Chapter 17

Icarus untangled knots fused by the passage of time and neglect. It was a hearty stack of papers and took both hands to stop them all from tumbling to the floor, but he managed and set them down between himself and Maren. Neither of them spoke for a heartbeat, both of them taking in the yellowed pages that would more or less explain to them a great deal about what was happening. Icarus looked up, Maren met his eyes. 

“We can still walk away,” she said. “We have no obligation to any of this. We don’t have to do it.”

He smiled weakly and shook his head, “I think we do, Mare. Too much has happened that can’t be coincidence. The bánánach, Eilonwy, the Inquisitor. If we try to walk away now, I’ve a feeling something will drag us back in.”

“Listen to you, sounding like a zealous congregant now that you’ve no collar to preach with,” she mused. In passive agreement, she reached towards the stack for a bound leather book with an overworn spine. 

Icarus grunted, “Yes, I am known for my belief that the Pale God finds me special.”

“Arguably your best trait some days,” she opened the book and began to read. 

Icarus stared at the dense Pale Doctrine swollen with notes and tabs and secrets and lies. She had left this for him to read, a sacred text between father and son that contained things not hers to read—not first, anyway. He couldn’t decide if he was grateful when he forced his hand to move, to pick up the volume that contained everything he both wanted to know and recoiled from. 

He opened the cover and began to read. 

**

It was a book of horrors Icarus had to put down several times as he read. His mouth was dry reading through note after note, unfolding scraps shoved in between pages with trembling hands, letting his silence grow tighter and tighter. He made it through two books of the Doctrine before setting it aside. 

He took a deep, shaking breath and rubbed a hand along his brow, “I have to take a break. I can’t… Mare, what the fuck.”

He instinctively reached for his flask before remembering he was in plainclothes with a grimace. Standing, he beelined for the lopsided nightstand that served as a liquor cabinet and liberated a bottle of something that still looked in good sorts. The cork popped cheerfully and he took a long drink of burning amber, letting its calm settle into his bones. 

Her face was equally pale, “It’s a book about the Veil. He shouldn’t have been able to take it from the library, it’s supposed to be in their restricted section.”

“Can’t be worse than reading about passages to help your congregation feel the true horror of the Stygian Lord,” he took a more measured sip and leaned back. The lack of chastisement for his gamble on a bottle of fifteen year old liquor worried him more than the book’s contents. 

“Listen to this,” she leaned forward and traced the passage with a long finger. “...and when the Great Fracture cleaved one into three, the Veil was stitched together from the chords of the Earth’s song and hung between the world of fae and man. Likewise, the Stygian Lord sealed his demons beneath the world and inked the Gate of Blood from His own hand.”

“Go on,” Icarus’s head was spinning from more than just the well-aged whiskey. He knew the Great Fracture, when the realms of fae, man, and demons entered their current state of spiritual warfare. Both predated on man, attacking from two fronts, but sealed implied protection, not forming a great demonic offensive. 

“The Veil will not suffer man, thus man suffers in its place. The Gate of Blood remains closed to all but the Pale God His brother,” Maren looked up and tried to sort out her next words carefully. “This doesn’t make any sense. This isn’t what…”

This isn’t what the Church has taught us. Icarus already knew that as well as she did. Their lives, their tutelage in the Church, had always been about the war of fae and demon against man clawing to usurp the Pale God by obliterating His congregants. What Daedalus had been reading seemed to preach the opposite. 

“What if…” Icarus paused, not so fresh out of the Church he had unspooled all of his lifelong beliefs. “What if we aren’t doing the Pale God’s work? What if we’re…”

“What if we are the demons?” She finished for him and let it hang suspended and terrible and probably true. 

He looked out the window into the fading grey-black early evening and let himself take a final drink before replacing the cork. If he didn’t he’d be facedown before midnight and Pale Lord knew what had taken up residence in these rugs. He sighed, “Go home. You’ve done enough today and nearly sacrificed a lung to do it. I’ll keep going for a bit.”

