There are hardly words to describe just how much I loved this book. It goes back and forth between time and reality. I could clearly picture the character of Sir Una Everlasting as the actress who played Gwendolyn Christie of Game of Thrones and Wednesday fame. She fits the description in literally every possible way. And being able to picture her really brought her character to life.
The story is set up in a made-up world mostly called Dominion… just like an onion, with every layer that is pulled back, more of the truth behind the fairytales/folktales that have been passed down comes to light. The story really grips the reader, pulling at their emotions with every page.
If you’ve read any of Harrow’s previous work (my first introduction was Starling House), you’ll want to pre-order your copy now!
When did you first come up with the storyline for your latest novel, The Everlasting?
I think the first seed was planted in 7th grade, on the day I read the entirety of The Blue Sword. The actual plot didn’t coalesce until a few years ago, but I always knew I was going to write a lady knight book. The trick was to keep my childlike crush alive while facing all the grim complexities of state violence, hierarchy, and national myth-making.
What type of research did you do for your most recent novel?
I really thought I’d finally cracked the code. A secondary world fantasy–what would I even need to research? Ha, ha! In the end, of course, I ended up reading a lot about medievalism in imperial Britain and the American South, and then looked at more specific narratives of gender nonconformity in Western warfare (Joan of Arc, Antonio de Erauso).
The Everlasting featured a role reversal with the female character being the strong one and the male character being the one who struggles in his role. What was it like writing such an inspiring female character like Sir Una Everlasting?
It’s funny–I think “inspiring” is one of the last things I imagined Una would be! In some ways, she’s what happened when I stopped thinking about my strong female characters as…strong female characters. I thought of her instead as a kind of embodiment of heroism, and let her accrue all the attributes that male heroes are given: scars, a history of violence, nobility, loyalty, improbable fighting abilities, interesting traumas, desires, etc.
What was it like going between the POV of Una and Owen?
I moaned and complained pretty much the entire way through this book, but the moments when I got to switch perspectives were some of the truly fun days. It’s an amplified version of the trick all my favorite historical romances pull: to reexamine the same events through another set of eyes, and to make every small change as emotionally fraught as possible. Also, both Owen and Una are sort of exhausting to be around, and it was a relief to switch.
Was it difficult keeping track of the storyline when it went from Owen telling the story to Una telling the story?
Yes, but the whole book was difficult. If you’re doing multiple time loops with small advancing changes each time, which must be reflected in the distant future, and you’re simply not that smart–a little POV-switch is the least of your problems.
What scene between Una and Owen did you enjoy writing the most?
I’d never written really explicit scenes before, and honestly, it was a delight! Just as challenging on a craft level as a good fight scene: evoking familiar emotions without falling into cliches, managing the choreography of limbs, remaining within the bounds of the physically possible, etc.
Did you always know the twist in the story from the very beginning?
God, yes. I realize some writers can trust their subconscious to lead them to incredible revelations, but my subconscious leads me to every character having the same conversation over and over, and then perhaps staring out a window, yearningly.
When writing the book, did you have particular (real-life) people in mind when you were creating your characters? (For example, I could clearly picture Gwendolyn Christie in the character of Una Everlasting.)
I really don’t. There’s often a vibe that I borrow–Dev Patel’s slightly hapless, soulful urgency in The Green Knight definitely informed Owen–but I never imagine my books on the screen in that way.
Are you currently working on your next novel, and if so, can we get a sneak peek?
Yes! And no. But actually next year I’ll have a short story collection out, which I’m really excited about.
Pre-order your copy of The Everlasting.
