INTERVIEW: Jasmine Mas
Author Jasmine Mas writes funny romantasy books, set in dark worlds with villainous men and sarcastic women. She studied double majored in Government and Ancient Classical Studies at Georgetown, which has heavily influenced her latest project Blood of Hercules. We at Grimdark Magazine were lucky enough to get some time with Jasmine to discuss her inspirations, becoming a traditionally published author, and her novel Blood of Hercules.
[GdM] What motivated you to write a gender-bent Hercules romantasy? Why Hercules specifically?
[JM] I love reading fantasy romance books with strong female leads. I also love ancient Greek mythology and have always wanted to write a fantasy romance book inspired by it. Since Hercules was my favorite myth growing up, and one a lot of people are familiar with, it seemed like a fun way to bring the story to life. I honestly didn’t think too hard about making Hercules a woman, it just seemed like a fun twist on the tale, and the way I’d always wanted to read it.
[GdM] As an ex-Classical Studies graduate, were you trying to evoke the darker side of Greek mythology in Blood of Hercules? How did you envision your dystopian setting to merge with the image of these well known mythic figures?
[JM] In my Classical Studies program at Georgetown University a theme that constantly came up was “Chthonic” gods and mythological creatures who were associated with death in ancient Greece. It was a constant theme in all my studies and were always compared as to the Olympian gods who were associated with life. It was something I always found intriguing, because it was the quintessential good versus evil, light versus dark comparison, in a way that I’d never heard about. I thought a dystopian setting would be the perfect place to feature the duality of these two factions and what it means, because there is nothing with higher stakes then an apocalyptic setting. It felt like a different and fun way for them to clash.
[GdM] The “morally gray” is a popular trope in romantasy (particularly recently). What was it like writing four of them? Do you envision – Augustus, Kharon, Achilles and Patro – to be redeemable at all?
[JM] I love morally gray characters, and I think Greek myths are the perfect place to tell their stories because they are already full of them (I still have a crush on Ares—help). It was really fun to think through unique character traits, physical and mental, when writing all four of them. All four of them have been raised to perceive themselves as evil because they are chthonic, and that is the role they play in the society I created, but I don’t think that speaks to who they actually are. They’re all redeemable in my eyes.
[GdM] Are there any authors or novels which served as an inspirational touchstone for you?
[JM] I was really inspired by Maximum Ride by James Patterson. It was the first book I ever became obsessed with (when I was 10 years old and I read that Fang kissed another girl, I was so betrayed the entire trajectory of my life changed) , and I re-read the stories more times than I could ever count. I always wanted to write a story about a strong girl with unique powers in a modern world and Blood of Hercules is my attempt to capture that childhood feeling as an adult.
Author Jasmine Mas
[GdM] There are a lot of dark themes touched on in the book (abuse, murder/excessive violence, forced marriages), how did you approach including them in Blood of Hercules – toeing the line between treating them sensitively whilst using them as themes that move the plot forwards?
[JM] I was actually very conflicted about a lot of things while I was writing it, because I didn’t want to offend anyone, but I also wanted to tell the gritty Greek mythology tale that I imagined in my head. Alexis undergoes a lot of traumatic things, just like people in real life do, and she has to cope with them. I tried to flesh out the coping and persevering aspects as much as possible to give homage to the trauma she faces. She’s not unscathed physically or mentally, but she’s also not just a victim. There’s a lot of dualities to Alexis as a whole and I think it’s what makes her feel more realistic and relatable.
[GdM] Which character was your favourite to write about, and why?
[JM] Achilles was by far my favorite. He’s a very unique character because of the fact that they’ve muzzled him and he’s in love with Patro. The fun part was trying to write someone as having a lot of depth, while being unable to write dialogue from their perspective. I constantly had to be thinking of body posture in a way I don’t usually have to.
[GdM] What was your thought process behind deciding to include Alexis’ inner thoughts to the reader in your narrative, especially in such a grimdark, dystopian setting?
[JM] I think Alexis’s inner monologue is crucial to the story because sarcasm and dark humor help make grim stories so much more enjoyable as a reader. Since she was able to make light of the dark setting, I think it’s easier for readers to also make light of it.
[GdM] You’re well known for keeping in a layer of humour within dark romantasy novels (I.e with your Cruel Shiftverse series). How did you find balancing the dry humour of Alexis’ inner thoughts with the dark and dangerous world she lives in?
[JM] I think sarcasm actually lends itself more to dark and dangerous situations. Whenever I’ve dealt with trauma in my own life, I always turn to humor to help myself cope. I think Alexis doing so makes her feel more like a real person.
[GdM] Our readers love all things dark and morally grey in stories – what parts of Alexis’ journey as a mutt Spartan was the most important to communicate to your would-be readers?
[JM] The initiation massacre to get into the Spartan War Academy, after Alexis’ blood test reveals she’s a Spartan, is extremely important because it shows how she acts under pressure. It shows the lengths she’s willing to go to survive, letting her pet venomous snake bite everyone, and shows how tough she can be. She’s been thrust into an entirely new world, but she doesn’t break down. It really captures her resilience and how morally grey she can be.
[GdM] Did you always envision Blood of Hercules to have a sequel when you first started writing?
[JM] Yes, I always imagined Alexis’s story as a duet. There’s so much she still has to discover about herself and her powers, and two books I think is perfect to do that.
[GdM] How has it felt to go from being a self-published author, to getting a deal with Harper Voyager?
[JM] It honestly feels surreal, and I don’t think I’ve fully processed it. It’s been amazing to work with the team at Harper Voyager to help bring Blood of Hercules to stores. It’s so exciting that they love the world as much as I do and I can’t wait for everyone to get to read it.
Read Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
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