Synopsis of "The Lure of Wolves and Whispers" by Amanda Connolly:
On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, magic is never freely given. Every spell demands a sacrifice.
When her beloved older sister is left clinging to life, Maeve makes an impossible choice: she bargains for the forbidden magic that could save her. The price is her own freedom. Bound by blood and oath to a ruthless—and dangerously captivating—rebel leader, Maeve is forced into his deadly game.
To fulfill her bargain, she must compete for the crown, battling ambitious rivals for the chance to become the next queen and stand beside a prince whose cruelty is said to rival his tyrannical father's.
As rebellion ignites and war closes in, allies become enemies, secrets unravel, and every choice carries a devastating cost. Torn between duty and desire, Maeve must decide how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice—not only to save the people she loves, but to save the isle itself.
Because on Eireann, survival always comes at a price.
What would you sacrifice to survive?
Amanda Connolly is an award-winning journalist and Managing Editor of Politics & Breaking News at GlobalNews.ca. She specializes in Canadian and international politics, with a focus on foreign policy, national security, defense, and gender equality, bringing a national perspective shaped by reporting across Canada.
Since joining the Global News Parliamentary Bureau in 2017, Connolly has become a leading political reporter, contributing regularly to television and radio coverage. She was part of the Global News investigative team whose reporting on sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces earned national recognition, including nominations for the Michener Award, the CJF Jackman Award, and the Landsberg Award. She also received the RTDNA Charlie Edwards Award for breaking news and the EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship.
Before Global News, Connolly covered defense and national security for iPolitics, where her reporting prompted policy changes and drew international attention for her human rights reporting. Earlier in her career, she reported for CBC Calgary, covering major events including the 2013 Southern Alberta floods.
A graduate of Carleton University's Bachelor of Journalism program, Connolly has reported on major national and international events, including the G7 Summit and Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. When she's not covering politics, she enjoys reading, running, writing, and experimenting with new recipes.
Here is her Novelpro Junkie Interview:
On the mist-shrouded Isle of Eireann, magic is never freely given. Every spell demands a sacrifice.
When her beloved older sister is left clinging to life, Maeve makes an impossible choice: she bargains for the forbidden magic that could save her. The price is her own freedom. Bound by blood and oath to a ruthless—and dangerously captivating—rebel leader, Maeve is forced into his deadly game.
To fulfill her bargain, she must compete for the crown, battling ambitious rivals for the chance to become the next queen and stand beside a prince whose cruelty is said to rival his tyrannical father's.
As rebellion ignites and war closes in, allies become enemies, secrets unravel, and every choice carries a devastating cost. Torn between duty and desire, Maeve must decide how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice—not only to save the people she loves, but to save the isle itself.
Because on Eireann, survival always comes at a price.
What would you sacrifice to survive?
Amanda Connolly is an award-winning journalist and Managing Editor of Politics & Breaking News at GlobalNews.ca. She specializes in Canadian and international politics, with a focus on foreign policy, national security, defense, and gender equality, bringing a national perspective shaped by reporting across Canada.
Since joining the Global News Parliamentary Bureau in 2017, Connolly has become a leading political reporter, contributing regularly to television and radio coverage. She was part of the Global News investigative team whose reporting on sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces earned national recognition, including nominations for the Michener Award, the CJF Jackman Award, and the Landsberg Award. She also received the RTDNA Charlie Edwards Award for breaking news and the EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship.
Before Global News, Connolly covered defense and national security for iPolitics, where her reporting prompted policy changes and drew international attention for her human rights reporting. Earlier in her career, she reported for CBC Calgary, covering major events including the 2013 Southern Alberta floods.
A graduate of Carleton University's Bachelor of Journalism program, Connolly has reported on major national and international events, including the G7 Summit and Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. When she's not covering politics, she enjoys reading, running, writing, and experimenting with new recipes.
Here is her Novelpro Junkie Interview:
1. List three adjectives to describe “The Lure of Wolves and Whispers”?
Dark. Addictive. Romantic.
2. Was “The Lure of Wolves and Whispers” the original title or were there other titles?
There was originally another title when I queried it to my agent – but I’m keeping that to myself in case I use elements of it in the future ;) The title hasn’t changed since we sold it, nor have the others in the series – but my lips are sealed on those for now!
3. What drew you to the romantasy genre specifically?
I’ve been a lifelong reader of fantasy and grew up gravitating to stories that had badass female characters taking on the world, and a dash of romance in them as well. The term “romantasy” wasn’t a thing until a few years ago, but I think the books I’ve always loved the most have always had some element of romance woven in among the fantasy and adventure. To me, fantasy as a genre is at its best when it forces us to hold different facets of our world up to the light and ask, how can we be better? And I think ultimately, love is the most powerful thing we do as human beings – people make the most enduring and impactful sacrifices out of love, and it’s the motivation that can push us to grow in the most incredible ways. Blending the two together … it’s such a fun combination as both a writer and a reader!
4. The book blends political intrigue, rebellion, romance, and fantasy. Which element came first for you?
Neither – it was character! I heard Maeve’s voice in my head, and there was no turning away. She immediately took up residence in my head and I could see her navigating her world so clearly. I had to know who she was, and what kind of person can survive in a world this dark and violent while still being driven so deeply by love. The romantic dynamic exploded in my head as soon as I heard Willow by Taylor Swift – I could picture the push and pull between Maeve and Wolf so clearly, and immediately knew the rhythm of the tension between them as they would begin to unravel each others’ secrets.
