Today I’m back with an author interview for my spot of the tour for Clash of Fate and Fury. This tour is being hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I’ve said this many times before, but I love getting to know more about the author behind books I love or want to read!
Keep on reading to find more about Clash of Fate and Fury and read my interview with Rachel Menard.
Clash of Fate and Fury (The Labors of Gen #2) by Rachel Menard
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publishing Date: March 21, 2023
Seventeen-year-old Gen may have rescued her beloved father from prison, but she hasn’t saved him yet. If she fails her end of a bargain with the Olympian Empresses, they will send him right back to his cell. To keep the Empresses happy, Gen must bring them the legendary golden apples of Hesperides and the monstrous Cerberus. But both are rumored to be in the neighboring Elysium Empire, which has a long history of war with Olympia. Making matters worse, Gen’s former enemy and newly designated heir to the isle of Arcadia Castor invites herself on the journey, hoping a golden apple could end Arcadia’s reliance on Illumium for storm vials. And Castor’s twin brother, Gen’s StormMaker boyfriend Pollux, has been pulling away from Gen due to troubles stemming from her mind magic.
With Castor’s pirate-thief girlfriend and Pollux’s servant companion in tow, the unlikely team embarks on its voyage. But war is only an insult away in Elysium, and more than the Emperor has their eyes on Gen’s mission. The quest has caught the attention of one of Elysium’s Oracles, and trouble is sure to brew with Prophecy on the rise.
Content Warning: violence, death & sexism
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Author Interview
How was writing Clash of Fate and Fury different from writing Game of Strength and Storm?
This is the first book that I wrote with an outline first. I already had the world, the characters, and the storyline set, I only had the fill in the details with specific scenes and build out the emotional journey. For my multi-pov stories, I always feel like the book is mostly one character’s story. Game of Strength and Storm belonged to Gen. Clash of Fate and Fury is for Castor. This time, instead of focusing on how Gen was affected by Castor’s actions, I thought more about how Castor was affected by Gen.
What has been the favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
The friends I’ve made. I had a tough time connecting with fellow writers before I was published, especially with a lot of book events going digital. Through this journey, I’ve met so many other authors, and it makes the whole process so much more fun. Book people are my people.
If you were a character in Clash of Fate and Fury, what kind of character would you be?
In Clash of Fate and Fury, we introduce the neighboring empire of Elysium, and most of the residents there are centaurs. I think it would be fun to be a centaur warrior, running fast on horse legs while firing arrows at the enemy.
Describe Clash of Fate and Fury in five words or less.
Enemies to reluctant allies with monsters.
What is your favorite quote from Clash of Fate and Fury?
“She would not let anyone tell her what to do anymore, she would not let this island fail, and she would never, ever give up her claim to it.” – Castor
What do you hope readers take away from your story?
That you can take control of your fate and change your destiny…but it won’t be easy.
Could you give us 5 random facts about Clash of Fate and Fury (think the story, writing, publishing, anything that comes to mind)?
This was the first sequel I’ve ever written. They say when you’re trying to get traditionally published to not write second books in case the first doesn’t sell, so I’ve always written something new. That being said, I wrote Clash and Fate and Fury the only way I know how. I treated it like its own story instead of a sequel.
As I mentioned, the Elysium people are centaurs, and in the first edit, I had their castle made with stairs. My editor suggested I make them ramps, which is brilliant. Of course they would use ramps!
In both books, Pollux’s use of magic through the violin and his creative performances were inspired by performance violinist Lindsey Stirling. Check her out if you haven’t already. She is amazing!
I’d never intended to give Castor a girlfriend. Adikia was a character added through discovery writing, but as soon as she appeared I knew she had to stay and play a prominent role in Castor’s life. Without Adikia breaking open Castor’s armor, I don’t think we would see who Castor truly is.
In my initial concept, I’d thought Flek and Gen would have a deeper romance, but when it came down to writing, I couldn’t believe Gen would do that to Pollux so she didn’t.
Tour Schedule
If this interview has you more curious about Clash of Fate and Fury, click here for the full tour schedule. Amazing bloggers and bookstagrammers are also talking about this book during the week.
About the Author
Rachel Menard was born in New Jersey, raised in Arizona, and then relocated to Rhode Island. Throughout her life she has been a barista, college radio DJ, singer in an alt-country band, marketer, designer, and finally, a writer. Her short fiction has been featured on the Cast of Wonders podcast and her non-fiction has been seen in Writer’s Digest. Her debut novel, Game of Strength and Storm, is coming from Flux Books in 2022.
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Clash of Fate and Fury sounds amazing and I need to read it soon! I want to thank Rachel for taking time and answering my questions. I would definitely suggest checking this series out.
