One of the things I’ve been doing while planning my new fantasy series is creating images of the characters, creatures, dragons, unicorns, cities, and all the strange little beasties that live in the world. Not because I need everything perfectly nailed down before I write — let’s be honest, my brain will change half of it at 2am anyway — but because seeing them makes them feel real.

There’s something magical about finally looking at a character who has been rattling around in your head for weeks and thinking, yes, that’s them. Or seeing a creature you’ve invented suddenly staring back at you like it has always existed somewhere in the corner of the world, just waiting for you to write it into being.

This series has honestly got its claws into me already.

I love Aeloria. I love Caelan. I love Nyx, Kavren, Eldruin, Sable, Rusk, the elves, the dragons, the politics, the danger, the messy forbidden romance, the terrifying ancient magic, and the fact that every time I think I’ve worked out the plot, another betrayal or emotional gut-punch wanders in and makes itself at home.

It’s been a long time since a story has grabbed me this hard this quickly. I’m already attached to these characters, which is probably a terrible sign because it means I’m absolutely going to put them through hell. Sorry in advance.

Writing fantasy is a bit terrifying, though. There’s always that little voice in the back of my head whispering, Please don’t accidentally write a crappier version of Game of Thrones or The Witcher. Because when you’re dealing with kingdoms, dragons, elves, politics, war, magic, monsters, and morally questionable people making spectacularly bad decisions, those comparisons are always looming somewhere in the distance.

But I’m trying not to let that scare me off.

I want this world to feel like mine. Grittier, messier, more emotional, probably ruder, definitely bloodier, and with characters who love hard, fight harder, and make terrible choices for very understandable reasons.

I’m so excited for this series. I already love it more than is probably sensible, and I really hope readers will love these characters and creatures as much as I do.

Now I just have to actually write the bloody thing.