Welcome friends! Today I’m excited to participate in the Creative Tour for The Poisoned Crown by Kelsey L. Robinson hosted by MTMC Tours. The Poisoned Crown is the highly anticipated sequel to The Glass Dagger and the second book in The Kingdoms of Assassins Chronicles. This exciting YA Fantasy was published on October 11th, 2024 from Robinson Sword & Pen Publishing! Let’s chat with Kelsey about the book. You will find a book excerpt included after the interview. Also, details about the International Giveaway that you can take part in.
Get to know the author: Kelsey L. Robinson
Hi Kelsey! Welcome to Armed with A Book. Tell me and my readers a bit about yourself!
Hi Kriti! Thank you so much for chatting with me! Where to begin! I almost feel like it’s a given that I just love to live in books filled with magic, fantasy, dragons, badass FMC’s, swoon-worthy MMC’s, and epic stories. So beyond that, not that you really need anything beyond that, I also live for Doctor Who, wish I could wear fancy dresses all the time (though I don’t think my ribcage would appreciate it), and I love to bake when I’m not trying to corral my kittens.
What inspired the creation of the world and characters in The Glass Dagger, and how do they evolve in The Poisoned Crown?
The world of The Glass Dagger was definitely a tribute to all of the fantasy I read as a teenager, specifically Tamora Pierce and her Lioness Series. I loved that series and I wanted to live in my own world that was similar to the mediaeval times we know about with more magic and female empowerment. The characters are based on the fairytales we all know and love, but with some added twists or adjustments. The thing I always heard about Cinderella was that she could have saved herself, or why did she let her stepmother treat her that way? So I wanted to twist the narrative and give Ella some of her own agency back, while still keeping the core of Ella who is a girl wanting to follow her heart. My Ella just so happens to want to be a badass fighter.
I have a confession about The Poisoned Crown….Ella isn’t in it for more than the first few chapters. This book revolves entirely around the POV of Raven (Snow White) and Calla (Belle). It takes place in the events leading up to and after the events of The Glass Dagger from their POV in another kingdom and the repercussions of those events. This wasn’t a change I made lightly, and I spoke with several readers about it as well because I knew this would be big. I mean who doesn’t have their main character in the second book? But, having Ella’s POV in this book actually felt like a disservice to the other POV’s. But don’t worry! Ella will be back and heavily present in book three where you will get to see her and David evolve together and find a way forward with a new understanding of each other.
Did you always envision this as a series, or did the story naturally expand after finishing book 1?
I long for the day where I can write a standalone novel. When I start creating a world, I inherently look at what it could it be as a whole series and not a single novel. Jenna Wolfhart and Tessonja Odette are masters of the standalone stories that are in a series, and I hope to be able to do that one day. What I will say though, is that I didn’t see this series as being a multi-POV series at first. I thought it was going to be solely about Ella, but my characters had different opinions about that.
How long did it take you to write this book, from the first idea to the last edit?
Oh goodness. I always feel as though I failed somewhere along the way or that I have to make excuses when I give this answer. For this book, I started writing it in 2017, I think. The timeline is blurry because I wasn’t done with one of my drafts for book one before I started this book. I probably took a year to complete the first draft. But I wrote the entire last draft in about four months after I got all of my big edits done back at the end of 2023.
What were the key themes or character arcs in The Glass Dagger that you’re excited to explore more in The Poisoned Crown?
I’m really excited to show Raven and Calla to everyone. You only really ever hear about them in The Glass Dagger, but because they’re in a different kingdom, you don’t get to know them. So I am super excited for readers to read about them and hopefully fall in love with them just as much as I have.
What are your plans for The Kingdoms of Assassins Chronicles series?
I currently have the series planned to wrap in four books. I might do spin off stories, or continue writing short stories about them, but I don’t have anything planned beyond these books right now. I might do a novella about Lady Tremaine and some other characters that I can’t identify without giving away spoilers and show their origin story.
Who would enjoy reading this series?
Readers who love the fairytales we grew up with but wish they had been more in charge of their story with less “damsel in distress”, and more “I can take care of myself” vibes, will love this series. I’m a dis hard disney fan, but a lot of their early characters weren’t empowering or are seen as problematic, so I wanted to adjust that a little bit while also hailing back to the original fairytales. If you also loved Cinder, Shadow & Bone, or TOG, you’ll love this series.
What’s something you hope readers would take away from it?
I hope they take away the knowledge that not everyone is perfect, and while we all have flaws, it’s okay to lean on others for help and to learn and grow from our mistakes (just hopefully not ones that threaten an entire kingdom).
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in The Poisoned Crown that you find yourself going back to?
There are a lot and I’m trying to think of one that won’t be a spoiler. Any time Raven has a ‘soft’ interaction where she isn’t guarded or trying to assess a situation. I love those moments for her. There aren’t a ton, but they’re spots where she gets to show a bit more of her personality and how she’s not just this hardened assassin. Otherwise, there’s a very long scene at the end of the book when stuff has…happened…and I originally had it written with her POV and someone else’s POV (who shall remain nameless). I removed the other POV because it truly just head hopping, but it was a very different view and I think that in a few months I’ll have to release that scene from their POV just so that readers can fall in love with this particular person even more.
What is something you have learned on your author journey so far?
I feel like I’m learning something new every day! There is so much, and I think that’s what I learned. I did a ton of research, but even that hadn’t quite prepared me for the amount of work there is to outside of writing and editing the story.
Where can readers find you on the Internet?
Head to kelseylrobinsonauthor.com for newsletter sign up. Connect on Instagram (Kelseylrobinsonauthor) and TikTok (Kelseylrobinsonauthor).
