Mayhem & the Mortal by Shanora Williams: 10 fun questions
A couple of years after the dark romantic fantasy series of violence, chaos, angst and a powerful love that is The Tether trilogy, Shanora Williams returns to romantasy but this time with more grumpy shadow daddy sorcerer-assassins, man-eating creatures and small pink fluffy dragons (and yes, she’s as adorable as she sounds, but perhaps don’t feed her honey).
To celebrate the launch of Shanora’s brand new book Mayhem & the Mortal, I was lucky enough to be able to ask a few questions to the talented author herself.
Shanora takes us through a bit of a behind the scenes of the world-building in Mayhem & the Mortal, her author growth, and reveals a few fun facts about our sunshiney FMC, Zaira Quinlocke and our grouchy—(On the surface? What’s beneath that grumpiness? I’ll leave that for you to discover)—MMC shadow daddy sorcerer assassin Thane Valkor.
Shanora, firstly, congratulations on Mayhem & the Mortal. I’m SO excited for you and all you’ve achieved throughout your incredible career and this seems like such a fun and logical next step considering your vast experience in writing romance, thrillers and romantasy.
1. So what is your favourite genre to write? And what is your favourite genre to read? What about if you could only pick one?
Hi! Thank you so much! I’m really excited to bring Mayhem and the Mortal to the world.
I love writing in all three of the genres you mentioned but the one I seem to flock to and come up with ideas for most is the thriller genre. I’m a suspense addict. I love psychological twists and unexpected moments. But I will say that’s why I love writing romantasy. I still get to weave in suspense and twists with magic.
2. Can you give to-be readers a quick one or two liners about Mayhem & the Mortal’s premise?
Mayhem and the Mortal is about a mortal named Zaira who accidentally hires Thane, a wanted sorcerer assassin to protect her on a quest for a stone that will break her sister’s curse. It’s fast paced, fun, and comes with a smidge of grit.
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?
Oh, that’s a good question. I started publishing when I was 18 and the industry has changed so much since then. I like to think with every book, I always aim to make my voice clearer and much more distinct. I’ve grown to believe in myself and my work, and have vowed to never release a book that I’m not confident in. So much has changed, and it hasn’t been the easiest career to maintain, but my passion remains and I use it everyday to fuel me.
4. As an avid reader of fantasy and romantasy, I’m OVER THE MOON to see romantasy centering Black characters becoming more increasingly recognised and recommended in the past years. Who are your favourite authors who you’ve been inspired by in this space, and what series recommendations can you give to readers who are looking to expand their reading lists, (besides Mayhem and the Mortal + The Tether trilogy, of course)?
I adored:
Analeigh Sbrana Lore of the Wilds.
Rachel Howzell Hall’s “The Last One”. They’re all great and so talented.
5. Zaira is a very sweet bespectacled baker of an FMC in and I love thinking about who she would be besties with from other books and film/TV series. Could you list a few fictional characters who would be Zaira’s BFFs?
This is going to sound crazy, but I’d love her to be friends with The Witcher. I bet he’d have so much fun protecting her on a quest!
6. The Shallows is described in the blurb for Mayhem and the Mortal as a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive. Without spoilers, what inspired the worldbuilding for The Shallows?
I’m not quite sure. I’m more of a pantser than a plotter, so of course I knew The Shallows was going to be a dangerous place with man-eating creatures, but it wasn’t until I reached the chapter about it that it all came to me. All I envisioned was black, and a thick atmosphere that weighs heavily on your shoulders. A place where it feels like you’re being preyed on constantly (because you probably are), but also one that hums with ancient magic. I tend to be a very dramatic writer, so when it was time to create The Shallows, it was showtime.
7. I’m seeing some possible shadow daddy energy in Thane, our highly skilled sorcerer assassin and I am probably going to need to fan myself while reading anything about him. Let’s talk shadow daddies in the literal fantasy archetype and also in the metaphorical sense (for example they don’t need to necessarily wield shadows, but just have that aura or aesthetic or energy, for example Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders who I know you’re a fan of too). Who are your favourite shadow daddies from other series you recommend? And/Or characters with shadow daddy energy?
The first person to come to me is Klaus Mikaelson from The Originals. He doesn’t have shadows but he definitely gave shadow daddy energy. He was insanely cunning and quick on his feet, always lurking and appearing when least expected. I love his character.
8. What is it that is so magnetic to readers about MMCs that may come off as a walking red flag (looking at you Thane Valkor)? When writing someone like Thane, how do you decide what lines he can cross and which ones he 100% cannot, so he remains compelling, but never irredeemable?
I personally love a morally gray MMC who teeters on the edge of morally black. But with Thane, he was already such a mystery, and he wasn’t always the nicest guy (LOL), so I wanted to make sure that whenever he was on the page, it made sense and contributed to his character. He’s been through a lot in his life, but I don’t think his heart ever became hard to the point he was irredeemable. I think at that point, you’re dealing with a villain–which isn’t all bad, either! I love a villain with a good backstory. I think him meeting Zaira (our FMC) shined a light on those softer parts of Thane’s heart, and I wanted the reader to see that he wasn’t just a tough guy with a mask.
9. What part of yourself do you think always sneaks into your female leads, whether you mean it to or not?
Definitely the awkwardness and dry wit. Their love for their family and how they’ll do anything for them. Oh–and sarcasm.
10. What are your top 3 favourite books you’ve read in the past year, in any genre, that you would recommend to readers?
I, unfortunately, haven’t been able to read as much as I’d like this past year due to deadlines, but I did sneak a few in when I could. One I loved recently is Isle of Wrath by Claire Contreras. It’s a dystopian fantasy (releasing in April). It’s really good though and I love the magic system!
Thanks so much to Shanora for chatting with us. Peeps, I can say I’ve read this book and it is an ABSOLUTE DELIGHT. I wrote a book review and guide here if you wanna see more unhinged thoughts here. Read it if you like perilous quests, found family and grittiness contrasted with cozy wholesomeness + spice.
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.
Add it to your GoodReads TBR here.
Pre-order it on LibroFM or Audible
Read my Mayhem & the Mortal book review + guide here.
