These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

These Rebel Waves
(Stream Raiders #1)
by Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray over-throw its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Lo-ray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.




After the magic system in Snow Like Ashes what made you decide on Magic Plants for These Rebel Waves?

Honestly, I wanted something simple. The magic in SNOW LIKE ASHES grew at an alarming rate, and by the end, I spent weeks (maybe months) trying to make sure I hadn’t broken any of my own rules. So with THESE REBEL WAVES, I thought “The plants are magic! That’s simple! Straightforward!” Ha. Hahahahaha. This magic, too, quickly got away from me, and I again had to spend weeks untangling my own rules.

Don’t write books with complex magic systems, friends.

When you create a Fantasy World how do you keep straight the rules, political system and the terrain? (ie. Maps, list, graphs?)

Ha! Funny that this question follows the last one :) I basically DON’T keep the rules straight, then have this moment of intense panic that lasts about half a year in which I bemoan ever having set out to write fantasy.

Seriously though, it does feel like that most of the time, but I am insanely organized. I have maps of every major city/country, detailed documents explaining the magic in every form, lists and pictures and notes. You name it, I have it jotted down somewhere. “Organized chaos.”

Which character did you have the most fun writing??

Vex! He’s such a sarcastic pain the butt, but oh so fun. He has this light about him that makes every situation he’s in that much more enjoyable!

When do multiple POVs, what do find is the easiest way to keep them straight. Do you ever find the characteristics of one characters accidentally bleeding into another?

When I’m first starting out, trying to get the various characters nailed down in my mind, sometimes I tend to get their voices crossed. But after a few drafts, they tend to become separate entities as I’m working on their individual scenes. I always try to stop and ask myself “Would this character really say this line like that?”

What other genres would you like to write?

I’d love to try my hand at adult fantasy! I read so much of it, it just feels like a natural move someday. On a different note, I’d love to write a noir novel? I have no idea why, really. It just seems interesting.

Of course i have to ask what is your favorite type of pirate, pirate movie or pirate character?

Fave Pirate: Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy who was this real life badass pirate captain in the Caribbean. He amassed the most ships of any pirate captain--and died before he was 30. He had a pretty intense, quick life!

Fave Pirate Movie: Well, I mean, Pirates of the Caribbean. C’mon now.

Fave Pirate Character: Jim Hawkins from basically any version of Treasure Island (tho really, the Treasure Planet Jim is def the hottest)

Describe your book in five words.

Raiders, rebels, and revolutionaries clash.

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pic-tures.

Goodreads : Tumblr : Twitter : Pinterest : Instagram : Facebook