J.A.R. Huygebaert asked James Islington:

The internal voice of Vis is very analytical and rational. He thinks before he acts, has clear, logical reasons for what he does. I feel like almost every character in the book does this. Was that a concious decision, did you spend extra time on developing this side of the book? It makes the characters extremely realistic and enjoyable to read. BTW, I just finished my 8th re-read of the novel.

James Islington For Vis, it was partly a conscious effort – I really wanted him to be able to think his way out of situations, not just fight - and partly a necessity of writing in first person, where you’re naturally spending a lot of time in a character’s head. But I’ve always felt that if the reader can’t easily follow why the main character is doing something, that character just starts to feel irrational (which is frustrating to read, for me!).

For the other characters – definitely, I do put a lot of time into making sure everyone’s motivations make sense as well, both logically and emotionally. I think it helps the story feel more grounded, which was something I was really shooting for in this series.

And, that’s amazing! Hearing that any of my books are enjoyable to reread is one of my favourite compliments, and probably my actual favourite – so thank you!!

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