But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he’s forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.Īly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show.

Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. They’re thought of as incapable, overly emotional, and their thoughts and desires are written off and derided as “girly” (like that’s a bad thing). She’s formed her identity both because of, and in spite of, the rigid expectations people have a young women. She’s such a badass! What did you enjoy most about telling her story? The scaffolding was invaluable for me, but at a certain point my characters pulled me in different directions, and I had to honor what felt most organic for the book. Then as I began to write, I’d diverge from the outline and change the story as I went. I wrote the first few chapters of this book with only the slightest idea of the character arcs, then paused to outline the remainder of the book in detail. Her quest for justice, her obsession with revenge, the distain she felt for the larger world that doubted her-they fell into place when I’d imagined the look on her face as she fled.ĭo you consider yourself a pantser, plotter, or something in between? What was your process while writing Empress of a Thousand Skies?ĭefinitely somewhere in between. The first scene I’d imagined is placed fairly early on in the book, where she survives an explosion and zooms off into space. I’d imagined a girl constantly underestimated, but sly and smart and resilient. Where did the idea for Empress of a Thousand Skies come from? And make sure you scroll to the end for your chance to win a copy of your own! Check out our interview to learn about Rhoda’s writing process and what we can expect from the sequel to Empress of a Thousand Skies.

Rhoda Belleza’s debut novel features space opera action, a badass female main character, and a Lunar Chronicles-esque vibe. I’m thrilled to be a stop on the blog tour for Empress of a Thousand Skies.

Rhoda belleza