Ehigbor Okosun, or just Ehi, is the #1 International Bestselling author of FORGED BY BLOOD, the first in an action packed adult epic fantasy duology. Raised across four continents, she now resides in the US, where she writes speculative fiction, mystery thrillers, and contemporary novels for adult and YA audiences. She writes in hopes of doing justice to the myths and traditions she grew up steeped in, and to honour her large, multiracial and multiethnic family. She is a graduate of UT Austin with degrees in Plan II Honors, Neurolinguistics, and English, as well as Chemistry and Pre-Medical studies. When she’s not reading, you can catch her bullet journaling, gaming, baking, singing, doing yoga and spending time with her loved ones.

Welcome to the Hive, Ehigbor! Your duology began with Forged by Blood and ends with the release of Exiled by Iron. For those who may not be familiar, what can readers expect from your first novel?

Hi Fantasy Hive! Forged By Blood is an action packed epic set in the Kingdom of Ifé, where being born as magic wielding Oluso is likely to get you killed, or worse. Forged focuses on Dèmi, a young Oluso woman tasked by a corrupt official to kidnap the kingdom’s prince and ransom him for Oluso freedom. Only one problem–the prince in question was responsible for her mother’s devastating death, and vengeance is now within her reach. Add in her best friend, Colin, who is chaos incarnate and has secrets of his own, an obsessive female guard captain who was once Dèmi’s mother’s lover, a King bent on subjugating the Oluso once and for all, and ruthless Spirits who are tired of tolerating humanity’s mistakes, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

And can you give us some hints of what to expect from your conclusion Exiled by Iron?

Generally, readers can expect MORE. More chaos, more politics, more romantic tension and *ahem* culmination, more heart-breaking choices, more about the history of the world itself, and why it became the way it did.  “Fine, make me your villain,” is Dèmi’s mantra in Exiled By Iron.

On a more specific note, Exiled is set a year after the events of Forged. Dèmi has made choices about who she wants to be with, and thus if she wants to change the kingdom by trusting the law or joining the Oluso rebellion that is in full swing. She’s still wrestling with whether she’s made the right choice when an ancient evil resurfaces—remember what I said about ruthless Spirits?! 

After an assassination attempt nearly costs the life of a loved one, and Dèmi realises what she’ll have to sacrifice to become powerful enough to defeat her enemies once and for all, she goes on a journey to pair up with an ancient god, so she can finally protect the Oluso once and for all. But, no one ever said this ancient god would play fair.  

Tell us more about your strong-willed protagonist, Dèmi?

Dèmi is a complicated person. I love to think of her as a woman who has had to be strong in many aspects for so long, but who longs for belonging, community, and love, in the way we all do. Dèmi has always believed that the only thing she can control is her will, and through that will, she can move people to do what needs to be done to transform the world. But she forgets that she is not alone, and that she can lay her burdens down and find people who will fight for her. She doesn’t always have to take on the world alone—there are people right there who love her and who are willing to brave chaos and destruction for her, if only she could see and trust them and that is something you’ll see her fight through in Exiled By Iron. 

Let’s talk about the two men at her side, Jonas and Colin. How fun was it writing their dynamic, and as a bonus question – what made you want to write an enemies to lovers romance?

Oh I love these two characters so much! Both Forged and Exiled are told from Dèmi’s POV but I’ve had so many requests for POV chapters from Jonas and Colin’s perspectives because of how they leap off the page. *Readers, keep your eyes tuned on socials because I just might announce a few bonuses.

So, in many ways, Jonas and Colin seem diametrically opposed, and their relationship reflects this. They rarely agree on solutions at first ask, but this is largely informed by the different experiences they’ve had throughout life. 

On the surface, Jonas is a man born into a position of power, someone who will always be at the top of the stratified society they live in. However, readers learn in Forged that he is quite complex. Without spoiling too much, I’ll say he is familiar with the pain and grief that comes with being *involved* with the Oluso, which gives him the opportunity to make different choices from his predecessors. Because of this too, he loves very intensely, and is the kind of man who would fight to build a world for the woman he loves, even if it costs him everything. He does need a little help at times, reminders that his idea of justice–and his beliefs about how people triumph over darkness—are somewhat affected by the power he’s been born into. The freedoms he takes for granted are life changing for others, and he is forced to confront that in Exiled, forced to think of what it means to truly earn Dèmi’s trust even though he’s loved her since the first time he laid eyes on her. 

Colin, on the other hand, has always been dynamic. He’s a straddler–someone born to power but also denied it. A man who understands what it is to be worshipped and reviled, and he is desperate to claim something of his own, to belong to someone in a way that cannot be denied. It takes a lot for Colin to trust enough to love someone, but when he does, he loves fiercely and devotedly. He is willing to burn down the world if that is what it will take to build Dèmi a place where she would feel safe, but he is also aware that destruction often brings the exacting winds of chaos and violence along with it. So, he is always weighing his options, trying not to put too much pressure on his loved ones, but desperate for them to meet him where he is. He knows what Oluso freedom might cost, but he is always wondering whether people are willing to pay the price to get it–because he certainly is.

So these two often clash, but, at the end of the day, when Dèmi is involved, they’re willing to tolerate each other long enough to find a solution to any immediate problem. Well, more like Colin tolerates Jonas, and Jonas wants to be friends with Colin. They’re the golden retriever and black cat, or so I’ve heard, and it was uber fun to write them. Dèmi struggles with both of them because she can envision a future with one or the other–it’s just that her life would go on very different paths. 