5. Did you ever listen to music while writing “The Lure of Wolves and Whispers”?
Always. I’m deeply inspired by music while I write and have playlists for all my books. The two songs that inspired The Lure of Wolves and Whispers were Willow and Don’t Blame Me by Taylor Swift. I’ve posted a few hints and tastes of what I’ve been listening to for Book 2 on my Instagram as well.
6. What was your writing schedule when you wrote the novel?
It was and still is intense. Like most authors, I have a career outside of publishing – I’ve been a journalist for nearly 15 years and the workload is demanding. My schedule is often dictated by the news cycle and that means I’ve had to be ruthless in carving out and protecting writing time. I write in the mornings before work, in the evenings after I come home often until 10 or 11 PM. I write every weekend, every bit of vacation time I can take, because I never know how long I’ll get before my time is not my own again and a major story breaks. It’s not easy, but there’s also nothing I would rather be doing than writing. I would be writing whether I was being published or not. I love this series and these characters with all my heart, and the hours are always worth it to be able to share them with readers.
7. Which character surprised you the most while writing?
Cash keeps me on my toes, but Wolf was such a wonderful challenge to peel back his layers. He had quite hard edges in earlier drafts and has always been reluctant to give up any of his secrets. His growth and the way he is now is really a testament to my wonderful editorial team who kept pushing me to dig deeper and help readers hopefully understand why he is the way he is. He’s been through so much and I’m so proud of where Maeve, Wolf and Cash go in Book 2. Everything escalates.
8. Were there alternate endings you considered for “The Lure of Wolves and Whispers”?
Never. The ending, even in the earliest drafts, was always the same. I’ve refined it and tweaked it on a scene level to make it hit as hard as possible, but the ending has never wavered. It’s essential to what comes next.
9. Could you express what part of the novel (without any spoilers) that gave you writer’s block and how did you get over it?
I haven’t had writers block – having worked as a journalist for so long, it’s been drilled into me that even if you’re sick, even if you’re exhausted, even if you just aren’t feeling it, you sit down and put your hands on the keyboard and write. You can’t fix what you don’t write, even if it feels like pulling teeth to get into a scene. And when I’m struggling, I put on music and focus on sensory details to ease into it, and that always does the trick. There is one scene – I’ll call it the Temple Scene, and readers will know what I mean – that took me multiple iterations to get right, but that wasn’t about writers block. It was because the scene is the first time Wolf and Maeve start to lower their guard with each other, and I had to figure out the most realistic way that they would do that based on their mistrust and difficult pasts. As soon as I understood how they were going to maneuver around each other in that moment, I knew it was right. It’s one of my favourite scenes – in Book 1, at least!
10. Silly-Game question: From “The Lure of Wolves and Whispers” novel, could you please leaf through the pages and point at a random place. What is the full sentence? And what is the page number of this random sentence?
“A woman with a weapon is like lightning at midday. Just as dangerous as a storm at night. All the more deadly if you don’t expect it.” Page 26
11. If (or when) “The Lure of Wolves and Whispers” becomes a movie or TV series, would you like to make a cameo?
Of course! Who wouldn’t? That would be a dream come true!
12. Do you have a favorite scene or moment that you’re most excited to see on the screen?
When Wolf finds Maeve in Cash’s room after the Test of Cunning, and asks: “Why the fuck do you smell like him?” It’s brutal and heartbreaking and revealing, and we learn so much about the history between Wolf and Cash in that scene. Either that scene, or the aching, stolen moments between Wolf and Maeve in the hidden room after the attack in the rowan copse.
13. "The Lure of Wolves and Whispers" is the first book in a planned trilogy. Did you always envision this as a trilogy? And what excites you most about the story still to come?
I had actually pitched it to my agent originally as four books, but since I’m a debut she very wisely advised we make it three. This is an enormous world in my head and I have so many plans for the story still to come. I sold the series on a full outline, and I have about six pages mapping out Book 3 in detail before I start writing – and I am SO excited to get drafting that book later this year. I can’t wait to put these characters through the wringer and hopefully keep readers constantly on their toes. No one is safe in this world.
14. You have an accomplished career as a political journalist. How did that background influence your fiction writing?
On a craft level, there’s a deep influence. I’ve never had any formal creative writing training but I draw a lot of my voice from journalistic web and broadcast writing. Very conversational, very quick and tight. A heavy focus on dialogue, and storytelling with a sharp focus on sensory details. The themes I’m drawn to in writing fiction are the same ones I’ve always been focused on as a journalist: abuse of power, corruption, and the enormous strength of women and LGBTQ people in navigating systems of power that were never built for people like us – and why it’s so critical for us to stand together in protecting each other’s rights and dignity.
15. What is your favorite book-to-movie adaptation? And why?
Joe Wright’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. To me, it’s perfect in every way. The cinematography is utterly stunning and the detail of every scene is so carefully designed. From the score to the way he plays with light to the way the characters are adapted so wonderfully for a new generation of audiences. I watch it in good times and in bad. On the FAR other side of the adaptation spectrum, I love World War Z. The movie is SO different from the book and I find them both so fun in very different ways. I’m a sucker for zombie stories, and I love watching the behind-the-scenes segments to hear the production teams talk about their creative and logistical process.
16. Last question, what's one thing readers would be surprised to learn about the creation of this book?
Ogham – one of the secret forms of writing that the characters use in the book – is real. It’s an ancient alphabet used for writing early Irish.
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