About the Book:
“Legends are never forged without a little ruin…”
When Talia unwittingly steals cursed jewels from a powerful Soulreaper, she pays the ultimate price: the Soulreaper takes her sister’s soul. Desperate to save her sister, Talia strikes a deal. She will enter a deadly, magical tournament and if she survives, she will claim the prize of a wish – the only payment the Soulreaper will accept in exchange for the return of her sister.
But the tournament can only be won in pairs. Talia is paired with Taron, the Soulreaper’s brooding, mysterious protégé harbouring secrets of his own. They must find a way to work together if they are going to make it through the deadly trials alive. And as Talia’s feelings for Taron grow, the stakes get even higher. She realises the ultimate price might just be her heart.
Find this book on Goodreads. Find on Bookshop.org UK (affiliate link).
About the Author:
Originally from South Africa, Marilize Loxton
holds a BA in English Literature and Creative
Writing. Based in Hampshire, England, she is
often found exploring walking routes alongside
her beloved Cocker Spaniel. By day, she crafts
compelling copy and digital content in the
marketing industry. Her interests span from a
slight candle obsession to a passion for baking.
Interview:
Pitch your book in 10 words!
Two outcasts infiltrate a magical tournament on the villain’s behalf.
There are many forms of magic in this world. Which would you most like to have?
The magic in my world is deeply elemental and intertwined with nature. Very much the kind of energy I’ve always loved in stories like Avatar the Last Airbender. If I could choose one, I’d absolutely be a Luna, like my main male character, Taron. He can command gravity, and I can’t help imagining how useful that would be when hauling shopping bags in from the car.
Talia’s magic only interacts with negative emotions, unlike others sharing her power. Why did you decide to limit her power in this way?
I really wanted Talia to be flawed in ways that go beyond her worldview. She isn’t the all-powerful chosen one. Her magic is limited, which means she’s often underestimated and dismissed as not good enough (even by herself). I wanted her journey to be about pushing past that sense of inadequacy and proving that even those of us who feel limited can still go after the things we want most.
Taron is an archetypal brooding, tortured love interest. What do you think draws us to these characters?
I think we’re drawn to brooding, morally grey love interests because they feel closer to real life. The people we love aren’t always perfect, and they make mistakes, and not everything fits neatly into black and white. There’s also something irresistible about someone who seems hard and unshakable on the surface, only for those small cracks to show the soft, loyal heart underneath. And of course, the main character being the one person who can see past that exterior makes it even better.
There are twenty-four teams competing in the competition, giving the book a colourful cast of characters for Talia to square off against. Do you have any favourite competitors?
Aside from our pompous prince Cyrus, I have a real soft spot for Kara and Savannah, the girlfriends who enter the tournament together. They look like the perfect heroes on the surface, full of sunshine and honour, promising to use the wish to cure a disease if they win. The public adores them for it. But what I love is that they’re not as pure as they seem. Winning the wish means killing other contestants, so even their noble goal comes with blood on their hands. Their bright smiles are thin and strained, and writing that contrast was so much fun!
The moment Cyrus is introduced, the reader immediately dislikes him – though over the course of the book, there are hints that there may be more to him than meets the eye. Why do you think we enjoy having characters to loathe?
I think we enjoy having characters to loathe because someone like Cyrus walks on the page and instantly stirs something in us, which makes the world feel more alive. A character we dislike also sharpens the contrast with everyone else, making the softer or more complex characters stand out more. There’s also a strange pleasure in watching a character we can’t stand slowly reveal cracks in their armour. It mirrors real life, where first impressions aren’t always the full picture, and people often turn out to be far more complicated than we assumed.
How long into the competition do you think you’d last?
Believe it or not, I’ve thought about this. Alas, I doubt I’d make it past the first trial, haha!
Did the shape or number of the challenges ever change across the writing and editing process?
Oh definitely! At first, the tournament wasn’t split into trials at all. It was one long obstacle course across the island, and contestants could move at their own pace, rest at camps, or push through in exhaustion. I had icy sections with snow and snow creatures, and characters originally travelled between areas by portal. There was even a moving maze at one point. The trials certainly changed a lot as the story evolved!
What’s something you’re most excited for readers to experience in the sequel?
Taron’s point of view, for sure. We get a small glimpse of it in the epilogue, where we see how Madame Vera creeps into his mind and forces her control. Book two switches between Taron and Talia, and it digs much deeper into his fight to break free from Madame Vera’s influence. That’s the part I’m most excited for readers to experience.
Please recommend a UKYA book you think readers will love.
TIDESPEAKER* by Sadie Turner! It’s a lush, salt‑tinged gothic fantasy romance that will appeal to fans of Ava Reid’s A STUDY IN DROWNING and Erin A. Craig’s HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS. (You can read our interview with Sadie Turner here.)
Thank you, Marilize!
*Affiliate link
#UKYASpotlight 
Leave a comment