Anna (she/her) is a fantasy and horror author. She published her first book The Assassins Raven about a female assassin last year, and has had one short story and one flash fiction published in magazines this year.
Author Links:
Itch Shop: anna-verner.itch.io
Bluesky: @annavernerauthor.bsky.social
Your latest book, The King’s Raven, completes the duology that started with The Assassin’s Raven. Can readers pick up Book 2 then read Book 1 as a prequel, or do you recommend reading in order of release?
It will need to be read in order of release. Only because a lot of characters and things that happen in the plot fully come together in the end of the first book. The last chapter of The Assassins Raven leads straight on into the first chapter of The King’s Raven. I will however, have a plot summary of The Assassins Raven at the start of The King’s Raven, just in case.
How do you balance the genres of cosy fantasy with horror elements? Would you say this is cosy Dark Fantasy or Fantasy-Horror, and what were your influences for this?
It is hard to balance it out when there is a complex mix of both, and I am never sure which way my books fit best. In this story people or monsters are getting killed, which can be very sombre, but there are other scenes that are very light. I love Horror Comedies, so I think it was definitely influenced watching movies like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Cabin in the Woods. Horrible things are happening, but it can also be kind of funny.
What made you choose an Elf as your main character, and what was your character design/development process for Raven?
I wanted to portray Elves a bit differently and see what happened. I also thought it was interesting to begin a story from the Elves’ perspective and not having any real knowledge of Humans.
I started putting Raven together when I created a scene where Raven has to figure out a way to kill someone at a party amongst lots of people. As soon as I knew how she would do it, her personality, look, temperament, all grew from there.
How did you develop your worldbuilding for the duology – are you a world-first writer, or does it develop organically alongside or after your characters form, or something else?
I am not much of a world builder. The world came after I created my characters, especially when the characters began travelling. That is what started me thinking about their world, what they would see, what animals and people would they meet along the way?
Can you share your favourite line from The King’s Raven out of context, and share a little bit of your writing routine with us?
“Of course they don’t like working down there! It’s a fucking mine!” Replies the King, angrily. (sorry for the swear, but I think it makes the scene funnier).
I like to write in the afternoon, that is when I find myself with some quiet time. I try to write for a couple of hours every day, but sometimes other things get in the way!
What has been your favourite reader response so far?
My favourite response has been from readers telling me they were fully surprised by the ending of The Assassins Raven and piecing it all together.
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