Shami Stovall - Harry Potter Meets Pokemon in Award-Winning Series

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators. She loves John, reading, and writing about herself in the third person. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Knightmare Arcanist.

Please give us a short introduction to what "Knightmare Arcanist" is about.

Knightmare Arcanist is about a teenage boy and girl, Volke and Illia respectively, who have been apprenticed to a gravekeeper on their tiny island. In their world, there are people who bond with mythical creatures to become arcanists—a person who can wield magic. The type of magic you have is determined by the creature you bond to.

Example: a phoenix arcanist will have fire and healing powers.

Volke, tired of being a gravedigger, takes a crazy leap of faith to impress a phoenix (in the hopes of convincing it to bond with him) but something terrible happens.

I hate spoiling too much of the story, but let’s just say the book has a lot of twists and turns!

What inspired you to create the world of the Frith Chronicles?

I love all things “monster tamer.” Things like Pokémon, Digimon, Monster Hunter, Monster Racher, Azure Dreams, etc. All of those things make my heart soar! I want a talking familiar so badly, I could explode. So I had to write this story, or else life might never be complete for me.

Were there any specific mythologies, books, or real-life experiences that influenced the creation of the mythical creatures in your series?

Too many to count! However, the main creature, the knightmare, is based off a Japanese myth of soldiers who died on Okinawa. The dead soldiers would possess humans and then try to continue on a war. Knightmares are shadowy suits of armor who can merge with their arcanist (to become one being) and they fight to right past injustices.

Volke Savan is an underdog with big dreams. What makes him tick?

He wants to be a hero. Not in an ironic way, he just admires all the old heroes in fairy tales he read as a child! Volke has a true heart, and he’s a wholesome individual, but first he has to go through coming-of-age moments we all faced back when we were fifteen.

The world of "Knightmare Arcanist" is rich with magical creatures and detailed settings. How did you approach world-building for this series?

I have a history degree, and I need to use it somewhere, lol

I crafted the world based on old sailing legends of the Caribbean. Islands full of wonder, pirates at every turn, and treasures beyond your wildest dream hidden in the sand dunes. I wanted the world to feel big, and the creatures to be even bigger!

"Knightmare Arcanist" touches on themes of self-discovery and overcoming adversity. What message do you hope readers take away from Volke’s journey?

You SHOULD follow your dreams. And heroes—true heroes—ARE people to be admired and emulated. Volke is unironically good, and he forges his own way in life that is both fun and amazing. I hope anyone who picks up this book will be inspired to be a great person themselves.

The concept of bonding with mythical creatures is central to the plot. How did you decide which creatures to include, and do you have a favorite?

My favorite is the kirin, a mystical creature from Chinese mythology. However, my favorite creature I created is probably the Rizzel. It’s a magical ferret, lol

I wanted to include creatures from every culture all around the world, along with tons of creatures I made up myself. It was dream to create little pokemons and digimons, and I got to live out that fantasy with this series.

"Knightmare Arcanist" is the first book in the Frith Chronicles. Did you have the entire series planned out from the beginning, or has the story evolved as you wrote each book?

I outlined the series from the beginning, but at first, I wanted to have 7 books… Things got a little more complicated as I wrote, so I ended up going to 8 books instead.

What are you working on right now?

I’m currently writing Astra Academy 5, Six Words (my hidden project) and Nexus Finale, the end of the my litRPG series. I have a lot of things in the pot, lol

I hope people love reading!

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

If anyone wants to get in touch, they can find me here!

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/

Email: [email protected]