Debut author Molly X. Chang’s first release, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, dropped this past Thursday 18th April everywhere in the UK. A YA fantasy set in an alternative historical version of China where magic and humans mix, the story follows Ruying, the girl blessed by death. Ruying is willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive and keep her family safe during the invasion of her land by the Romans. However, when she meets Antony, one of the Roman princes, her life is derailed in ways she could not fathom as everything she believes in is brought into question. What choices must Ruying make? And do those choices make her a hero, or a coward? I chatted with Molly X. Chang to find out more about her inspirations for the book and what is in store for future installments:
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is inspired by the history of what occurred in China in the early 20th century, yet it’s set in a unique world where two worlds exist across a portal and magic mixes with humans. Were there certain elements from history you decided had to be accurate or did the world building come along naturally as you delved into Ruying’s story?
A lot of this book is inspired by my grandfather’s ghost stories and Manchurian folklore that were passed down through the generations. I tried to stay as close to the oral storytelling of my people as possible and capture that sense of claustrophobic terror that was a constant in all my grandfather’s stories. My grandfather used to tell me 落后就要挨打, which means if you fall behind you will be beaten, and this is how the Europeans used our own inventions such as gun powder and compass to travel the world and invade us. I wanted to dial that up to a hundred and have a technologically advanced invader fighting a magic-rich fantasy land.
You’ve previously stated that your grandparents often told you stories and folktales from Manchuria. Is there a particular story that they told you that resonates with you that you could share?
The stories that have stayed with me for years and years are my grandfather’s ghost stories. The ones he used to tell me when I left my homework to the last minute, and he told me the ghosts of the pingfang (ping means flat and fang means house, so I always thought houses with flat roofs were haunted as a child) would come and drink my blood and eat my flesh. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized those were not just stories, but inspired by the very real history of Harbin that our ancestors had lived through.
I loved the incorporation of environmentalism, especially in regards to understanding the world the Romans are from, though we don’t know too much about it yet. Was it a theme that you knew you wanted to incorporate from the beginning? If so, what in particular inspired you to focus on it? Will it evolve further as the story progresses?
Yes, environmentalism has been a huge thing for me since childhood. I remember when I was in China, the teachers always scolded the kids who didn’t turn off the lights when they left a room, or when we wasted water. Environmentalism and sustainability of human society have always been something I am passionate about and will continue to play a part in the trilogy.
There are themes and events in the book that are quite mature yet they are handled in a way that is understandable and digestible for YA audiences. What inspired you to write for young adults? Did you write with this audience in mind or did you have to alter certain things after the story was finished?
When I was growing up, I never saw characters who looked like me. This has left a mark on me, and I always wish to change that for the next generation, so writing for young adults is something I am very passionate about.
Ruying, the girl blessed by death, is a very complex character whose journey I enjoyed reading especially because she is flawed yet ultimately loves her family above all else. In particular, though she is tempted by death she often shows mercy, even to the Romans. When developing this character was there a particular aspect that you knew was paramount to Ruying’s identity and personality that had to be preserved throughout the story or did her characterization dramatically change as you fleshed out the story?
Heroes die, cowards live is a line that came to me very early, and the first draft of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was written in the summer when I lost both of my grandmothers within months of each other, and I couldn’t be there for their last days because I had to take my university exams. I wrote a lot of my grief and regrets into Ruying, and this is something that has stayed through every draft and every edit.
Ruying and Antony’s relationship, and the various stages it went through as the story continued, is something that is left on a cliffhanger that I’m sure we’ll learn more about in the next books. When dealing with a complicated relationship such as theirs, what were some of the challenges in exploring how these characters worked together and how their arc fit in with the greater themes of the book? We also got a glimpse of Antony’s POV in one chapter, will we get to learn more from his perspective in future books?
I think both Antony and Ruying are products of their worlds and the circumstances they were born into. Because of this, both are very strong, complex characters with stubborn personalities who will always see the world how they want to see it. I found it really fascinating writing about these morally grey characters which made for a very interesting dynamic for the main character and the main villain. And yes, we will definitely get more from Antony’s perspective in the future books…. Book two will actually be a dual POV book!
The book ends on a cliffhanger as Ruying makes a devastating discovery. Is there anything you can hint about what’s to come?
Book two is called To Kill a Monstrous Prince, so I will leave readers to speculate on what’s to come…
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is your debut book, and you’ve mentioned the challenges in getting the story published. How does it feel now that the book is hitting shelves? Is there any advice you could share for others who are looking to publish their own stories one day?
The process of writing TGUWG has been incredibly cathartic and it’s a book that is very close to my heart. I am so excited for it to finally be hitting the shelves and for more people to read my very long intergenerational trauma dump! The one piece of advice I’d give is to never give up. It took me eight years to publish To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is available online and in stores around the UK. Thank you Molly for your insightful answers and Penguin Random House for arranging this interview.
Written by Dafne Mistrangelo