“Icarus-”

He held up a hand, “Maren, you’ve done enough. Go home and rest. I’ve got another hour or so in me, I’ll meet you in the morning. Whatever’s in these books isn’t going to get worse if you don’t read it right now.” He swallowed hard, “Besides, I’m nearing capacity for all the disgust I can swallow. And I’ve swallowed a lot of disgust in my days.”

She let herself weigh his argument before snapping the book closed and setting it on the table. In a graceful motion, she was on her feet and pulling on her coat, pausing only to pat his arm, “One hour. No more. Then go rest. You weren’t yourself this morning and it makes me worry about that head wound.”

He shrugged, “Not much in there to rattle around in the first place, I wouldn’t worry.”

She shot him a reprimanding look and turned, leaving him standing in the dusty old sitting room with only the low-burning fire for company. He sighed, rubbing a hand along the back of his head and feeling for the scabbed-over gash in question. It was significantly smaller than he expected for something causing him so many problems. 

Icarus paced the room and examined the scant paintings of suffering Saints—Lazriel, Brida, Kiernan—who had endured excruciating deaths during the Great Fracture and the period of instability that followed. How much of it had been real? How much of it was a twisted and manipulated fantasy of the Church in an effort to gain traction?

Without the Church, Icarus mused, what was there before?

He hadn’t thought much about the Church’s history, there hadn’t felt like a need. The Great Fracture occurred and split the three realms, then man was defending itself from two sides as fae and demons tried to infect their world and overpower the Pale God. It was such a clean story, such a neat tale of how the Church came to be that conveniently also forged a viable crusade for the people. After all, it was hard to deny they were being attacked when someone watched their family and friends’ bodies fight off one of the invaders in question. 

He frowned, unable to shake one thing that bothered him. He sat back down and leafed through Maren’s book until he found the same passage again. He propped it open and went to Daedalus’s Pale Doctrine, leafing through until he found the Book of Admonitions.

Admonitions had always been a ghastly telling of what was coming, the great white flame of the Pale God descending onto the Earth to burn out the damned and bring the righteous into His loving embrace. 

“Whatever that means,” he grumbled to himself. 

It was a book full of grisly stories of suffering—how the fae would be torn to pieces and their grey skeletons turned to char and ash, how the demons would be crucified and torn apart by great heavenly beasts. He hated that book, but most frustrating of all was how it had come to exist. Saint Paolo took a brutal fall and struck his head on a rock, then a few days later started having visions and decided they were from the Pale God. Visions of what was to come, he had proclaimed. There was no cause to believe it other than the word of a madman with a head injury. 

Icarus was beginning to learn a lot more about the precarity of anything said by a man with a head injury. He leafed through the Doctrine until he found 13:4 to 27:12 and stared. Daedalus had poured over these. There were a dozen scraps of paper tucked into the pages, circles and lines and illegible notes so dense he couldn’t read the words anymore. 

One scrap landed in his lap, then another. He picked up the first and unfolded it. 

The Veil will not permit MAN. Inquire and attest. 

Another scrawl at the bottom, likely penned later. 

The Veil permits demon.

Icarus stared at the underlined word, a sick feeling settling into his gut. He wanted more whiskey in his blood for this, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He lifted the second note and unfolded it. Eyes wide, he forced himself to read. 

They give their lives for this holy cause. 

A temporary change of state. 

Something in the blood.

It tricks the crossing, it is a way through.

He swallowed. The room dilated. His chest constricted around his thundering heart. Cold ringed his wrist and ran its icy fingers along his arm. It all took shape into a single, grim picture. 

The Church wasn’t just allowing people to endure possession to drive up Mass attendance and take in more coin. Somewhere in its ranks was a subsect of brothers and sisters who were doing something so much worse—they were bleeding out these victims of demonic occupation and using their blood to cross the Veil unharmed. 

The Church was killing people. 

