Hello Lovely Readers,

Today on the blog we have Allison Anderson! She’s here to answer a few questions in celebration of the release of The Fated Mage, the final book in The Cartographer’s War series.

Welcome! The Fated Mage is the last book in the series, can you tell us a little bit about your experience writing this series so far? Oh man. It’s been a wild ride. I’ve absolutely loved being in these characters heads—from Penny and her amber-eyed man to Paulo and Laurel. From the moment these characters tattooed themselves on the pages I wrote, I loved them. It’s been such an adventure and I’m almost sad to be done with this series. I’m so grateful for the chance I had to live in this world for as long as I did.

How did writing the last book in the series differ from writing the first? It was a completely different experience. Especially because when I wrote The Spring Maiden, I didn’t know The Fated Mage was going to exist! It’s vastly different simply for being from the point of view of two completely different characters, but also because I’ve grown so much as a writer since I wrote the first pages of The Spring Maiden. These characters have grown with me, so finishing the series felt like the end of a long journey rather than the very beginning of one.

How does it feel to have completed this series? Relieved? Sad? Terrified? Overjoyed? It’s such a bittersweet feeling because I have been a slave to this world and these characters for years, yet I know I won’t ever be able to really live in this story again. I’ve changed and these characters have changed and there’s no going back. There’s a sense of fulfillment that comes with that, but also a little bit of homesickness. But I’m really excited to move onto new projects and go on some more adventures.

What was your favorite part about writing this series as a whole? I think the surprises were my favorite part. I was often surprised by these characters and what they did. I was immensely surprised when I was given the opportunity to write from Paulo and Laurel’s perspectives. I was surprised by Penny’s tenacity, Laurel’s honor, and even how this war ended. I was plot twisted by my own story so many times and it was such a joy to experience.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you’ve learned as a writer over the course of the series? There are too many things to fit in this Q&A! The Spring Maiden was the second book I ever wrote, so my writing as a whole really grew over the course of all six books. I learned what it looks like to have a career as an author. I learned how to take good feedback and how to take bad feedback. I also learned how important it is to share our stories with others. Books create empathy between people, and empathy is the only way we are able to really understand one another.

Was there ever a moment while writing The Fated Mage that you felt stuck? If so, how did you work through that writer’s block? Absolutely, yes. At the very beginning of the book, I struggled with some of my characters motivations. I have a bit of a subplot running about in this book that affects everything in the ending. It was a slog trying to write and this book took longer than I wanted because of that. I was nearly halfway through the book when I realized I had made a bad decision for my character. Most often, that’s why I get writer’s block. I made a decision previously that wasn’t correct. Once I figured out what decision I needed to change, the words started flowing again.

Can you talk about how Paulo McGregor has evolved as a character? Oh, Paulo. Seriously, this book, this entire story, is about Paulo becoming the amazing person he was always meant to become. In The Seer’s Assassin, we meet this suave, flighty marquess who is playing around with people’s lives. Throughout The Seer’s Assassin and The Unwanted Queen, we see how powerful he is and how much he has left to learn. The Fated Mage is where we see who he is meant to become and I am so excited for everyone to see him finally reach his potential.

Can you talk about how Paulo McGregor has evolved as a character from when they were first introduced till now? I think the biggest evolution of his character for the reader is that everyone slowly realizes that Paulo isn’t what he appears to be. In The Spring Maiden, he’s a bit of a flirt and a rascal. When we see him in The Shadow Lord, we see a little bit more into his soul. We see that there are gears turning in that head of his and we learn that we’ll actually never know what to expect from him.

Once we get into The Seer’s Assassin and into his head, everyone finally realizes that everything they believed was wrong and there’s so much more to him than he lets on.

Can you talk about how Laurel Flumen has evolved as a character from when they were first introduced till now? I think Laurel’s evolution is one of my favorites in the series. A lot of her growth happens because of Paulo. Her eyes are opened to a different path than the one she believed she had to take and it finally allows her to see the world for what it is. Coming from the background she does and being thrust into Paulo’s world changes her and she really becomes this beautiful soul that does good for good’s sake instead of allowing others to dictate her path. It’s really such a beautiful story and I’m so excited for everyone to finally see Laurel and Paulo both find their fate.

Want to know more about The Fated Mage?

The war ends here.

Paulo MacGregor cares for nothing besides changing Laurel’s future and convincing her to trust him. After the rebels took the capital, fleeing to Iatrus Castle, his home, seemed the only option. However, even though he’s brought Laurel to his home, fate has other plans. Not only are Laurel’s convictions not to trust him deepening, but both their pasts are catching up with them. The rebels are coming to Iatrus Castle and there’s little Paulo can do to stop fate from unfolding.

Laurel Flumen absolutely can’t trust Paulo. Not only had he kept her from accomplishing her mission to kill Olympia’s king, but he also is the reason she had to leave her sister behind. If Paulo had never involved himself in her life, she would never have betrayed Aspen, she wouldn’t be stuck in the cursed kingdom of Olympia, and she certainly would have never ended up on this side of a war she never wanted to be a part of.

In this epic conclusion of The Cartographer’s War, Paulo and Laurel must come together to defeat not only the rebellion trying to tear down the kingdom but also change the very strings of fate itself.

Meet Allison Anderson:

Allison Anderson lives her best life as a wife, a mom, a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and a fantasy writer. As a life long fantasy nerd, she finds it natural to create stories of her own and you can often find her jotting down new story ideas or talking about dragons. She’s spent most of her life across the southwestern United States.

You can find her on her website, as well as Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, TikTok, Threads, and X. To stay up to date with all that’s going on with Allison, join her newsletter here.