Halloween special: I'll be reading parts of Diyosa Mata, the fantasy novel I've been working on. This novel is based on Filipino folklore and mythology and is a reinterpretation of the Spanish colonial era of the Philippines. After years of brutal indoctrination and injustice, the downtrodden people across the archipelago revolt against an imperialistic theocracy called the Derramar. They’re inspired by Mayari Bathala—one of the last practitioners of magic known as the Kalayaans. Mayari sparks this rebellion in retaliation when the Derramar invade her island.

Mayari witnesses the strict influence of the Order warp the minds and hearts of her people: the harsh change in their beliefs affecting even the spirits of the islands, twisting them into the very foes the Order preaches against. She discovers a fellow Kalayaan—perhaps the last—named Vidal, and seeks to unite their powers to save their islands. In the capital, Vidal is a soldier of the Order-ordained task force, the Civil Guard. Serving the Derramar, he sees their corruption first-hand, which inspires him to join Mayari’s uprising. 

From his people, Vidal discovers the meaning of equality and unlearns the colonial socialization instilled in him. Mayari discovers her innate power to shapeshift into the god, Apolaki and fights as a fearless non-binary character. Vidal discovers the power of the spirit of the land within his fingertips. Together, the last of the Kalayaans face down their enemies and the forces that threaten to enslave their people.

The cover art was created by Naomi King! https://instagram.com/naomikingofficial