When I was first conceiving of the Emperor’s Assassin series, it had a very different shape. The whole first third was Airón traveling to the Imperium. He was pretending not to speak Imperial and Asahi showed up in the first chapter as the guard forcing him to travel south.

Then, as I started writing, I realized that for me the meat of the story, the part that actually interested me was Tallu and Airón and how they interacted. What was their relationship? What did Tallu want from Airón? Did he know who Airón was and what he was there for?

I love Mona Finden’s work, and I’m always in awe of how she gets my characters, how she’s able to figure out their dynamics and make art that reflects them.

So, enjoy Prince Airón and Emperor Tallu, and get ready for their story to continue in Hand of the Emperor.