Icarus was on his feet, knuckles white around the damnable notes. He wasn’t thinking, he couldn’t. His head throbbed again, a buzzing built to a roar in his ears. He crossed the sitting room so fast he hardly remembered it and grabbed his coat, shoving one arm into

The votes have been counted and this November we will be reading:

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.

This book has been described as inventive, odd, and mind bending. A lot of us will be rereading it with the hopes of understanding it better with other readers but I personally will be diving in for the first time! I've been a little nervous about starting this one so it's sat on my TBR for quite a while, so I'm happy to be entering this story with you by my side.

Hoping this earlier announcement helps you get your hands on a copy in time. Can't wait to discuss it with you on our Discord!

I am finally doing another unhaul, so it’s time for Inner Circle Early Access! I’d intended to do these either every month or every other month, but my schedule of when I was home (where my books are) vs on campus was so up in the air I never quite managed. That means this is going to be a bigger one! 

Thankfully, my schedule is a bit more settled this year (at least, it’s meant to be) so I hope to have my Pango store up and running consistently and do small unhauls every other month.

For these unhauls, I’ll post photos of all of the books and list out all of the prices*, and you guys will head over to #unhauls on Discord to claim whatever books you’re interested in (first come first serve!). I’ll then list them on PangoBooks as a bundle and send you the link to purchase. If you purchase your book by Sunday night, it’ll be shipped out sometime on Monday. If you don’t purchase until after that point it won’t ship until Friday or Saturday, since I’ll be at school.

You are also free to ask for more pictures in Discord and I’m happy to send them, but if you ask after Sunday night I won’t be able to send pics until the weekend.

The books are in very good/excellent condition (minor shelf wear or remainder marks will be the extent of damage) and come from a smoke free, pet friendly (cats and dog) home.

The early access and 10% off will be exclusive to Inner Circle members, but once the books get listed on Pango publicly (about a week from now), the channel will open up for Follower members to message about bundling books for reduced shipping and adding on remaining ARCs to their orders (for free, of course, though it’ll add to shipping weight/cost).

*prices listed do not include the 10% off discount, because I didn’t want to do math for every individual book. You’ll get an additional 10% of the prices below.

Let’s get into the books!

Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid (paperback) $5

Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai (paperback) $4.50

Let's Split Up by Bill Wood (paperback w/ sprayed edges) $5

Casket Case by Lauren Evans (paperback) $4

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca (paperback) $3.50

How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop by Poppy Alexander (paperback) $5.50

Until Next Summer by Allison Ashley (paperback) $4

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris (paperback w/ sprayed edges) $9.50

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (paperback) $3

Frizzy by Claribel Ortega (paperback) $3.50

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher (paperback) $2.75

Drawn Together by Mercedes Ron (paperback w/ sprayed edges) $7

Isn't It Obvious by Rachel Runya Katz (paperback) $4

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan (paperback w/ sprayed edges) $8.75

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby (paperback) $2.75

The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings (paperback) $4

Dog Person by Camille Pagán (hardcover) $5

Heiress of Nowhere by Stacy Lee (hardcover) $4

The Unexplained Consequences of Bleeding on a Tuesday by Kelsey B. Toney (hardcover) $6

Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson (hardcover) $7

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli (hardcover) $5

Lei and the Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea (hardcover) $6

That's a Great Question, I'd Love to Tell You by Elyse Myers (hardcover) $4.50

You've Found Oliver by Dustin Thao (hardcover) $6.50

The Lure of Wolves and Whispers by Amanda Connolly (hardcover) $8

Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter (hardcover w/ sprayed edges) $6

Ungodly Chaos by Selma Soren (hardcover) $5

The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens (hardcover) $8.50

The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw (hardcover) $8

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco (hardcover) $4.50

Cross the Line by Simone Soltani (afterlight) $15

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (owlcrate) $28

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (fairyloot--picture below bc I forgot to pull it off my shelf) $30

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (signed first edition with printed case--picture below bc I forgot to pull it off my shelf) $25

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace (signed first edition with printed case) $25

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez (owlcrate) $12

Skin by Nikki Payne/M.A.Y.A by Nina Saxena (Kickstarter) $45

Taken by Elizabeth Stephens/Brood by Claire Kent (Kickstarter) $45

Prima by Sherry Thomas/Trade by Cate C. Wells (Kickstarter) $45

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri (illumicrate) $17

Kingdom of the Wicked (Barnes and Noble) $6

Kingdom of the Cursed (Barnes and Noble) $6

Kingdom of the Feared (Barnes and Noble) $6

ARCs can be added on to an order for FREE--as many as you'd like!

