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Back Queen of Myth and Monsters
Chapters (37)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Content Warning
  6. Map of Cordova
  8. One
  9. Two
  10. Three
  11. Four
  12. Five
  13. Six
  14. Seven
  15. Eight
  16. Nine
  17. Ten
  18. Eleven
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Fifteen
  23. Sixteen
  24. Seventeen
  25. Eighteen
  26. Nineteen
  27. Twenty
  28. Twenty-One
  29. Twenty-Two
  30. Twenty-Three
  31. Twenty-Four
  32. Twenty-Five
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Author’s Note
  36. About the Author
  37. Back Cover

The words crowded my throat and mouth, but I bit my tongue. I would have to tell him. I needed to tell him, but if I did, I risked losing him to Dis.

I risked losing him altogether.

Author’s Note

Today is September 6, 2022, and four weeks ago, I was seriously questioning my ability to write this book. I knew it would be hard—I knew there would be some devastating moments, but I did not expect so many. I am often asked if I know where a book or series is headed, and I usually have some vague idea; such was the case for Queen of Myth and Monsters.

But I was completely wrong, and everything took me by surprise.

I’m jokingly (and not so jokingly) calling this book THE ONE IN WHICH EVERYONE GETS A BACKSTORY because all of these characters I thought I knew (except Ana…didn’t know her at all) had so much more hidden under the surface. Everyone in this book is suffering, and I think the hard part is trying to decide if you are really against anyone because they all have their motives—but that’s the interesting part of being morally grey, and in a lot of ways, I hope you struggle to decide.

First, I want to be clear that Adrian as a character was not modeled after Vlad III. I did research on Vlad III’s life and how he came to be in power because I wanted to study a ruler who was perceived by those outside his country as almost “evil” despite his people seeing him as a hero.

It’s obvious that this book is heavily influenced by the myths and legends from Romania, Slovenia, Germany, and Russia, and this mostly extends to the lore around their monsters.

The vârcolac (or vârcolaci) is commonly called a werewolf, though apparently it is said to be able to shift into more than just a dog. Its origin also varies. In Queen of Myth and Monsters, I decided to make the creature into more of a werewolf-type monster, so it could stand on its feet. I wanted something that could mimic human movement to differentiate it from the aufhocker.

Aufhockers are also interesting. They look most like a grim (a black dog seen as an omen of death) but I do not feel like they act as one at all. The name is Germanic and means “to leap upon,” which is what aufhockers would do to unsuspecting travelers. They were said to weigh down their victims until they caused their death or until they reached home.

Aufhockers can also appear in various forms, including as a spirit or a goblin-type creature. There is a version of it that is considered a vampire because it rips out the throats of its victims.