S2 Ep.36: Gothic Bloodlines, Silent Power, and the Cost of Freedom: Ava Reid on Innamorata
S2 Ep.36: Gothic Bloodlines, Silent Power, and the Cost of Freedom: Ava Reid on Innamorata  
Podcast: The Mythic Mic Podcast
Published On: Mon Mar 16 2026
Description: 🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where history bleeds into magic, silence can be a form of power, and stories dare you to think as much as they make you feel.  This week, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with bestselling, genre-defying author Ava Reid to celebrate the release of her most ambitious novel yet, Innamorata. Ava is as candid, razor-sharp, and intellectually electric as her books, and this conversation moves between craft, career, controversy, and the philosophy of art with the kind of depth Mythic Mic listeners live for.Ava reflects on her evolution from a fanfiction writer on the early internet to a seasoned author who has weathered public backlash, editorial upheaval, and the emotional whiplash of publishing during COVID. She speaks about what it’s like to survive a deeply contentious book, rebuild her career on her own terms, and develop the “terrier-like” determination that keeps her going.We dive into the beating heart of Innamorata, a gothic, grimdark fantasy set on a conquered island where necromantic traditions have been buried but not forgotten. Ava unpacks the fraught, toxic, and mesmerizing relationship between cousins Agnes and Marozia, the Renaissance revenge epic that inspired the book, and the psychological complexity of selective mutism as both trauma response and source of power.Along the way, we explore Ava’s larger philosophy of storytelling: that art’s only obligation is to make people feel strongly and think interestingly. She challenges the trope-driven, trend-chasing pace of modern publishing, lamenting compressed editing timelines and “amusement park ride” books that vanish from the mind the moment you close them.🩸 What does freedom really mean when your past refuses to release you?🕯️ Can silence be both weapon and refuge?⚔️ And what happens when a gothic story centers two women instead of isolating one?This is a must-listen for dark fantasy lovers, aspiring authors, and anyone who believes books should linger long after the last page.🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…✨ Growing up writing fanfiction on the early internet. ✨ How Ava’s writing routine shifts between drafting, editing, and “admin life”.✨ Debuting during COVID, and what that meant for her confidence, jadedness, and learning to survive edit letters. ✨ The fallout of Juniper & Thorn and how it reshaped her career. ✨ Dropping an agent, pivoting to YA, and reclaiming creative agency. ✨ Why comparison and jealousy will “rot your soul” in publishing. ✨ Reading widely as the foundation for building a distinct authorial voice. ✨ Ava’s central thematic question across her work: What is freedom?✨ The origins of Innamorata: Renaissance revenge epics, matriarchal houses, and selective mutism. ✨ Why Innamorata is Ava’s most ambitious and best book to date. ✨ Why fantasy can — and should — be studied like “the classics”. CONNECT WITH US🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill📚 Ava Reid – @avasreid✨ If this episode left you in awe, please rate and review — it helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.