Check out what inspired AdriAnne May to write "Divine Descent" down below.
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
"Divine Descent" is directly inspired by the myth of Dionysus and Ariadne, and is the second book in my duology that began with Exquisite Ruin, which came out last year. My inspiration behind choosing that specific myth was more about setting, at its inception. It allowed me to write a book set in a labyrinth (from which Ariadne and Theseus escape after they defeat the Minotaur), followed by one set in the underworld (from which Dionysus must rescue Ariadne after she’s ditched by Theseus and then killed). I’ve always wanted to write a book set in a labyrinth or in the underworld, and so reinterpreting this myth let me do both! Plus, I just love playing around with mythology, and I feel Greek mythology, in particular, lends itself to queer interpretations.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
For me, it means deliberately seeking out books with diverse LGBTQIA+ representation. Such books don’t often get the same marketing or platform as hetero and gender-normative titles, so if you don’t make the effort, it’s easy to miss them. So Reading with Pride means reading queer books with intention.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
I know how important it is to be able to see yourself in books because I’ve been there before. It’s incredibly validating to find a version of your identity on the page, especially if you can’t in real life. You feel less alone. And I’ve been fortunate enough in my writing career to have heard firsthand from readers that, after seeing themselves in my books, their lives changed for the better. That has been my greatest honor as an author. Queer books can and do save lives.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
In this sequel, I really wanted to explore the tension between my two main characters from the first book, after they escape the maze and then the lord of the underworld comes between them. Daesra, my male main character and my version of Dionysus, would obviously be bisexual, and so is my take on Hades, the antagonist of this book, so the group and power dynamics between these two gods and the mortal woman they both want was especially fun to write. Basically I wanted to torture all three characters in the best and worst ways possible!
What can fans expect from your book?
Action, adventure, dark romance, kink, and a bisexual disaster of a main character, as well as a M/M/F love triangle.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
Nothing I can talk about yet, but you can always anticipate more dark romantic fantasy with queer characters from me!
