My Homage to Venezuela: A Guest Post by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Love is tested when unexpected danger strikes in this powerful conclusion to the Warring Gods duology. Two women, one world at the brink of destruction — can peace survive? Read on for an exclusive essay from Gabriela Romero Lacruz on writing The River and the Star.

The Sun and the Void, book 1 in the Warring Gods series, started as a simple thought experiment. What would it look like if a dangerous, sword-and-sorcery quest were set in a world inspired by colonial South America? At the time, I was just nerdy girl steeped in fantasy; surviving on a healthy and nutritious diet of Skyrim, Game of Thrones, Tactics Ogre, and Final Fantasy. I’d enjoyed fantasy stories inspired by cultures from all around the world. So, I asked myself: Why not write a story with mine?

Latin American literature has a ton of period dramas, historical fiction, and magical realism to draw inspiration from (Teresa de la Parra and Gabriel García Márquez, I’m looking at you), but that wasn’t the itch I wanted to scratch. I wanted to mix the old-fashioned family dramas common in telenovelas with characters who had access to magic, dueled in sword fights, and had to defend themselves and their loved ones in a perilous, unforgiving world. A tall order, in hindsight, but I was a bright-eyed young writer who didn’t yet know how much worldbuilding, plotting, and edits (AKA crying) would be needed to pull it off.

The culture and aesthetics were the easiest part of creating the world of The Warring Gods series. I grew up in Venezuela, so I leaned on my experiences to shape the familial, cultural, and religious elements of my world. I drew inspiration from my own family histories (how in our religious, patriarchal society women frequently have to make unsavory choices to escape even worse circumstances), leaned on the books and games I’d loved growing up, found guidance in the lessons of writers featured in Writing Excuses, and got to work.

When I started writing these books, I expected a fun thought experiment—a chance to imagine a protagonist like myself getting to slay monsters and cast spells. But I ended up getting an unexpected lesson in Venezuelan culture and history. In my research and writing, I saw the blend of European, Indigenous, and African beliefs and traditions that define my culture. I got a lesson on all the ways colonialism can shape a nation.

Latin American culture often celebrates its European roots, but writing these books helped me lift the veil and reveal the ways the colonizer has rewritten the Indigenous and African contributions. The Indigenous and African origins of the music, the food, the dances, etc. are right there, but hardly ever acknowledged. In researching my books, I came to see how the very nature of colonialism forces those who live on the margins to change themselves to fit the expectations of the majority—mannerisms, appearance, and family norms are a few that come to mind. I infused all this information into my world, my characters, and the plot of The Sun and the Void. And with The River and the Star, I dug even deeper.

People like to say that The Sun and the Void and The River and the Star are a sharp critique of colonialism, when all I set out to do was to show the truth of it. If the mere act of holding up a mirror is a critique, then a larger conversation is needed. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Living in the United States, my memories of Venezuela fade, and every day I lose pieces of my connection to my culture. But these books allowed me to relearn and reabsorb so much. They became a way to strengthen my bond to the places and people I love. Along the way, I saw how little representation there is for my culture, and showcasing in fun and exciting ways became my mission. The Warring Gods series is my homage to Venezuela—the first of many.