Exclusive Cover Reveal + Q&A: Shanora Williams Introduces Mayhem and the Mortal
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shanora Williams is likely best known for her diverse romance and suspense novels. She has dipped her toe into the world of romantasy in the past with her Tether series, a dark romance trilogy that features fated mates and a compelling enemies-to-lovers pairing at its center. But her forthcoming novel, Mayhem and the Mortal, is poised to garner some serious mainstream attention.
A darkly funny, wildly romantic, and magical adventure, Mayhem and the Mortal hails from the unstoppable folks at Red Tower Books (home of such titles as Fourth Wing and Five Broken Blades). And it features all the tropes we’ve come to enjoy in the romantasy space, including a smart, diverse heroine, a dangerous quest, and a morally gray hero. It follows the story of Zaira, who’s desperate to rescue her sibling from a dangerous curse—and hires a deadly assassin to help her make sure of it.
Here’s how the publisher describes the story.
Dungeons & Dragons meets The Wizard of Oz in this darkly hilarious romantasy adventure in which a young woman who will do anything to rescue her sister from an evil sorcerer’s curse hires a ruthless assassin. They embark on a quest with a band of misfits, one of whom harbors a devastating secret that could ruin her fairy-tale ending.
Mayhem and the Mortal will officially hit shelves on October 7, but we’re excited to give you a first look at its gorgeous, vibrant cover, along with a sneak peek at the beautiful sprayed edges of the deluxe limited edition hardcover.
We also had the chance to sit down with Willams herself for a quick chat about what to expect from this story and why romantasy is all the rage right now.
Paste Magazine: Tell us about Mayhem and the Mortal! What can readers expect from this story and what sets it apart from the other romantasy titles hitting shelves this year?
Shanora Williams: Oh, gladly! Expect sheer and utter chaos, a lot of adventure, a little dark humor, and spicy chemistry between our heroine Zaira, and our morally gray sorcerer-assassin hero Thane.
In my opinion, the diversity in this world sets it apart. As of right now, I don’t see many romantasies with lead characters of color so I’m excited to introduce Zaira to everyone and hope she’s loved, despite her differences.
Paste: Introduce us a bit to your heroine, Zaira. Where did the inspiration for her character come from, and how would you describe her journey in this story?
Williams: Zaira Quinlock is smart, generous, supportive, and very optimistic. Funny enough, Zaira was originally supposed to be the assassin in this story. It felt very cookie-cutter, though and I wasn’t feeling it, so I worked with my editor a bit more and we agreed to shake it up.
The thing is there are almost always leading characters who are naturally strong, gifted, or can effortlessly sling a sword in romantic fantasies. For Zaira, I wanted her to be 100% human with hardly any talents, navigating a world full of danger and magic. I wanted to see how she’d figure her way out of the trickiest of situations. I wanted her to use her wits. Her journey is hard, I won’t lie, but I believe parts of it also empowered her and gave her a confidence she didn’t even know she needed.
Paste: You did a surprising amount of research to build your story’s fantasy framework — what was the strangest or most unexpected source that helped you envision this world?
Williams: The strangest thing has to be searching about whether people wore bras and underwear during late-medieval/pre-industrial times. In case we’re wondering, research on that is debatable.
Some people say they did wear it, some people say they didn’t. I made my characters wear undergarments because there’s no way a woman can run for her life without a bra or something to hold her girls in place. They’d be flopping around everywhere, and we don’t need that kind of fictional nuisance.
Paste: Mayhem and the Mortal explores themes of discrimination and identity, including persecuted minotaurs and “othered” beastials. Why did you feel strongly about doing this, and what do you hope readers will take away from this aspect of the story?
Williams: I believe no matter what world we may live in, discrimination will always be present somewhere. In this case, it is the beastials and minotaurs who are targeted. In the real world, unfortunately, it’s Black and Brown people. It’s something that can be controlled or tamed, but the corrupt thrive off of our pain, and it often circles back to greed and power. And most times, the privileged will turn a blind eye and pretend it isn’t real or happening because it doesn’t affect them.
The same discrimination happens to the beastials and minotaurs in Thelanor. Their blood can be used to create certain substances for mortals and sorcerers, and that, of course, makes those people money. People will go to great lengths in this novel to hurt or kill them… and nothing is ever done about it. No justice is ever served. They’re hardly ever protected. It’s not fair that they have less of an advantage because people see them only as creatures meant to be used. They’re beings with beating hearts, personalities, and all, which makes them equally important to society.
My hope is that readers read these parts of the novel with nuance and understand that every life is important, no matter how different or unique.
Paste: What element of this book excited you the most while you were writing it? Do you have a particular moment (or character) from this story that you can’t wait for readers to experience?
Williams: Oh—there are so many things! I was most excited about creating my minotaur Rynthea. She’s just this badass who handles business, is super protective of her family and Zaira, and is an amazing fighter. She defies all the odds and doesn’t care about taking up space and owning it. I was especially excited about introducing Zephra, though. She’s the cutest, softest little made-up creature, but also a savage who travels with Zaira, Thane, and the other misfits, and I adore her.
Paste: Romantasy is a publishing trend that’s everywhere right now. What do you think is so appealing about these kinds of stories for readers? (Or for the authors who write them?)
Williams: I believe the appeal comes from having that sweet blend of romance (which has always been significant for many readers and even myself) and crafting it in a fantasy world.
It’s a true form of escape because anything is possible. Stakes can be high or low. Magic can be manipulated and developed in all kinds of ways. There truly are no limits so long as your main characters fall in love and there’s something beautiful about that–knowing that despite the curses, chaos, and dark magic, your characters will find their HEA.
Mayhem and the Mortal will be released on October 7, but you can pre-order it right now.
Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB