.
The chronicles begin with a tale of exiles, disillusionment, and stubborn hope. Will a strange
band of misfits be enough to protect a world from a monstrous threat?
Demons stir in Itania, and Meecha Roa, the black sheep of his family, travels from his home
world to this legendary planet to investigate. But all he knows about Itania is what other
secret agents of the angels have recounted. A place of magic, dragons, elves, humans, and
simmering strife.
The mission seems simple enough: explore the activity of the demons and their servants. At
the same time, track down and recruit a rogue elf demon-hunter called Azare. Except
nothing is simple in Itania, especially with so much brewing in the shadows. Through
hardship and precious friendships, his intricate discoveries will shake his heart and loyalty to
the core as the demons turn out to be hunting for an infamous key to Hell, secreted away by
a master thief and lockbox-maker.
Meecha realises that what he seeks on his epic adventure are answers and solutions not
just for the Aerieti, but also himself… The part he plays in this critical chess match between
angels and demons.
.
Electra Nanou was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece, before relocating to the UK.
After returning to higher education at the University of East Anglia for a BA in English
Literature, she now lives in Norwich, Norfolk, self-publishing her works, while working in
digital content writing and managing Book Breath, a blog for debut book reviews.
What do you love most about writing?
The escape and adventure. I’ve always been a daydreamer, so I love jumping into each
story and vividly visualising it before and while I’m writing. I’m also passionate about the
overall significance of human expression through literature.
What inspired you to write your book?
Tolkien’s theme of small and overlooked people affecting the world around them. Many
characters in Roa Seeks are outcasts in one way or another. Their voices challenge things
like fate, blind faith, and division, additional concepts that inspired me.
Do your characters dictate what or how you write in any way?
Yes. Characters are the pillars of a story, so I choose them and their roles carefully. From
there, I let them grow and interact with the fictional world naturally. Getting them to fall in line
with the plot can be tricky, but the results are very rewarding.
Are you a painstaking plotter or discovery writer?
I’m a loose planner. I create mind maps of important information and outline the plot before I
start writing, including chapter by chapter bullet points. Changes – or discoveries – come
naturally as I write, but the direction and key events are set.
What type of book(s) do you like to read and do they differ from the genre(s) you
prefer to write in?
I’ve always read and written high, low, and dark fantasy since childhood with a little general
fiction on the side. Now, I also love reading magical realism and am drawn towards unique,
quirky, imaginative stories in either activity. I’d say that my reading choices are just more
selective and my writing more focused.
Is there any conflict between what you want to write and what you think your readers
will like?
Some… I want my stories to be fun, compelling, and at least legible. But I refuse to
compromise my own enjoyment and ideas as an artist. So I look for a balance. In Roa
Seeks, for example, I loved experimenting with “thees” and “thous” in Itania’s dialects. I kept
the feature, expecting readers to find it strange, but did my best to make it as subtle and
polished as possible.
What’s exciting you about your next project?
I’m writing the next book in the series. Only a few chapters in and I’m loving it. The
protagonists of Roa Seeks become secondary characters, while a girl from the women’s
sanctuary-island of Ilja takes the lead. She and her sheltered feminist perspective are forced
onto the chaotic mainland, opening up new fascinating themes to explore. The story is
darker, more magical, intricate, and revealing.
.
Meecha Roa is a misfit to his family. He never quite fits in. What they don’t know is that Meecha is a hero. He travels through dimensions to other worlds where he takes on evils of all kinds. In his latest mission, he is tasked to understand the situation in a world called Itania. While there he will also need to find an elf demon hunter named Azare. The mission sounds simple enough but Meecha doesn’t know the depth of danger he has gotten into. He will need to make unlikely friends and allies to survive this mission.
Roa Seeks is full of adventure. There are creatures of all kinds on Itania and they keep the reader engaged. One of the best creatures introduced was a large cat and its cub, but will it befriend Meecha or eat him instead? And of course, there are demons that could pop up at any turn, making the danger more imminent.
The world-traveling is interesting and the way that Meecha is able to travel between those worlds was quite intriguing. At times it did feel as if some of the characters that Meecha interacted with could have had more of a back story to them but perhaps we will see that explored in future volumes.
There are also several great illustrations in the book. The cover art may give you an indication but the illustrations are quite accurate to the book descriptions and very well made.
Meecha is a particularly charming character and is extremely likable. He does his best even though the world around him is much larger than he is. That’s something a lot of us can relate to. The book has plenty of potential for a long-running, series and it will be interesting to see where Meecha goes from here.
If you love books full of magical worlds, strange and beautiful landscapes and creatures, and epic battles between good and evil, Roa Seeks is a great addition to have on your bookshelf.
REVIEWED BY
Adam Wright on Discovery Reedsy(Find the page here)
Find Electra on Facebook
Find Roa Seeks on Amazon
.
Thank you to Electra for sharing her story with Word Mongery and Musings. 🙂
.
~Morgan~
Word Mongery and Musings 
Join the Discussion