Hi nerds,

Do you remember James Patterson? The legend on the back of many books on your parents shelves? He's a prolific Mystery & Thriller writer AND an outstanding literary citizen. Every year he donates $300,000 to support independent booksellers and gift them with a holiday bonus. This year he is also awarding ten bookstores a $5,000 bonus.

Some of you may remember our fabulous teen bookseller Milka. They we're actually the recipient of the award in 2024 and used the money towards their first year of college in NYC.

I nominate all of my booksellers each year and customers are also able to nominate us. If CJ Alberts, River Foxford, Joe Alberts, or Luke Fox (you need our full names to nominate lol) at Sunny's has impacted you in any meaningful way, please feel free to nominate us for this bonus. $500 is incredible but a $5,000 award for the store itself would be life changing. We desperately need adequate fixtures.

Thank you for your consideration. The form is here and open until 10/29: https://form.jotform.com/262385106292154

Love you! Mean it!

CJ

Hi frens,

Resonant by Jeremy Jacobson comes out THIS Tuesday, 10/13. I fell in love with the book from the moment I read it and knew I had to share it with you all. It really is the best blend of classic epic fantasy plot and construction with a fresh new take. Don't believe me? Listen to some of your faves!!!

Here is a list of the amazing authors and creators like @Jaysen Headley and @Michael Kist who have read Resonant and loved it.

It would mean the world to me and our author Jeremy if you pre-ordered his debut today. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads TBR as well!

YA dark Urban Fantasy, mixed with horror/thriller elements. Armitage will leave you guessing what comes next.

There was a recent trend that started popping up on my Threads. Stacks and bookcases of Beverly Jenkins books were tagged by #blackbookthreads. I loved seeing all of them and decided to make a post celebrating Beverly Jenkins and also readers that hold her near and dear to their hearts.

Who is Beverly Jenkins?

Beverly Jenkins is a pillar of Historical Romance. Her strong heroines always pack a punch and leave you thinking about the story long after you finish the book. Since her debut with Night Song in 1994, Jenkins has become a staple of the genre and is known for her exceptionally researched stories and rich, layered characters.

She received the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, along with the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for historical romance. A nomination for the NAACP Image Award in Literature is also on her impressive list of awards. Her over 30 novels have been highlighted in The Wall Street Journal, People, NPR, and other major publications.

Her books critically acclaimed, but Jenkins is also known for her kindness. K.E. Adéwùmí mentioned she 'really does have a good heart. She’s funny, she’s incredibly gracious. A small group of booktokers had a zoom call with her and she took time to talk about her writing craft, upcoming books and just chatted. It was so great of her to do that.'

What Was Your First Beverly Jenkins Novel?

Beverly Jenkins has written over 30 novels, so there are numerous books that a reader could first pick up. My first read was Night Hawk. Shameka Erby's was Topez. K.E. Adéwùmí wrote, "Rebel--I saw that cover at [Barnes & Noble] and never looked back." Over the years, the covers have gone from oil paintings to photos, but the heart of the covers still hit readers. LiteraryJaslyn's first Jenkins novel was Indigo. Ashley C and Brithenovelette both wrote Forbidden. Depending on the era or period you want, there's a Beverly Jenkins novel for you. Jewel was Samirah Khair's first. As you can see, there's a wide range of books to disappear into. If you aren't looking for a historical romance, Jenkins even has a contemporary romance series called the Blessings series along with romantic suspense.

What's Your Favorite Thing About Her Books?

