A transformative journey awaits you in "Queen of Faces"

We love authors who are entrenched in their genres, and in this conversation with debut author Petra Lord, it’s evident that she loves fantasy. She knows fantasy. So it’s no surprise that she spent eight years constructing the intricate, fantastical world we’re introduced to in Queen of Faces. Here, we discuss the intersection of gender and identity in her novel, her biggest fandom and literary influences, and how rejection as a universal experience lays the groundwork for her series.

Katie O'Connor: Congratulations on your debut! Queen of Faces is incredible, and such a twisty, deeply layered fantasy. What was the originating idea for the story?

Petra Lord: Thank you so much! This story began with pure world-building, way back in 2017, long before I had characters or a plot. I’ve always loved cyberpunk narratives like Ghost in the Shell, where you can swap your mind between bodies with technology. It makes for all these fascinating questions about identity, and I wanted to make a fantasy world that explores those sorts of themes. The body that we’re born in is something we often take for granted, much like our gender, so I found it very compelling to bend and twist that.

The underlying premise of Queen of Faces—that people can switch bodies at will—so deftly anchors the story as a trans fantasy. Can you expand on the ways that gender and identity serve as core themes in your novel?

Queen of Faces is about transformation, at its core. The main character, Ana, undergoes a metamorphosis of both body and mind, and the magic system of branches is centered around personal growth and epiphany. As the character Kaplen says, “Magic is the art of changing yourself.” There are a lot of trans characters in this book—characters who are alienated from their bodies, alienated from themselves, and from the world at large. Their names are in flux, their identities are uncertain, struggling at the fringes of society.

As such, I do see Queen of Faces as a transgender fantasy. But it’s also a story about becoming an adult, about burying your old heroes, and discovering yourself. A fantasy of rebirth. I’m hoping any reader can relate to that, no matter who they are.

I have to admit, I was expecting our heroine, Ana, to fall into a chosen-one narrative and gain entry to the prestigious magic academy at the center of the book. Instead, we are swept into a much more morally gray tale. Did you ever consider going in that first direction, or did you always know you wanted the action to take place on the outskirts of a traditional fantasy setting?

The original protagonist was actually Ori, the elegant, beautiful genius who crushes the entrance exam like it’s nothing. But very early in the outlining stage, I decided I wanted a different protagonist, an outsider who felt rejected from her dreams. And for this story, that felt much more truthful.

I think the appeal of magic schools is often a changeling fantasy, of sorts. You’re living a boring, ordinary life until one day, you’re plucked out of obscurity and swept into a world of wonder. You get to be chosen, validated as both important and elite. But in reality, most of us don’t experience that. The world doesn’t tell us we’re special, it kicks us in the teeth and reminds us that we’re ordinary, that we’re replaceable losers. A whole lot of people apply to Harvard or Oxford, but only a tiny percentage get in. Rejection is a universal experience. What matters is what you do with that rejection, how you move forward, and I think that’s what Queen of Faces is about.

Which authors, stories, or even magic systems have had the most impact on you as an author?

For authors, George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows have been influential, in terms of both plotting and their multiple POVs. The apocalyptic world-building and desperate characters take notes from The Three-Body Problem books and the 2011 web novel Worm.

The world also draws a lot from the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Ghost in the Shell. I think anime is particularly good at creative magic systems. You could also point to the antihero subversion of Watchmen or Invincible, or the rich fantastical cultures of Mass Effect or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Queen of Faces is beautifully performed by three queer narrators: Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, E.A. Castillo, and Nicky Endres. What did it mean to you to hear them voice your story?

I adore the voice cast of Queen of Faces, and hearing them speak my sentences out loud is nothing short of transcendent. The richness of Dylan’s voice gives so much weight and depth to some of my favorite lines. E.A. brings out Ana’s desperation and her inner world with such raw, vivid intensity. And Nicky is so versatile—whether they’re reading a hero or a villain or anything in between, they bring all the side POVs to life so beautifully. I was blown away by their audition tapes, and am so grateful for their work in speaking this audiobook into being.

What do you hope listeners take away from your novel?

That transforming yourself, in body or mind, is one of the most difficult and frightening things you can do. But it’s also utterly worth it.