War of Mist is almost here!! I have had the pleasure of working with Helen since the first book in the Oremere Chronicles releases back in 2017!
Bleak is such a unique & badass female MC! If you love a good YA Fantasy than you will love this series! Make sure to add it to your TBR’s!
About War of Mist
Title: War of Mist
Author: Helen Scheuerer
Pub. Date: July 25, 2019
Publisher: Talem Press
Formats: eBook
Synopsis:
War is here.
Toxic mist drives all life to the brink of destruction and the conqueror queen, Ines, has her talons in the kings of the realm.
Bleak, having discovered her true heritage, must now scour the lands for the one thing that might save them all.
But the search is a treacherous one – and it will push her to the very limits of endurance.
Amidst secrets, lies and the intricacies of battle, Bleak and her companions learn just how far they’ll go for the ones they love. But will it be enough?
As deadly forces grapple for power across the continents, families, friends and allies unite to take one final stand.
Explosive revelations, heart-wrenching betrayals and breathtaking magic soar in the epic conclusion to Helen Scheuerer’s bestselling trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles.
Interview
1. We usually see mental health addressed in a more contemporary setting, what drew you to writing about it in a fantasy?
For me, mental health is part of the universal human experience, and so the setting in which it’s explored isn’t a critical factor in my eyes. Characters in fantasy should be just as well-rounded as in contemporary fiction, so delving into issues of mental health came naturally to me as I refined my characters more and more.
2. What do you love most about the YA fantasy community?
How passionate everyone is about their favourite books and how rich the discussion threads are about themes and characters. I’ve discovered so many incredible reads through this community. Not to mention, as a new(ish) author, the support from the YA fantasy community has been wonderful. There’s a level of acceptance and loyalty that’s hard to come by in this industry.
3. What’s been your favourite moment while working on The Oremere Chronicles so far?
That’s such a hard question. There have been so many stand-out moments over the last few years. The launch parties are always fun – a fantastic way to bookend the whole process and celebrate all the hard work done. Plus, there’s nothing like eating a cupcake with a mini book on top! However, I’ve found that it’s actually the smaller moments that have a lasting impact. Things like: seeing my map in print for the first time… As well as placing a copy of the second book next to the first on my bookshelf, and now the third…
4. Do you have any techniques to stay on track when you’re working?
I’ve become a lot better at planning over the years. If I have a plan, I can get through a lot more work than without. For writing War of Mist, I had a spreadsheet which outlined all the scenes in each chapter and that helped me get the first draft of that book done in a much more efficient way than the previous two. I try to write everyday to get into a decent routine and I use lists upon lists to keep track of the other aspects of publishing and book production.
5. What’s on your bedside table right now?
I’ve currently got a pile of books that looks like this: War of Mist proof copy, Relic proof copy (the September Talem Press release), The View from the Cheap Seats at the Back by Neil Gaiman, and a jar of fairy lights. 🙂
6. This book explores themes of belonging, identity, coming of age, loss, and overcoming challenges, why do you think these themes are important in YA?
Well, like mental health, these themes are all part of the universal human experience. No matter what age we are, at some point in our lives we’ll have to come to terms with things like whether or not we belong, we’ll question who we are and we’ll all have to overcome challenges. For young adults in particular, these issues are relevant because they’ll be experiencing these things for the first time in a lot of cases.
It’s important that YA books represent a diverse range of experiences, because the YA community are always hungry for books that explore themes they can relate to, no matter how confronting.
About Helen
Helen Scheuerer is a YA fantasy author from Sydney, Australia. ‘Heart of Mist’ is the first book in her high fantasy trilogy, ‘The Oremere Chronicles’. It explores themes of identity, belonging, loyalty, addiction, loss, and responsibility.
After writing literary fiction for a number of years, novels like ‘Throne of Glass’, ‘Elantris’, ‘The Queen’s Poisoner’ and ‘The Queen of the Tearling’ inspired Helen to return to her childhood love of fantasy.
Helen is also the Founding Editor of Writer’s Edit, an online literary magazine and learning platform for emerging writers. In its first year, Writer’s Edit reached thousands of new authors, and soon became its own small press. It’s now one of the largest writers’ platforms in the world.
Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong, as well as a Masters of Publishing at the University of Sydney.
Helen now works as a freelance writer and editor, while she works on the second book in ‘The Oremere Chronicles’.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
There are Prequels!!
If you love prequels as much as I do than click HERE for three, THREE, Heart of Mist prequel stories!!
The Clever Reader 
I’ve never heard of these books but I looked them up and they sound really good! Why is it every time I do this my TBR threatens to topple me…
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I loved the first two & can’t wait to read this one! They definitely fly under the radar so I am glad I could introduce them to you!
My TBR threatens me on the daily as well! The pesky thing! 🤣
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