I had no idea Isolde would become a shifter in this book, and I fought it hard. I’m not sure what it is about werewolves, but I have never had an affinity or interest in them. That being said, I think the dynamic of the aufhocker is so interesting, and I love that later I can explore Isolde shifting into different forms other than a “dog.” (I don’t really prefer that term because I feel like…the form is so much more robust, but I don’t know what else to use).

Another element I want to touch on is Winter’s Eve. It’s based on St. Andrew’s Eve, sometimes called the Night of the Wolf, and is celebrated on November 30th. It is believed to be a night when magic is, essentially, at its strongest, which is part of the reason all types of monsters and the undead are able to wander around on this night. In particular, wolves are believed to be the most powerful, likely because St. Andrew is considered their protector. Several rituals were completed to prepare for the night, including hanging garlic.

Perhaps the most difficult element of this book was the magic—but this is also where I have the most to say.

I began reading a book called Witch by Lisa Lister, which detailed the rise of the patriarchy and, as a result, the oppression of women, their magic, and the demonization of witchcraft. I also began reading When God Was a Woman, which details the steady fall of a world that first worshipped women into a society that now seeks to revoke our rights—all because women are powerful.

We are powerful in the ways our world likes to undermine and silence us. Our intuition is often overlooked as only a feeling or being oversensitive. Our ability to give birth and control over our bodies are carelessly handled by men in government, who use religion as a weapon and reason when the Bible is only a myth constructed to oppress.

I always wonder what the world would have been like if humanity had chosen a different epic as the crux of its mainstream religion—which was one of the ideas that drove how the world of A Touch of Darkness unfolded.

I wanted part of the magic in the world to feel as though any of us can do it because I believe that we can. Magic comes in the form of intuition, that deep trust we have within ourselves to follow our instincts. Magic comes from the words we speak that can manifest a life beyond our wildest dreams. Magic comes from choosing to see meaning in symbols.

This is the foundation of the magic system in Cordova. Sometimes I felt like it was hard to pinpoint, especially for Isolde who has been trying to open herself to feeling and having this awareness after it was locked away due to her trauma.