As we rush towards the new year, let’s take a moment to appreciate an amazing YA fantasy book that was released this year by Lexi Ryan: Beneath These Cursed Stars. Her publishing career began in the adult romance genre, but in 2021, Ryan decided to delve into the world of young adult fantasy with the New York Times bestselling duology, These Hollow Vows. With a creative twist on the Cinderella story, Ryan’s books are sure to excite you. Read this interview with author Lexi Ryan herself to learn more!
About Lexi Ryan
Lexi Ryan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sexy contemporary romance and action-packed YA fantasy. Her novels have sold over a million copies and been translated into over a dozen languages. She is the recipient of the Romance Writers of America RITA award for her novel Falling Hard; her first YA fantasy, These Hollow Vows, was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist; and Beneath These Cursed Stars was selected for Barnes & Noble’s August 2024 YA Book Club. Lexi is happiest when at home in Indiana with her husband and two children, where you can find her reading copiously, hanging out with her family, and thanking her lucky stars. Learn more about Lexi and her books at her website: LexiRyan.com.
The Interview
To start, please tell us a bit about your new book. Was there any surprising inspiration behind it?
First, thanks so much for letting me talk with you! My latest release, Beneath These Cursed Stars, is about a human princess of the Fae realm who is on a mission to bring down everyone who hurt her while she was imprisoned years prior. Only with a magical ring that gives her death’s kiss does she stand a chance against the wicked fae she’s up against, and only with the help of a shifter who agrees to pretend to be her is she able to get out from under her sister’s protection to travel the realm. This book is set in the same world as my other fantasy duology, These Hollow Vows. I’ve wanted to write more in this world since the day I finished, so I was happy to be back!
Between romance and YA fantasy, which has been your favorite genre to write?
Contemporary romance and YA fantasy each offer something I love, and my favorite thing is to write both. In an ideal world, I would go back and forth because writing one always inspires me to write the other.
Were there any challenges you encountered transitioning from adult to young adult?
I’m always a little unsure how sexy my “mature YA” can be. I think my editors helped me strike a balance, and I’m happy with it, but it’s definitely something I’m cognizant of. Controversial opinion, but I think it’s important that there are YA books with on-page love scenes, and I’m happy to provide some of that content, but that doesn’t mean that I write it the same way I write an adult romance love scene.
If you could meet any of the characters you have created in person, who would you choose and why?
Misha. Hands down. (But, like, probably when he was single? Because he’s a flirt, and I would enjoy that. Haha!)
Who would be your dream cast for Beneath These Cursed Stars if it were adapted to television?
Oh goodness! Can I phone a friend? I am terrible at celebrity names. I would love to have some unknowns come knock it out of the park for me!
Luisa Preibler does the cover art for your YA books. What was your level of creative cooperation when designing the covers with Luisa?
Luisa did the covers for These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds, but Charlie Bowater did the covers for the Beneath These Cursed Stars duology. With Luisa, it was my first time working with a traditional publisher, and I didn’t realize (specifically for the first book) that I could and should ask for changes. Honestly, the art was so gorgeous I was awestruck! If I’d been a little more experienced, I would’ve asked for Finn’s hair to be longer and curly, but you live and learn. With Charlie, I was able to give feedback to adjust the appearances of the characters when it was important. Honestly, both artists are so talented they don’t need me. :)
Do you have a plan set before you write your books, or do you just write and find out the story along the way? Any special rituals you perform or places you like to be when you’re writing?
I usually have a general idea about the story – or at least the characters – but I’m not a plotter. I have to write the pieces of the book I know as they come to me and then put it all together like a big quilt. I don’t really have rituals, but I do love writing by my fireplace with a fresh Americano.
If you could collaborate with any author, who would you choose, and what genre would it be?
Listen, I would be a nightmare to co-write with – between my process, my mid-draft spirals into self-doubt, and my control-freak tendencies when it comes to my writing, I don’t think I’m cut out for co-writing!
What is the last 5-star read you read, and what makes a book five-star worthy?
I recently reread People We Meet on Vacation. All Emily Henry books are 5-star reads for me. Her characters are so three-dimensional and relatable, and the romantic conflict is always done just right. I like some angst in my romance, and she delivers it right alongside a healthy dose of humor and heat.
Lexi Ryan’s next book, Between These Broken Hearts, comes out July 22, 2025. It picks up right where book 1 ended, with Princess Jasalyn eleven days away from her birthday and the shape-shifter Felicity trapped in King Misha’s dungeons. Despite everything that has happened, Kendrick won’t allow Jasalyn to go through her fight against the evil fae king, Mordeus, alone. And, with the tragic fate the prophecy has given Felicity and her family, Misha, the very person she betrayed, might be the only one who can help her. Forbidden romance, mysterious prophecies, and the battle to save the fae realm come to a captivating conclusion in the #1 NYT bestselling saga that began with Abriella in the These Hollow Vows duology and continued with Jas and Felicity in Beneath These Cursed Stars.
Lexi Ryan’s love for writing is clearly present in each of her works. Her imagination and storytelling are truly captivating, and her romances make her books unputdownable. Thank you, Lexi Ryan, for participating in an interview, and we look forward to seeing all of you in the New Year!
You can find Lexi Ryan here!
Are you looking for some other fantasy books to tie you over until the release of Between These Broken Hearts? Say no more!
Check out this interview we did with YA author Andrew Joseph White!
