1.- Could you introduce yourself to Jamreads’ readers?
Hi everyone, I’m Amy Leow, author of The Scarlet Throne and lover of unhinged, angry women. When I’m not reading or writing, I can be found drowning in stacks of research articles, sipping one too many cups of coffee, or indulging in anime and manga.

2.- How did you start writing?
I think I’ve been writing since I was a kid, actually. My first “novel” was written when I was 10 (though the draft is lying forgotten somewhere in my closet), but my first “proper” venture was at the peak of the Wattpad era, circa 2015. I’ve not looked back ever since.

3.- Could you tell us more about the original idea behind The Scarlet Throne?
The Scarlet Throne is inspired by the living kumari goddesses of Nepal, a custom that is still kept alive by the Newari people today. When I first learned about them, I was immediately fascinated that a young girl could be given so much power, and asked myself a question: what if that girl refused to give up her position? The first seeds of The Scarlet Throne were born then.

4.- Binsa is quite an interesting main character. Did she evolve much for her inception? Why would you say this kind of characters can end up attracting the reader?
Binsa has always been a villain protagonist from the get-go. I really wanted to write a book where a truly morally-grey/black female character was allowed to go insane and completely power-hungry. Personally, I’ve always been interested in villain characters, so I’m one of the “readers” who would be intrigued by her personality. It’s probably because you can never quite put your finger on why they’ve ended up this way, and there is a sense of mystery around them that draws you towards them.

5.- Which are the major inspirations behind the world of The Scarlet Throne?
I primarily drew from Nepali culture, as I didn’t want to remove the idea of a living goddess from the culture that it’s rooted in. It has this interesting blend between South and East Asian cultures, and I found this surprisingly similar to Southeast Asian culture, which in itself is a “mongrel” of cultures, as it was an important point of trade even before colonial powers came in. Ultimately, I also drew on my own understanding of Southeast Asian elements to complement whatever that I was researching on Nepal’s culture and history.

6.- You are an ESL author. How would you say being from Malaysia has shaped your experience as a writer?
To be fair, I grew up speaking English as a first language, but being someone who is from a non-Anglophonic country I did feel unconfident about the way I used the language. That has changed though, and I came to find value in the different ways I used or spoke English, which enabled me to think from the perspective of different cultures. I’d like to think that this has shaped how I conceive characters and world dynamics from a non-Western paradigm.

7.- Getting agented is one of the most challenging parts of traditional publishing. Could you tell us more about your own experience?
I was certainly lucky in my querying journey—I received an offer from my agent 3 months into querying, but before that I also did a lot of preparation, constantly researching agents and fine-tuning my query letter on numerous platforms. That didn’t mean that the rejections didn’t sting, though. Querying is a tough balancing act, very much about perseverance and being able to hold on to hope for that one book, while at the same time being able to detach yourself from your manuscript and not take it to heart. 

8.- Which other pieces of media would you recommend to readers that enjoyed Binsa?
So many! I’d love to point readers to the “classics” that ignited my love for female villain protagonists: The Young Elites by Marie Lu, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, and And I Darken by Kiersten White. In non-book media, I highly recommend the animes Attack on Titan and Land of the Lustrous, as well as the acclaimed game NieR:Automata. I think you’d find a lot of similarities between The Scarlet Throne’s dark, oppressive atmosphere and these other works. 

9.- What can we expect from Amy Leow in the future?
For now, I’m focusing on finishing Book 2, so that I don’t have to keep readers waiting!

The Scarlet Throne is Amy Leow's debut novel. You can order a copy using this link.