Power should be neutral, a tool like any other. In the hands of people, however, it is often weaponized. Unchecked, the desire for it scorches as fiercely as any fire. I do not personally subscribe to the belief that power changes people. I believe it reveals, dare I say even unleashes who the person already was. Which begs the question, without the guardrails of civility, society, or even basic decency… who are you?

In Phine’s world, shifters kept to themselves but that hardly made them peaceful. They were rife with interspecies conflicts. New alphas replaced old ones with savage indifference because among shifters, might is right. The mightiest of them, the alpha among alphas was the Troop Leader. As Troop Leader, Remy’s word was supposed to be law. But power that should have gone unchecked became more contended as the story progressed. Because unlike previous Troop Leaders, he was progressive. He was different. He tried to guide his collective away from some of the more brutal instincts and customs.

For example, challenges to be alpha were to the death. But Remy never saw the point and spared those he bested. Judiciously using his power…had many calling him “weak.” He was bound by traditions that served only those who would serve themselves. Still arguably my most “traditional” character, even Remy struggled to adhere to perceptions of what power on a man like him should look like. 

For witchkin, their power was proportional to their magic. Everyone had an ability uniquely theirs. But the pools of magic they could draw from to use them, their Wells, varied in depth and strength. Those willing to risk their lives, loved ones or worse could acquire more power. They could rise to the heights of society, rule kingdoms, raise empires. But everyone loses something of value in the pursuit or maintenance of power. In Witch Queen Rising, I wanted to show how rarely money, magic, power, or privilege was worth that cost.

From faction hierarchies to character decisions, power took many forms throughout the book. Externally, there were so many forces trying to shape every facet of Phine’s life. Her people called her the Tick Witch. She was told time and time again that she was a mistake, dangerous, someone who needed to be controlled. And as powerful as Phine was as an individual, she often felt powerless as part of her collective.

Despite the fact witchkin could alter fate and manipulate reality, Phine was feared for her power. Despite being the daughter of a dynasty, she was an outcast in and out of her own home. Even proximity to power did not save her. If anything, it exacerbated her isolation because the people who vilified her the most sat across the dinner table from her. 

 The Barreaus were prisoners of their own legacy. To continue the family line and ensure “Barreaus only build,” Maxine bore children she never wanted. Josephine Barreau grew up hypervigilant to anything that could tarnish the family name. In her own words, Phine was the “pet dragon in a gilded cage,” while her sister “grew up a princess in a fairy tale.” Bearing the weight of these expectations cost each of these women something. Maxine her humanity, Josie her sense of safety, and Phine the love of her family. 

It would have been easy for Phine to become a cold, hard, or heartless person. She’s been hated and othered all her life. But she didn’t. She never let authority or optics sway her agency. Phine’s self-image may have blurred depending on what’s going on in the story. But, even when everything was falling apart around her, she held firm to her sense of self. She did good because she was good. 

“If I let the actions of others dictate mine, I’d already be the monster they think I am.”

Paradoxically, there was Moira, the Queen of Nightmares. Where Phine avoided accusations of being a monster, Moira’s power was to unapologetically embrace it. She’s a 6’5” night hag with teeth like a shark and an aura of dread. She commanded shadowbeasts, fed on fear, and happily made her enemies pay. Despite her otherworldly beauty, she’s a terrifying huntress unafraid to do terrible things for good reasons. She used her agency and power to show Phine that being a monster didn’t mean cruelty or wanton destruction. Some of the darkest moments in the book were actually done by people who thought themselves the hero. 

Julian for example has more money and influence than any other faction leader. He is a man otherwise on top of the world but relegated to only half of it. He can daywalk, as in remain animated indoors after sunrise. But he’d quickly become barbeque if he stepped outdoors. He doesn’t just want the daytime or the nighttime; he wants it all. The power he’s accumulated tells Julian the world should be his oyster, that there was nothing he couldn’t or shouldn’t have. Many of his actions in the book are driven by that. A little bit of power is like a little bit of knowledge, dangerous. Pursuit of both even more so.

That’s why “power corrupts” is an oversimplification to me. Power is not a problem, how it’s used can be. We are the ones who determine how we use our power. Not our parents, not our communities, not society. You can’t control people, but you can change who has access to you. Life may have dealt you a bad hand, but you determine where and how it’s played. Ultimately, what I wanted to communicate in Witch Queen Rising is that we are still the masters of our fate, the captains of our souls, and the architects of our existence. So with that in mind, I ask again: without the guardrails of civility, society, or even basic human decency…who are you?

Witch Queen Rising, by Savannah Stephens, will be released the April 21st, 2026. You can already pre-order it!

About Savannah Stephens

Savannah Stephens is a genre-blending fiction author, most notably writing dark and paranormal fantasy. She proudly creates the representation she did not have growing up. Her protagonists are warriors, queens, assassins, witches, monsters and more; and every one of them exemplifies #blackgirlmagic. She hopes to give readers not only fantastical worlds they can escape to, but also tools to survive the real world they inevitably come back to when the pages stop turning.

Savannah lives in Central New York with her cat familiar, Sir Beaumont of Fluffbottom, her plants, and an ever-expanding collection of hobbies she hopes to get to.  

You can find her on Instagram.