Tell us about yourself!

I’m a YA fantasy author who writes mighty girls and diverse worlds. Growing up, I moved often, and lived in very diverse communities—my middle school had students from about seventy different nationalities. But when I turned to my favourite stories (by and large fantasy) there was a bit of cognitive dissonance, because these worlds were strangely monochrome. It was rare—so rare!—to find a book with a strong female lead who lived in a world even marginally as diverse as the one I saw reflected in my own reality. Even just finding female leads at all could be a challenge!

The effect of this was simple: when I began writing, I wrote in that same blindered world where diversity meant elves and dwarves, and everyone lived in a fantastical medieval Europe. I could not imagine a fantasy world where I had a right to exist, to take up space, because I’d never seen it. It took years to break out of that mold—Thorn was my first attempt at it. And I’m so happy to see that efforts like the We Need Diverse Books movement, as well as indie publishing generally, have made it possible for marginalized voices to be heard and recognized.

The world I have grown up knowing is amazingly rich and wonderful; I learned so much about myself and my world by developing deep friendships with people of different cultures, perspectives, and life experiences. And I am so grateful for the opportunity to write stories that reflect just how awesome the world (real or fantastical) can be.

What does NobleBright fantasy mean to you? Why is it important?

To me, NobleBright fantasy is about writing characters who lean toward a higher moral code. At the end of the day, however much they may fail, whatever their flaws, they find their way toward trying. And there’s hope in that, hope for the character, and hope for the reader. I love writing YA generally because it’s a genre in which hope is almost a default—even when we read a tragedy, there’s almost always some hope at the end of it, even if it’s just that the character will learn to move on and rise again. NobleBright fantasy encapsulates that hope and fosters it with a sense of effort. And that’s so important in today’s world: working hard for what is right, however you can best define that, and having hope for a better day to come.

How did you start writing?

I’ve always made up stories, from the time I could staple a “book” together and illustrate it myself. In middle school my favourite assignments by far were the ones involving writing short stories. But I didn’t really start finishing stories for myself until much later. I started a lot of stories, but I still remember that critical moment when I finished the first short story that I’d written just for myself over spring break of my first year at college. By my senior year, I set myself a challenge to write a book, taking the Grimms’ tale “The Goose Girl” as my source material. That first draft, finished before I graduated, eventually became the story you have before you now.

What are some of your favorite books/authors? Why?

So many! Most of the authors and books I love have that same NobleBright flavour to them, whether they categorize themselves as such or not. I love Anela Deen’s Beneath Cruel Fathoms, Isabel Ibañez’s Woven in Moonlight, Meagan Spooner’s Sherwood (a well-done enemies-to-lovers trope will get me every time, and Sherwood blew it out of the water). I will buy pretty much anything W.R. Gingell writes, and have a secret soft spot for the MurderBot Diaries by Martha Wells. I also grew up a Jane Austen aficionado and still love both her scathing social commentaries, brilliant sense of humour, and incredibly deft touch when it comes to irony.

Please tell us about your world and your characters.

Thorn opens in a kingdom that feels rather like the staple medieval European fantasy we all rather expect. Princess Alyrra is awaiting the arrival of a king from a much larger, more powerful neighbouring kingdom, come to seek her hand in marriage for his son. No one knows why, and Alyrra has had a difficult enough upbringing that she’s aware there’s more here than meets the eye: she’s not the best candidate the king could seek out, which means there are secrets at play here, and trouble brewing. She’s not at all wrong.

Alyrra was both a heart-breaking character to write, and a delight. Having grown up in an abusive home, she doesn’t value herself, and her strategies for survival are to make herself small, keep quiet, and stay away. So, when she lights on the opportunity to leave behind a life she has never felt secure in, she grabs it with both hands for all she’s worth. Even if it means she must learn to live in a land where she barely speaks the language and stands out as a foreigner, even if it means that she must give up the wealth and apparent power of her old life. Unfortunately for her, leaving behind the court could cost the prince his life, while returning will cost Alyrra hers.

Do you have any works in progress? Tell us about them!

I have two! I’m currently drafting a companion duology to Thorn, featuring an all new heroine name Rae. (You’ll find a short story with her at the back of Thorn!) In The Theft of Sunlight, Rae ends up traveling to the capital city, where she finds herself accepting an appointment as an attendant to the foreign princess (yep, that’s Alyrra!). It falls to Rae to investigate the strange and ongoing disappearances of children from the kingdom that was only just touched on in Thorn.

I’m also working on the third book in The Sunbolt Chronicles. This series centers on a street thief with a dangerous magical secret, and her nemesis, the dark mage who killed her father—and appears intent on taking over the Eleven Kingdoms. This is a fast paced, seat-of-your-pants type of adventure story, and is such fun to trade off writing with stories like Thorn, which are more of a slower burn. 🙂

Where can we find you online?

I’m on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with the user handle BooksByIntisar. You can also visit me at booksbyintisar.com and snap up a free short story if you subscribe to my monthly author newsletter. Thanks so much for reading!