Storm from the East (Glass Alliance #2)

by Joanna Hathaway
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: February 11th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, High Fantasy

Synopsis:

Battles, revolution, and romance collide in Joanna Hathaway's stunning, World Wars-inspired sequel to Dark of the West

Part war drama, part romance, Storm from the East is the second novel in Joanna Hathaway’s immersive, upmarket YA fantasy series that will appeal to readers of Sabaa Tahir, Marie Rutkoski, and Evelyn Skye.

War has begun, and the days of Athan’s and Aurelia’s secret, summer romance feel a world away. Led by Athan’s father, the revolutionary Safire have launched a secret assault upon the last royal kingdom in the South, hoping to depose the king and seize a powerful foothold on the continent. Athan proves a star pilot among their ranks, struggling to justify the violence his family has unleashed as he fights his way to the capital—where, unbeknownst to him, Aurelia has lived since the war’s onset. Determined to save the kingdom Athan has been ordered to destroy, she partners with a local journalist to inflame anti-Safire sentiment, all while learning this conflict might be far darker and more complex than she ever imagined.

When the two reunite at last, Athan longing to shake the nightmare of combat and Aurelia reeling from the discovery of a long-buried family truth come to light, they’ll find the shadow of war stretches well beyond the battlefield. Each of them longs to rekindle the love they once shared . . . but each has a secret they’re desperate to hide.

Can you briefly describe the GLASS ALLIANCE series, its characters and what’s going to happen in STORM FROM THE EAST?

Absolutely! The Glass Alliance series follows two young people on opposite sides of a war—Aurelia, a princess, and Athan, a fighter pilot. Their rival families are tangled in a multigenerational conflict, and when Athan is sent undercover to spy on Aurelia in the first book, the two begin a secret romance, testing their already strained family and national loyalties. The second book continues their parallel journeys after war has officially broken out. On opposing frontlines, they learn more of their parents’ secrets and the history of their own world, and also more about who they are in light of those revelations. Will they choose their families or each other? And can they still fight for peace in an increasingly complex (and dark) war?

Who would you say is your favourite character in this second book and why?

It’s hard to choose, but I love Athan’s brother Kalt in this second book. He’s such a quiet, enigmatic character, and I think Storm From the East really gives us a chance to see a bit more of how he thinks and what he’s fighting for as we encounter him in both Athan and Aurelia’s differing perspectives.

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

It actually started with a scene from the first book, Dark of the West. For some reason, I imagined this moment in a garden with a young soldier and a young lady, and he picked a flower for her which turned out to be bad luck. From there, I wanted to know how they had arrived in that garden as enemies and what would happen after that chance meeting?

If you could choose one song to describe STORM FROM THE EAST, which one would it be?

On our last interview, you mentioned that Manpreet Bambra reminded you of Aurelia. Has anything changed since then? Do you have any other people in mind that reminded you of any of your other characters?

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

The battles in this book are somewhat inspired by the Italian campaign in the Second World War, so I think it would be good to read this book somewhere in the mountains with a nice cappuccino. Anything with a warm Mediterranean feel would be the right location.

What’s your favourite quote from STORM FROM THE EAST?

I’m going to go with this section from one of Aurelia’s letters to Athan while they are apart. I like it because she recognizes that even if their young love ends, there is something about their connection that goes deeper than romance and is more about how they’ve connected as friends and human beings.

“Even if we someday outgrow this ‘infatuation’, I know it won’t ever truly be over, not even when I’m old, because you’ll forever represent the spirit of the very sky to me. No one can kill the earth. No one can shrink it back down to the earth. I need to believe there are some things in this world which can’t be stolen from it. Some wild and breathless realms, too high to touch, even by war, and you are one of them — always.”

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish STORM FROM THE EAST?

A great book about the First World War, but with a Greek gods twist (which is as unique as it sounds!), is Lovely War by Julie Berry. If you’re looking for something a bit more firmly rooted in history, I highly recommend Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa, and Girl at War by Sara Nović. And then there’s the timeless All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, which completely changed my perspective on history when I read it at about fourteen. If you read only one book about war, this is the one to read.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book and which book in the GLASS ALLIANCE series was the most difficult to write and why?

I think each book provides its own unique challenges because, as a writer, we’re always growing and pushing ourselves to the next level. That drive to improve means no draft is ever easy. It always feels harder than the one that came before because we are learning and developing our voice, and then we hold ourselves to an even higher standard each time. But there is joy in the work, of course! As for Glass Alliance, I have a feeling the third and final instalment will be the most difficult for me. There are a lot of characters and plots to wrangle into a satisfying, emotional ending!

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the third book in this trilogy, along with a few other side projects that refuse to let me go. I’m a notoriously slow writer, but once a story has its claws on me, I will wrestle with it for years until it becomes what it needs to be. I’m a bit stubborn. J

JOANNA HATHAWAY was born in Montréal and is an avid storyteller who was inspired to write after reading her great-grandfather’s memoirs of the First World War. A lifelong history buff, she now has shelves filled with biographies and historical accounts, and perhaps one too many books about pilots. She can often be found reading, traveling, or riding horses.

Her debut novel DARK OF THE WEST is the first in a World Wars-infused fantasy series of forbidden love and deadly revenge. STORM FROM THE EAST will hit shelves on February 11, 2020.