Hannah Levin (she/her) is a neurodivergent writer and dog mom from the East Coast, USA.
By day, she writes repetitive marketing copy to pay the bills, and by night, she writes fantasy romance to feed the dreamer within.
She has several projects in the works at any given time and would describe her style as fresh, easy reading with a balance of plot and spice, relatable characters, and gradual relationship development. She strives to bring an element of realism no matter how far-fetched the plot.
Additionally, she enjoys writing standalones for other readers with short attention spans.
We sat down with Hannah to discuss her debut novel, The Treasured One, an incredible adventure with deep world-building and a slow-burn romance that will appeal to those new to the Romantasy genre as well as seasoned Romantasy fans.
If your book were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
If The Treasured One were made into a movie, I would cast Luke Eisner as Riel and Sadie Sink or Keely Marshall as Avery!
Have any real-life locations inspired the settings in your books?
Yes! I lived in the DMV (DC, Virginia, Maryland) area for a couple of years, so I’ve been to D.C. a few times. I thought ‘How cool would it be to take this popular real-life area and put a fantasy spin on it?’ So, D.C. for sure. For the rest, I tried to think of what places felt most magical to me as a child. Oftentimes it was open fields, beautiful forests, bodies of water, and of course, fantasy castles. So those all made it in there in some form or another, again with a magical spin.
Do you include Easter eggs in your books for fans to discover?
I do, but I think they’re more for me haha. There are certain brief references to movies or books I enjoy, hobbies the reader and I might have in common, and world-building Easter eggs like when it comes to the fae races being taken from world mythologies.
What inspired Avery’s unique healing abilities, and how do they connect to the broader lore of the Golden Children?
I wanted to have a heroine that wasn’t a traditional “strong female lead” with weapons mastery and sassy quips. Instead, I wanted someone who embodied the quieter values. Things like emotional support (at times, fragility), compassion, and love. Her healing powers made sense with her personality and that pursuit of showing value in ways other than physical strength/fighting/taking lives. In broad Golden Children lore, you’ll start to see how each of the Golden Children have powers that suit their personalities, and how each ability is unique. This is because there are five main types of magic in my magic system, and I want to explore each to some degree throughout the series!
In the book, the fae realm and its inhabitants are meticulously detailed. Can you share your process for crafting such a rich and diverse setting?
I majored in Global Studies, and a large part of that was exploring cultural elements, languages, history, etc. I think those are the most important parts of worldbuilding. I drew inspiration from mythology and certain stories for the fae races, and then I started to think about how they’d come together, how a different world would accommodate them, and what everyone would be doing. I also took influences from classic fairytales. That’s how I thought of the different regions, leading families (like kings and queens), and cities with magical European vibes.
If your book were adapted into a video game, what would the gameplay look like?
This is so funny to think about, but it would be a combination of an open-world game like Legend of Zelda and Japanese otome (maiden) games that are like dating simulations. There would be some world exploration, dialogue choices, NPCs, and a main plot to follow. The romance and fantasy would remain huge aspects.
Are there plans to explore the backgrounds of side characters like Luenki and Solois in future books?
Not… exactly. If there’s enough demand for it, I have thought of covering side characters like Luenki in novellas, and returning to some of the other characters we enjoyed. But really the story focuses on the Golden Children and their experiences, and I want to keep moving from head to head so that we can see the world expand and get a better idea of this reality.
If one of your books had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it?
If The Treasured One had a soundtrack, a few songs I always thought suited it are:
- Lost in Las Vegas by Two Steps From Hell (Avery going through The Rift)
- Gold by Eurielle (the romantic scenes)
- Graveyard by Halsey (the buildup to the battle at the end)
- What’s one thing readers always get wrong about your books?
I’ve had a few people comment on the pacing being slow. It can be slow at times, but it’s meant to be that way. My stories are more character-driven. I want to show world-building in the slice of life elements–how do these characters live, eat, see to their physical needs? I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, but that makes it so much more immersive for me and really lets me think through the world I want to express and how I want to introduce my characters to the reader.
What’s one thing readers always get wrong about your books?
I’ve had a few people comment on the pacing being slow. It can be slow at times, but it’s meant to be that way. My stories are more character-driven. I want to show world-building in the slice of life elements–how do these characters live, eat, see to their physical needs? I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, but that makes it so much more immersive for me and really lets me think through the world I want to express and how I want to introduce my characters to the reader.
What’s a lesser-known book or author you recommend to your readers?
Radiance by Grace Draven! It’s a character-driven standalone fantasy romance with beautiful prose and a wonderful strangers-to-friends-to-lovers romance. The banter is impossibly good, the characters are so relatable and lovable. One of my all-time favorites.
Get Hannah Levin’s latest release, The Treasured One, out now on Amazon
Forced to choose between loyalty and love…
Avery is a Golden Child with the ability to heal any illness or injury. She lives a sheltered life, dutifully healing hopefuls from around the globe. Although she dreams of freedom, she fears disrupting the status quo—that is, until her powers go on the fritz, threatening her health and her relationship with her government caretakers.
In search of answers, Avery travels through The Rift to the realm of the fae, intimidatingly beautiful beings with powers humans don’t understand. Their prince, Riel, has motivations of his own when he agrees to teach her about her rare magic. But as they work together, the two are drawn to each other.
Just as Avery manages to unlock the full potential of her powers, a betrayal shakes Riel’s House, putting pressure on the already tenuous relationship between humans and the fae. Caught in the middle, Avery and Riel will have to decide what matters most to them: loyalty to their respective nations, or their feelings for one another.
This debut novel from Hannah Levin will appeal to those new to the Romantasy genre as well as seasoned Romantasy fans who enjoy adventure and world-building, such as that in A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING and THE CRUEL PRINCE, and sweet, slow-burn romance like Grace Draven’s RADIANCE.
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