Bonus: 

As for enemies to lovers romances, I am always fascinated by the power of love, and I mean the radical kind that demands accountability, witnessing and change. Radical love is more than butterflies, it’s the force that keeps you wanting to be the best version of yourself for the person you love. And I don’t quite buy that two people who are on opposing sides of experience or ideology can’t find that. If they couldn’t, I certainly wouldn’t exist, given how much of my family history is really enemies to lovers. So, let’s just say I have a fondness for breaking down barriers, and finding beauty in others, even your worst enemy. 

The Tainted Blood duology centres on Nigerian mythology. Can you tell us more about the aspects that inspired you and why it was so important to you to include them?

I grew up listening to the stories my grandfather and father told me, stories so rife with mythology that I dreamt in technicolour. Both Forged and Exiled pay homage to a specific kind of mythology–Yoruba mythology to be exact. But what we call myth in the Western world, are beliefs still held, practised and cherished by many people still living, so the ‘myth’ you see in Forged and Exiled is more of a call-back to peoples holding onto themselves and their histories despite the world’s forces conspiring to drive out the intrinsic things that make them feel whole. Forged By Blood and Exiled By Iron also pay homage to a few other mythologies that are important to my multicultural family. Which ones they are though? You’ll have to read on and discover!

Your duology is also very political with strong themes of social injustice, rebellion, race, and class; as well as Nigerian mythology, were you inspired by Nigerian history in these regards? 

So I have a rule when it comes to discussing inspirations–I’ll talk about certain themes openly, but leave the rest to a reader’s imagination and interpretation. There are many things that inspired both Forged and Exiled, and at the heart of it, this book was my answer to a question I often hear when people talk about colonised nations; are they not better off for it? This book was my way of paying respect and showing love to pre and post colonial West Africa, and to a part of the histories* that birthed Nigeria and its many peoples. I will never shy away from talking about that. At the same time, this book also deals with evergreen themes; that power transforms, but can corrupt; love is often underestimated yet essential to growth and understanding; beauty lies in perception; perceptions are malleable; and last but not least, the future is never a fixed or stagnant thing. 

*This book also talks explicitly about other histories, but again, you’ll have to recognize those when you see them. 

As well as the influences we’ve already discussed, are there any authors in particular that inspire you and influence your writing?

I am continually inspired by writers both past and present. I grew up reading and loving Shakespeare, Cyprian Ekwensi, Keigo Higashino and Jane Austen. Today, I’m proud to be inspired by writers like Fonda Lee, Evan Winter, NK Jemisin, Rebecca Roanhorse, Octavia Butler, Agatha Christie, Ali Hazelwood, Mia Tsai, Erin Morgenstern, and Garth Nix to name a few. 

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped they’d portray?

So here’s where I admit I’d followed the artist for an *ahem undisclosed but kinda embarrassing to admit amount of time* and I wanted to work with him so badly that when they asked about covers, I was that kid who suddenly stands in class and moves so abruptly they nearly tear their uniform. I came prepared with colour ideas, images, sketches of specific things where needed, but ultimately I also trusted my formidable HarperVoyager team to steer the ship and get us into port. I really can’t praise HarperVoyager enough for their sharp intuition and sense of how to pull readers in. I’m proud to say Voyager is phenomenal and they’ve delivered admirably and beautifully.

As for aesthetic, I wanted certain things to be present in both covers. For Book 1, the broken half of the weapon her father once wielded, and for Book 2, there are certain markings on her body that will become super relevant as you read on!

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

I would definitely ride a gwylfin into battle. They’re fast, sleek, and telepathic. There’s a good reason Dèmi begs for their help in Forged, and it’s not just that Colin is afraid of them and she loves to see him squirm from time to time. I love mythical creatures that are intelligent and have a life of their own because it makes battle with them a true partnership, and that is invaluable. Plus, imagine how terrified your opponents would be when they see even a young gwylfin spreading its wings. IF they knew what was good for them, they’d run.

Tell us about a book you love. Any hidden gems?

Oh hmmm, I have recently been in love with so many books, but I’ll restrain myself and name only a few.

On the fantasy end, I recently finished Mirrored Heavens, which is the third in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between the Earth and Sky trilogy and it was everything I had hoped for. I wept and played Billie Eilish’s new album to deal with my feelings. I also did a re-read of Fonda Lee’s Jade City, and that was honestly just everything I needed. Shannon Chakraborty’s Adventures of Amina Al Sirafi and Rebecca Ross’ Ruthless Vows rounded out the month in the best of ways. We are in the age of some amazing fantasy, and I couldn’t be happier! I’m patiently (not really) waiting for Sue Lynn Tan’s Immortal and Thea Guanzon’s A Monsoon Rising, and trying to behave myself. I just got Sarah Rees Brennan’s Long Live Evil, so I have a feeling I’ll be grinning ear to ear soon. 

Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Have you any upcoming projects which you can share?

Haha, this is where I give a really coy smile. All I can say is I’m working on a book that truly puts the word ENEMIES in enemies to lovers…and I’ll add that this book is very dark and definitely adult. Think the epic worldbuilding of Black Sun, romantic tension of The Hurricane Wars, intense characters like She Who Became The Sun/ Godkiller with cutthroat Game of Thrones manoeuvring. I think I’ll stop there. 

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

I could never presume that any two reading experiences will be the same–once a book is in a reader’s hands, they bring their own things to the story–but, I hope readers find a sense of joy, wonder, and hope in my work. And I hold this too, even for the next super dark book I’m working on. I’m endlessly fascinated by human nature, and our ability to shape stories, so I hope that readers feel just a bit seen and believe that there is power in hope even as they work through difficult things whether in book form or in life.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Thank you for having me!!!!

Exiled by Iron is out today from HarperVoyager, you can order your copy on Bookshop.org