Historical romance is such a unique subgenre of romance, particularly with Black centered stories. Black history so often can be about pain, because it was. There was so much horror, hardship, and terrible societal parameters. But even within these unjust parts, people still lived and hoped. They still found love, friendship, and family.

Jenkins balances all of these pieces while creating compelling characters that you root for. Samirah Khair's favorite part about the novels is, "The raw emotion you feel while reading them." You'll leave her novels learning and immersing yourself in these various time periods.

Brithenovelette said, "[My favorite part is] the research and historical accuracy. A librarian will never leave any important information out AND will include a bibliography in case any nincompoops [want to] come for her knowledge!"

Jenkins balances compelling characters while sucking you into the world she created. Ashley C expanded upon this notion, "[My favorite part is] the history and the amount of research and care that is done when writing. I love how she writes a woman who is strong and soft, a woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what’s right. Seeing Black love displayed in her books in a time period that shows the hard realities for Black people is refreshing and necessary."

Time and time again readers come back to the historical aspect of Jenkins' novels. Jenkins doesn't glamorize the history but instead steps headfirst into it to show readers that Black people found love. LiteraryJaslyn wrote, "[My favorite part is] The history. It’s not just historical romance; these stories are filled with historical knowledge that I have either heard very little about or nothing at all. She can write the most stubborn man who by the end of the book has put down his stubborn ways for the woman he loves. I also can appreciate the mystery element she sprinkles on us because I always notice there is someone who is up to no good." Jenkins has a way of touching readers and leaving them not only with characters they root for, but also a refresh or an introduction to historical periods.

Out of Everything You've Read, What's Your Favorite?

When an author has a vast backlist, it can be hard to nail down a favorite. But readers were able to nail down some of theirs. Samirah Khair said Jewel. K.E. Adéwùmí said Indigo. "The story is a standout," she wrote. "I think Auntie Bev took a huge risk with making the female protagonist a former slave. As someone who is the descendant of the enslaved, seeing someone like Hester get the HEA she deserves is inspiring."

LiteraryJaslyn named two novels as her favorite. "Rebel or Night Song. Beverly writes [in a way] that is enriched with history but also leaves you breathless with the sweet yearning. Rebel was fun it was exciting and Drake and Valinda had the perfect romance. He protected her and validated her feelings, took care of her needs and provided for her when things got rough. Building her a new school was the cherry on top and it just showed how much he valued her happiness. In Night Song this was the perfect forbidden romance. Cara Lee and Chase are the epitome of 'the heart wants what it wants'. One thing I love about Beverly Jenkins is not only does she know how to write a good man, but she knows how to write a good woman into her stories. Valinda and Cara Lee are definitely two women I would befriend in real life."

Ashley C had a similar response: "Indigo because it shows a woman who has given her life to a greater cause and that it’s ok to be taken care of and loved properly by a man who refuses to let you settle and suffer when he has so much love to give and wealth to share."

Over and over again the books may differ, but the responses keep coming back to two ideas. Readers love the complex characters and the historical accuracy brought in the novels. I asked the question to other readers but had to sit with the question for myself. What is my favorite Beverly Jenkins novel? Is it Destiny's Captive with a pirate heroine? Or Rebel, that's set during Reconstruction? I can't forget Wild Rain, with Spring, a woman out west that not only has her own ranch but trains her own horses. It was a very hard decision, but I'd pick Wild Rain and Destiny's Captive as my favorites.

What's In A Cover?

Jenkins' covers are beautiful. Historical Romances usually feature the couple or one of the characters on the front cover. Jenkins' covers feature Black people, a stark difference for a subgenre that usually doesn't. With vivid colors and the characters front and center, her stories showcase Black love throughout history. Covers are the first way to pull in readers, so I asked what their favorite one was.

"Night Song because the raw passion calls you," wrote Shameka Erby. K.E. Adéwùmí also said Night Song because, "the woman on the cover is a Jet beauty of the week - so some 90’s nostalgia & Black History. As well as original Topaz-- it’s simply hot."

