K.S. Villoso is joining us today to talk about her novel The Wolf of Oren-Yaro. Here’s the publisher’s description:
Born under the crumbling towers of her kingdom, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves. It nearly tore her nation apart. But her arranged marriage to the son of a rival clan heralds peace.
However, he suddenly disappears before their reign can begin, and the kingdom is fractured beyond repair.
Years later, he sends a mysterious invitation to meet. Talyien journeys across the sea in hopes of reconciling their past. An assassination attempt quickly dashes those dreams. Stranded in a land she doesn’t know, with no idea whom she can trust, Talyien will have to embrace her namesake.
A Wolf of Oren-yaro is not tamed.
What is Villoso’s favorite bit?
K.S. VILLOSO
One of my most favourite bits in THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO is this piece of interaction between Queen Talyien and her estranged husband, Rayyel:
“Our special for today is pork bone stew,” the manager said.
“Pork bone stew sounds excellent,” I said. “Rayyel could use a spine.”
“Is heartless shrew on the menu?” Rai asked without batting an eye.
Their meeting, after years of separation, is actually the first thing I ever wrote for this book. It doesn’t show up until a few chapters into the final, published version, but it perfectly encapsulates the essence of it: a story beginning from the trenches of a failed marriage.
The perspective of the characters telling a story is often everything to me. I want to know, from the very beginning, what matters to them—their dreams and goals and how they’re going to go about getting it. Queen Talyien’s story begins where many other characters’ stories end…right after “happily ever after.” What she wants is for that happily ever after to still exist.
It is a sentiment that is familiar to many of us: the desire to continue seeing the world as we were led to believe, to chase after the promises once given to us. Queen Talyien’s whole world is bigger than her husband, but the process of discovering the lies and facade begins with him. They were betrothed as children, and their marriage was meant to signify a joint rule that would cease all hostilities in their war-torn land. She is a “chosen one”—chosen by her father and nation to be the answer to years of chaos, at least. She learns, as we all do, that awakening to reality is uncomfortable, distressing, and maybe even world-shattering. Sometimes the narratives we tell ourselves bear little resemblance to the truth.
And so her story is one that is almost familiar, until it isn’t anymore. Her handsome Prince Charming is cold and cruel, and their supposed fairy tale, happily ever after lives are complicated simply by the mere fact that they are human. Their petty, tension-filled argument in this scene brings the point home—here they are, two supposed diplomats trying to work out an agreement that will benefit their land once and for all, and their emotions take the forefront. Hiding under the barrage of insults momentarily distracts them from the fact that our lives are messy, relationships can’t be reduced to sheer logic, and things can’t be just because we want them to be, even if we’ve all but convinced ourselves we deserve everything to work out in our favour. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg for the main cast of the CHRONICLES OF THE BITCH QUEEN—the epic fantasy trilogy that begins and ends with character.
LINKS:
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro Universal Book Link
BIO:
K.S. Villoso writes speculative fiction with a focus on deeply personal themes and character-driven narratives. Much of her work is inspired by her childhood in the slums of Taguig, Philippines. She is now living amidst the forest and mountains with her husband, children, and dogs in Anmore, BC.
