We all want characters we can relate to, or characters that achieve something we’d like to, do or say the things we wish we could. I think that’s something many of us can relate to! Why do you feel books with powerful and relatable characters are so popular and have such a voice right now? Tavia also tries not to let her past define her and wants to move on and make way for a better future. She has dreams and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get there (even if it means dealing magic until she can finally escape the city). She’s got a very strong sense of self, is independent and knows what she wants. Though I’m not all that great with magic tricks and I probably couldn’t pull off steel-tipped boots and black lipstick, I think I relate most to Tavia. What character do you most relate to and why? Something people would collect, become addicted to, and possibly even fear. That it wasn’t just an otherworldly thing, but a skill anyone could master with enough time and practice.Īnd so the Buskers came into being, and a world where magic was something to be shown and bought and sold.

I wanted to mimic that and take the idea of magic-even real magic-as something that could be learned and then performed. The entire performance was magic, before the magic even begun. The grand, sweeping gestures, the elaborate outfits, or the utter simplicity of something being there one moment and then gone the next. It wasn’t just the magic though, but the way they grabbed the crowd, kept their attention, and completely fooled the audience into believing whatever they needed them to. I grew up watching magicians on TV, or seeing them perform either on the street or in theatres, and was always completely enthralled.

Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?Īlexandra: I love magic, plain and simple.

Crooked place