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An Inevitable Part of Growing Up: A Guest Post by Carina Finn

By Carina Finn / February 7, 2025 at 1:50 am

Raised as rivals, Merriment and Rue are counting down the days until their fated duel — and discover that they may have more in common than they think. From talking cats to mercurial demons and more, The Last Great Heir is a charming, adventurous tale. Read on for an exclusive essay from Our Monthly Pick author Carina Finn on writing The Last Great Heir.

Paperback $6.99 ~~$8.99~~

The Last Great Heir (B&N Exclusive Edition)

By Carina Finn

In Stock Online

Paperback $6.99 ~~$8.99~~

The female heirs of two opposing families must duel for guardianship of the land in this stunning fantasy adventure debut!

I created the world of Feast and Famine when I had just started working as a food writer and restaurant critic in New York City. This was my dream job, and it came with a lot of exciting opportunities. I was eating at restaurants multiple times a week, sometimes as many as five restaurants in a single day. It was a lifestyle of unfathomable excess, and I couldn’t help thinking about all the people who were barely getting by.

This dichotomy provided the inspiration for the rival families of Feast and Famine. At the start of the story, House Feast has been in power for generations. Their enthusiasm for appreciating all the beauty and luxury life has to offer has led to a depletion of resources and a concentration of wealth and influence that leaves the majority of Fauret’s population in survival mode.

The members of House Famine have dedicated themselves to a life of service, using their knowledge of history and potion-making to stretch their land’s scarce resources—but at what cost? Nobody likes the Famines very much. Even their own heir, twelve-year-old Rue, is envious of the pastries and parties that Feasts enjoy.

Custom in Fauret dictates that the heirs of each house must duel for control over the land on their thirteenth birthdays. But even though Rue Famine is positive that the Feast way of life isn’t good for the people of Fauret, she’s also pretty sure that fighting someone she’s never met isn’t right, either. And while Merriment Feast was taught to believe that Famine rule would bring only destruction and despair, she can’t help thinking there must be some reason behind their way of life.

Merri and Rue rebel against their families by refusing to blindly accept that anyone who doesn’t share their values is an enemy. Their curiosity about those who choose different ways of life is what makes both girls heroes. Many fantasy worlds are built around an obvious divide between the Good and the Evil. I wanted to create a world where those lines were blurred, which results in a story that is not straightforward. There are many moments where our young heroes are confused and uncertain and doubt their choices.

This is an inevitable part of growing up and of life. The questions that come with discovering yourself and your place in the world never end. It is my hope that readers see themselves in Merri and Rue and the friends they make along the way, and remember that it is a good to constantly challenge what you think you know.