LiteraryJaslyn: This is hard. So I’ll do a big 3 and an honorable mention.

1. Indigo

2. Winds of the Storm

3. OG Night Song

HM: Topaz

Ashley C mentioned the original Indigo cover. "Hester finally lets her hair down and she is allowing herself to be free and happy without worrying about society. And Galen looks so good behind her holding his beautiful petite."

Brithenovelette: "Destiny’s Captive because I love a good pirate, doubly when they’re Black!"

Samirah Khair: "Captured. There’s something about the visual of being on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a handsome man that super sexy. I haven’t read it yet, but that’s what I get from the cover."

Me: "These are some of my favorites, but it was super hard to narrow the list to four. They all have pieces I really like. The colors, the outfits, the setting. They're beautiful to look at as pieces of art. I said Destiny's Captive, Captured, A Chance At Love, and Always And Forever."

I love book collections, so I created a collage of our Beverly Jenkins collections!

Thank you so much for answering my questions. Go check out the contributors because they're amazing!

Shamekawrites

K.E. Adéwùmí

LiteraryJaslyn

Ley_ash

Brithenovelette

For me, lately I've been reading in the morning, before bed, & audiobooks during the day while I do chores or play games.

Let's chat in the comments!

Hello my friends, and happy Trans Joy Thursday!

I have had a fairly productive week since last Thursday and a lot of exciting things planned this weekend, as well. I'm currently reading our Quarter 4 book club pick To Our Untamed Core by Sonido Reyes and Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk, translated by Heather Cleary. I am absolutely loving both of them and hope to finish Thirst before Sunday. We will see!

I have been using a planner, which has helped tremendously in maintaining some level of sanity with juggling work schedules, appointments and bookish things. (I spoke at great length about this Tuesday in my Collaborator newsletter if you're curious and on the fence about upgrading to that tier.)

Alisha and I are also heading up to Door County for our date day Saturday and I am so excited. I've only been there once, on our one year anniversary trip, but I just love the vibes up there - truly a magical place to visit.

For today, though, I was able to sneak in some reading time at one of my local coffee shops, The Attic, before I met up with a friend who's moving to California next week.

It's generally on the quieter side, but today was pretty busy. I was able to read a couple chapters before my friend got there, which was a nice change of scenery.

I'm also looking ahead to 2027 for our Quarterly Book Club Picks and Beyond The Rainbow chats, so if you have any book suggestions or authors you'd like to see me speak to, feel free to shout them out below in the comments.

In other, exciting news, earlier this year I was on Thank You For Coming Out Podcast and the mini episode just dropped yesterday! It's about 27 minutes long and you can view it wherever you stream your Podcasts! :)

I am also plotting with my job to create a Little Free Library bookshelf for our community members who use our main building. Stay tuned to see if they approve! (I'm very excited about this as a book nerd, and have so many thoughts and ideas to make it very cute and accessible to my fellow neighbors.)

Before I send you off to enjoy what's left of your wonderful Thursday, what are YOU thankful for today? It could be anything! Please sound off in the comments. I look forward to reading about your joy!

Until next time friends.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

This time we're going classic. What is more frightening than a deep dive into the human condition? The Picture of Dorian Gray will leave you spell bound and questioning what it means to have morality. Don't get me started on that ending!!

Folks on Instagram are sharing their "lore," aka the media that shaped their taste growing up. I love nostalgia-bait memes like this and seized the chance to reminisce about the books that taught me to love reading. According to my mom, I would ask to go to the "raybray," baby Ella speak for library. I demolished all of the Amelia's Notebook paperbacks, which inspired me to scribble in my own composition notebooks. The American Girl books and Dear America books fostered my love of historical fiction. Looking back, it's not a surprise that I'm a devoted diarist and I love to read historical romance.

