6. What part of yourself do you think always sneaks into your female leads, whether you mean it to or not?
I’ve often been praised for the agency my female characters have, and I think that comes from me. I will never wait around, I will always do whatever I want to do and that’s in my female characters.
7. Which other female characters could you see Aren being besties with, across other films or books?
She would totally vibe with Arwen, who was a bit of an inspiration for her even name-wise. And Eowyn would be a pal too for sure. Strong ladies for the win!
8. It’s easy to find the target audience for this book. Especially with comparisons to The Princess Bride, fantasy-romance/romantasy readers, as well as who is drawn to certain premises and tropes. Yet, what I find fun is ruling out who your book is NOT for. Who is Rings of Fate not for?
Rings of Fate is NOT for people who have no sense of humor lol. If you can’t vibe with a frying pan and a hot broken prince, this is NOT the book for you.
Thanks so much to Melissa for chatting with us.
Always remember to support your local indie book store and purchase it there… but if that’s not an option, get it on Amazon here.