The Poisoned Crown
After an assassination went wrong, Ella’s fate is uncertain in the Kingdom of Rairene. Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Evrotia, Raven, code name Snow White, is an elite assassin and enchanter sent to be part of the royal guard for a vicious queen who would see her executed for the power she possesses. However, being a royal guard is not as easy as Raven thought it would be when a series of attacks test her abilities while she attempts to gain the queen’s trust. When Raven begins to unravel a rumor shrouded in mystery, tensions escalate in court, and her position in the royal guard becomes precarious. Raven will have to make her emotional shield stronger than her physical one as she questions the true purpose of her mission.
Calla has always found comfort in the walls of Aumont, so when Lady Tremaine sends her as a backup for Raven, the cautious enchanter is more than nervous. Calla is thrust into being a maid for a prince rumored to be more beast than man. While working on aiding Raven, Calla forms an unexpected friendship with the prince.
When devastating news reaches the shores of Evrotia, Raven, and Calla find themselves thrown into a war they never knew existed. Calla is challenged to push past her magical limits and Raven is confronted with a decision that will forever alter her life.
Book Excerpt from
The Poisoned Crown
“Next!”
Raven shuddered, her eyes closed for a second. Queen Lyanna was in a particularly foul mood. She had been since the four of them entered the courtroom. In the three weeks Raven had been there, she could already tell the difference between a good mood and a bad one. It all came down to the simple inflections in the queen’s voice. Raven pitied whatever villager, nobleman, or messenger came before her today.
“What do you need?”
A man covered in dirt and ragged clothing kneeled before her. He grasped his flimsy hat between his fingers, his knuckles white as he searched for words.
“Speak.”
“I was-was, I was hoping…” he gazed around, seeking strength, “my children are starving, your Majesty—”
“Why is that my problem?” Queen Lyanna leaned on her throne.
For anyone else, this would portray relaxation and ease, possibly even someone open to talking. It was the exact opposite for the queen. If she slouched, that meant she was annoyed. If she smiled, she was angry. Raven had yet to see what it meant when the queen pursed her lips as she did now. She knew it did not bode well for the man.
“If we could be allowed to not pay taxes for a month—”
Rowan shifted beside Raven. Charles and Bastien did the same. They knew what was coming.
Raven straightened her spine, preparing.
“You expect me to allow you to not pay the money you owe me for living on my land?” Her voice was slow and calculated. Meant to frighten him enough as he thought about what he was suggesting.
“There is no money left to feed my children. If I must pay, can I borrow from the crown? Just enough to make sure—”
Rowan gripped Raven’s wrist hard enough to bruise.
She whipped her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. He ignored her, continuing to stare straight ahead, tightening his grip when she tried to get free without drawing attention.
“My Queen, please, I am begging for help. My children go to sleep crying every night. Their stomachs are so hungry.” His hands clutched his hat before him.
Queen Lyanna analysed her nails before rising and sauntering over to her gauntlet. She grasped it, and turned it in the light, admiring the blood-stained daggers in place of nails.
“Well, we’ll have to fix that then, won’t we?” Queen Lyanna had never sounded sweeter, kindness dripping from her voice.
She moved quickly. One moment, the gauntlet was before Raven’s eyes. The next it was in the man’s chest. Rowan’s hand kept Raven grounded. Not that she would have done anything, her magic barely stirring in her shock and…horror. That was horror trickling down her spine. Still, Raven was grateful that Rowan held her there. Just in case.
Queen Lyanna twisted her hand in the man’s chest before pulling it out. The sound as it left his body was quieter than Raven expected, unceremonious as his body fell to the floor.
“Now you have one less mouth to feed.” The queen smiled, her eyes crinkling.
She turned around and strode to her throne, hips swishing, the gauntlet dripping a trail of blood behind her. Queen Lyanna sat down and admired the dark red rivers that crawled down the edges, falling off and onto her dress. Maids rushed in and cleaned the floor, while butlers removed the body.
Raven couldn’t move.
She wanted to.
Oh, how she wanted to move.
As her paralysis faded, her magic sang a song of retribution so loud, that she fought to contain it with no one noticing. Raven had always considered herself detached, cold even. She never got involved and felt no emotions. Not after Jason. Right then, though, she wanted to move one foot to her left, remove her blades, whisper an enchantment, and cut off the queen’s head. Her magic squealed in delight at the thought. More than anything, it wanted to exact revenge for the poor farmer whose family would now die without him.
Of course, she would be dead afterward.
But it would be worth it.
Interested?
Add on Goodreads or purchase a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Blackwell’s.
INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!
Head over to the Instagram hashtag #ThePoisonedCrownMTMC to enter the tour giveaway where you can win a digital copy of The Poisoned Crown OR The Glass Dagger (book 1). There will be three winners!
Ends on October 16th. Winner will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.
Tour Schedule:
October 7
@thereaderandthechef – Book Blog
@mtmctours – Bookstagram
October 8
@firestorm_of_books – Bookstagram
@nyssashaw13 – Bookstagram
@booksfor_k – Bookstagram
October 9
@meevreads – Bookstagram
@tupelos.library – Bookstagram
October 10
@confession_of_a_reading_freak_ – Bookstagram
@50shadesofmorallygrey – Bookstagram
@paperfury – Book Blog
October 11
@diaryofthereader – Book Blog
@kristiereads – BookTok
@sundrenchedpage – Bookstagram
October 12
@quillsandpages – Bookstagram
@fanaticfantasyreader – Bookstagram
@_armedwithabook – Book Blog
October 13
@onceaponafantasy – Bookstagram
@themysterybookshelf – Book Blog
@angs.bookcorner – Bookstagram
Many thanks to MTMC tours for having me!
If you are interested in other interviews and excerpts, check them out here.
This is such a fun post, LOVE the author Q&A!! 😍 Thank you for joining the tour! 📖💕✨