At the romance read-in that I hosted with Katherine Grant in honor of Banned Books Week, a friend of mine mentioned her love of Ready or Not by Meg Cabot. That YA novel, as well as Cabot's better-known Princess Diaries series, is widely banned across the United States for its depiction of teenage sexuality. Most of the books I loved as a teenager explored desire, consent, and the decision of whether or not to have sex. These novels centered the agency of their heroines: their ability to know themselves, what they wanted, and what they needed. I am lucky I read so many books that respected girls and young women, and encouraged me to respect myself... regardless of what I did or didn't do with my body.

In my 20s I discovered adult romances. I found trade paperback historicals at a free lending library in my hometown and read them even as I judged myself for enjoying them. When romance became more mainstream as a genre with the success of contemporary authors like Sally Thorne and Emily Henry, I came to terms with my deep love of the books I once disowned. They brought me comfort during the pandemic and a turbulent, controlling relationship. Most importantly, they inspired me to grow beyond the erotic short fiction I'd written for years and finish a full-length novel: But How Are You, Really. That book would not exist without Beach Read, The Day of the Duchess, and What a Wallflower Wants.

Now I am lucky enough to read every day for personal enjoyment and professional research. As an author, a podcaster, and hopefully soon a publisher, I have met incredible authors all across the romance genre. Despite its formulaic reputation, romance constantly surprises me because each author takes its central promise of the happily-ever-after and does something unique to their voice and their experience.

What books are central to your lore? What books made you a romance reader? I would love to know in the comments.

Intrigue. Magic. Love. And just a little bit of hope. ✨

Welcome to another Book Club Conversation, where we sit down with authors to talk about the stories, characters, worlds, and ideas behind the books that have captured our attention.

This month, we're chatting with Katy Tearle, author of Between Sky and Sea, the first book in the Black Heart Tribunal series a fantasy filled with selkies, fae, dragons, witches, werewolves, seers, sirens, political intrigue, romance, and a dangerous threat that could be hiding in plain sight.

And if you think becoming the King of All Selkies sounds like a pretty big promotion, wait until you find out what comes next for Mira. 👀

🌊 Meet Between Sky and Sea

Mira's journey begins with a new crown and quickly turns into something much more complicated. Suddenly she's dealing with assassins, supernatural factions, royal responsibilities, and the return of someone who knows her far too well.

And then there's Lukas.

Once her love, now assigned as her bodyguard, Lukas brings an entirely different kind of danger into Mira's already complicated new life. Because sometimes the hardest person to protect is the one you never stopped loving.

We asked Katy what she would say to readers who haven't discovered Between Sky and Sea yet.

If you had to describe Between Sky and Sea in three words, what would they be?

“Intrigue. Magic. Love.”

And Katy gave us a bonus word, too:

Hope. 💙

Honestly, that sounds like a pretty perfect introduction to this fantasy world.

✨ From a Teenager's “Big Fantasy Novel” to a Published Series

One of our favorite parts of talking with authors is discovering how long a story can live inside them before it finally becomes the book we get to read.

Katy first came up with the vague idea that would eventually become the Black Heart Tribunal series when she was just 14 years old.

At the time, she knew she wanted to write something big with extensive worldbuilding and magic but she didn't yet have the writing experience to bring it to life.

Years later, after writing several unrelated short stories containing elements that would eventually appear in the series, Katy remembered that original idea.

What started as her “big fantasy novel” slowly evolved into Between Sky and Sea.

Interestingly, Mira came first.

Katy discovered through her short stories that creating characters readers could connect with before building the world worked best for her. From Mira, the selkie world and surrounding characters began to take shape.

The Black Heart Tribunal, however, was the final piece of the puzzle.

And judging from what Katy has shared about them, that may have been the most dangerous piece.

👑 What Happens When the Crown Comes With Assassins?

Mira's transition from newly crowned ruler to someone dodging assassins and navigating supernatural politics happens quickly and intentionally.

Katy describes the feeling she wanted to capture as something many of us can probably relate to:

You walk into a situation thinking you've been told “it's no big deal, don't worry about it,” only to look beneath the surface and realize...

Oh. Oh no.

