Book two of any trilogy tends to be my favorite. Consider “The Two Towers” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” just to name a couple of examples.

But there are reasons I have a particular love of book of my own Herezoth trilogy. Here are just a few spoiler-free reasons for that.

1. It’s Vane’s coming of age story. I especially love this kind of story, because it speaks so powerfully to what it means to be human and what life is for. These are themes a coming of age story (also called a bildungsroman) can’t help but explore deeply.
2. Vane and August and wonderful and beautiful together. I love all my couples in all my books–I usually have a clean romance subplot or two in each of them–but there is something special about Vane and August. They’re unique. They start out as good people individually, but they grow together, and they make each other better. I just adore them.
3. Book two allows me to see favorite characters from book one parenting kids in that critical age of 8-12, when the kids are old enough to be discovering life’s confusions, disappointments, and challenges. The kids are discovering who they are but are still definitely young enough to need their parents very much. I love seeing this side of two particular characters from “The Crimson League: The Fight for Hope.”
4. Bennie is one of my favorite side characters, and book two shows her really coming into her own. While she has her moments in book one, book two is truly her time to shine. I love that.
5. Book two is lighter in tone than other Herezoth books. In a societal sense things are more peaceful, and in terms of Herezoth the stakes are lower (though personal stakes are high). Thus, book two allows for exploration of more personal themes. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I can relate to where the characters are in life more here than in other books. I mean, I have never been in a magical civil war, or a war of any kind (thank God!)

Needless to say, I can’t wait to introduce Vane and August to the world on May 30! Stay tuned for more information, updates, and exclusive content as launch day approaches.