K.W. Foster crafts dark, captivating fantasy romances filled with morally grey heroines and complex relationships. Hailing from the Midwest and now settled in the Mid-Atlantic with her husband and two fluffy dogs, Foster’s work explores themes of redemption, power, and self-discovery.
In this exclusive interview, Foster delves into the inspirations behind A Curse of Breath and Blood, the challenges of balancing romance and high-stakes fantasy, and the deeper lore shaping her immersive worlds.
Aelia transitions from queen to mercenary after the fall of her kingdom. How did you approach depicting her psychological journey during this transformation, and were there specific historical or fictional figures that inspired her character arc?
I wanted the fall of her kingdom to be a physical representation of her fall from grace–destroying the person she was and turning into the person we meet in book one. Everyone has things they regret in their lives. I wanted to drive home the fact that you can always be redeemed. Aelia’s self-loathing is based not only on personal experience but also on having been a therapist in another lifetime; I saw how people could be manipulated by the people they loved. I wanted Gideon and Erissa to represent two sides of the same coin. Erissa was the mastermind, and Gideon was/is her pawn. They both played a role in manipulating Aelia, with Gideon being the enforcer and Erissa being the manipulator.
Aelia possesses the unique ability to break minds. Can you elaborate on the origins and mechanics of this power within your world-building and how it influences her relationships with other characters?
I originally had the idea for this when I was reading another popular fantasy romance. Reading minds reminded me of how a past boyfriend would manipulate me—it was like he could read my mind. I wanted to show the darker side of those powers and how they could be used for both good and evil.
The rekindling of Aelia and Caiden’s relationship is central to the narrative. How did you balance their shared history with their individual growth, and what challenges did you face in writing their evolving dynamics?
The hardest part was making them mad at each other at first. I knew they would rekindle their relationship, and I just wanted to get to that part, so balancing old feelings of hurt with the memories of loving someone was the hardest part. To be honest, I’m not sure I pulled it off very well.
King Gideon serves as a formidable antagonist. What inspired his character’s motivations and actions, and how did you ensure he remained a multi-dimensional adversary rather than a stereotypical villain?
I wanted the reader to be torn. I wanted them to know that he was “bad” because Aelia said he was, but when the reader saw him, he was charming. So that’s how I made him more multi-dimensional. In future books, he will play a bigger role, and then the reader will really be torn!
The quest for the Trinity Wells is pivotal in A Vow of Wrath and Ruin. Can you delve into the mythology behind these wells and how you developed their significance within the series’ broader lore?
I got the idea from playing hundreds of hours of Zelda as a teen. I liked the idea of each deity having their own little well, but only the power of all three could access them, and when they all come together, they create the ability to transform the world. The Trinity are not active deities. I never have them returning to the realm, so it would be cool if they left behind the ability to change the realm they once tamed/ created.
Aelia’s relationship with her sister undergoes significant trials. How did you approach writing their bond, especially in the context of trauma and healing, and what message did you aim to convey about familial ties?
Family relationships are always complicated, which I wanted to convey in the relationship between Aelia and Baylis. I like to think, for the most part, that people are good, and I wanted to portray that in Aelia too. She’s been through so much, but she’s still hopeful, but not stupid. I wanted to drive home the uneasiness someone feels torn between loving their siblings and recognizing them for what they are. This whole book/ series is basically based around one phrase I like to live by: “Believe people when they show you who they really are.”
Balancing romantic elements with high-stakes fantasy can be challenging. How did you ensure that the romance enhanced rather than overshadowed the epic aspects of the story?
I wanted the romance to feel natural. Oftentimes, it can be shoved into a fantasy story or take over the entire plot, so I tried my hardest to emphasize this is Aelia’s story. The romance is a large piece, but at the end of the day, it’s a story of self-love and healing. The romance is a part of that, but really, they’re metaphors for leaving your past behind and starting anew. Reconciling who you were with who you want to be and how pieces of that old person will always be there but you can always write a new chapter.
Between A Curse of Breath and Blood and A Vow of Wrath and Ruin, how did your approach to character development and plot progression evolve, and were there any surprises that emerged during the writing process?
In ACOBAB, we saw Aelia go from a very low point to a place of love, and I wanted to show what happens next, how you reconcile the new with the old without dismissing the past. I also wanted the readers to get to know the world more as well as the love interests— that’s why they each got more page time. I’m a discovery writer, and oftentimes, the characters tell me how they want to be written. I was really surprised with how Hopper and Sumac spoke to me since they were late additions to ACOBAB and didn’t have huge roles. I’d spent almost two years with Caiden, Aelia, Amolie, Roderick, and Lucius, so these new characters were nice to meet. Meeting characters is like that scene in Hook where one of the lost boys is like, “There you are, Peter.” That’s how I feel when characters reveal themselves to me. I do my best to make them unique enough that they stand out in people’s minds.
The titles of both books are evocative. What significance do “breath and blood” and “wrath and ruin” hold in relation to the themes and events within each installment?
Originally, the title of A Curse of Breath and Blood was Creatures of Breath and Blood. The sylph are “creatures of the blood,” meaning of the goddess Illya’s blood as that’s how she created them and the elves are creatures of the breath which refers to how the goddess Eris made them using her “breath.” Aelia considers herself a cursed creature as she was made into a magus and not born that way hence: A Curse of Breath and Blood.
A Vow of Wrath and Ruin got its name from the promise she makes at the end of book 2. (I don’t want to spoil it!)
Crafting a cohesive fantasy world involves intricate details. What were some of the most challenging aspects of world-building in this series, and how did you address them to maintain internal consistency?
Remembering all of my own lore!! A friend asked me about a piece of lore, and I was like, “Oh, I forgot I wrote that!” I see why so many epic fantasy writers have people/ ways of keeping track of their lore and their characters.
What’s your go-to snack or drink while writing?
Coke Zero and popcorn.
Have any real-life locations inspired the settings in your books?
Not a book but a movie. I love the movie Road to Perdition, so I arrowed a quote from that movie and made it mine. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll recognize it.
If your book were adapted into a video game, what would the gameplay look like?
BG3 or the Witcher 3
What kind of reader do you imagine enjoying your books the most?
Millennial women looking for something out of the ordinary in their romantasy books. I know my books will not be for everyone but the girls who get it— GET IT.
Get K.W. Foster’s bestseller, A Curse of Breath and Blood, available on Amazon
Forced to choose between loyalty and love…
A Court of Thorns and Roses’ meets ‘Six of Crows’ in this captivating new romantic fantasy.
A queen turned mercenary. A long-lost love. An ancient evil reborn.
With her home kingdom destroyed and her family considered dead, Aelia Springborn makes a living, using her abilities to break minds for anyone with enough coin. Content to live a life in the shadows, her world is turned upside down when her former lover, Caiden Stormweaver, tracks her down at the edge of the world with a proposition she can’t refuse…. help him thwart her former husband, King Gideon, from obtaining the deadly army of the Alder King.
With a chasm of hurt between them, the pair strikes a deal; once their mission is complete, Aelia will wipe his memories of their relationship, releasing them both from their tumultuous past.
Bound by magic and aided by friends, Caiden and Aelia set off on a journey to save the continent from ultimate destruction. However, as their mission progresses, Aelia and Caiden find themselves reigniting the flames of their past.
But in Moriana, breaking a bargain is deadly.
Things become even more complicated when Aelia meets Tharan Greenblade, a charming playboy whom she cannot help but fall for. With the threads of their fates entwining, the trio will be forced into a high-stakes game that will test their loyalties and raise the dead.
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