😂

Katy also wanted to launch readers directly into the intrigue and action, which makes Mira's new position anything but quiet.

🧜‍♀️ A Supernatural World With a Twist

Between Sky and Sea brings together an impressive lineup of supernatural beings, including selkies, dragons, witches, werewolves, seers, fae, and sirens.

But Katy wasn't interested in simply recreating familiar fantasy archetypes.

She was particularly excited to explore seers, fae, and sirens, using trope inversion and manipulation to take readers' expectations and turn them slightly or completely on their heads.

It's a reminder that sometimes the most interesting fantasy worlds aren't the ones that completely abandon familiar ideas.

They're the ones that make you look at those ideas differently.

🖤 The Black Heart Tribunal

Without giving away spoilers, we asked Katy what she could tease about the threat at the heart of the series.

Her answer?

The Black Heart Tribunal is both insidious and demonstrably dangerous.

They're capable of publicly distancing themselves from their worst crimes with alarming ease.

And perhaps most unsettling of all?

They could be anyone.

👀 We'll just let that sink in.

❤️ Former Love. Current Bodyguard. Complicated Feelings.

Mira and Lukas already have history and now he's responsible for protecting her.

Naturally, that comes with a lot of built-in tension.

Lukas is caught between his duty to his people, his responsibility as Mira's bodyguard, and the love for her that never truly disappeared.

Mira faces her own conflict between her responsibility to her people and the possibility of something more with Lukas.

Katy also explores the idea of living and dying in service to the person you love, making their relationship about far more than simply rekindling an old romance.

We're already intrigued. 💕👀

📖 From Childhood Storytelling to Author

Katy says she's been telling stories since she could speak, and her journey toward becoming a writer began long before Between Sky and Sea.

She doesn't remember writing her very first story, but her uncle saved a copy and eventually gave it back to her.

We'll just say that Katy's literary career apparently started very early. 😂📚

Although she always wanted to be a writer, she didn't believe she could actually make it happen until she grew up, gained more experience, and became a little better at navigating the world.

And now that childhood dream has become a published fantasy series.

We love that for her. 💙

👑 Learning How to Rule

Mira isn't simply stepping into a crown.

She's stepping into a role previously held by her mother while facing an entirely different political landscape.

Katy approached their relationship almost as a cultural divide. Both Mira and her mother want what is best for the Kingdom, but they've experienced completely different circumstances.

And sometimes what a parent believes is best for their child isn't necessarily what that child needs.

At its heart, beneath all the fantasy, politics, magic, and supernatural intrigue, Mira's story is also about a parent and child trying to understand one another.

👀 And That Ending...

Finally, we had to ask the question every reader wants answered:

What does Katy hope readers feel when they close Between Sky and Sea?

Her answer may be the most relatable author response ever:

“How dare you?!”

followed immediately by:

“Where is the goddamn second book?!”

😂📚

And honestly?

We feel like that's exactly the kind of reaction a fantasy series should inspire.

💙 About Katy Tearle

Katy Tearle is the author of Between Sky and Sea, the first book in the Black Heart Tribunal series.

Her fantasy world combines supernatural creatures, political intrigue, romance, magic, and characters who are learning that power comes with considerably more complications than a crown might suggest.

📚 Read Between Sky and Sea

Purchase:
Buy Between Sky and Sea

⭐ Continue the Series

Pre-order Where the Sky Dreams of Stars:
Pre-order Where the Sky Dreams of Stars

📱 Follow Katy Tearle

Instagram:
@katytearle.author on Instagram

💕 Want the Full Conversation?

This is just a preview of our conversation with Katy Tearle!

Want to read the complete Book Club Conversation, including all nine questions and Katy's full answers?

✨ Join The First Editions to unlock the full extended conversation and discover even more about Between Sky and Sea, Mira, Lukas, the Black Heart Tribunal, Katy's writing journey, and what's ahead for this fantasy world.

Come join The First Editions and keep reading with The Page Ladies Book Club! 📚💗