Today, I have author Reni Stankova in the interview chair. We’re discussing her latest series release, The Heaven Trilogy, a m/m epic fantasy.
****
1. Hi, Reni. First off, readers have an idea about the writer you, but what about the everyday you? Can you share about your personal life?
Reni: I was born in 1989 in Bulgaria. I like to joke: I was born, and the Berlin wall fell, lol. I’m an LGBTQ ally and adore m/m stories. I have a full-time office job while trying to make writing my main income, so I can leave the office. I survived depression, anxiety, and burnout, like every other millennial.
I love to hike the Bulgarian mountains. Every year, I take a retreat with other Bulgarian authors in the mountains. We get together, write, eat, drink, and laugh at our stupid characters. It’s bliss. I also try to take one or two vacations outside of the country, usually around Europe. Writing and travelling – that’s my life.
2. I’ve been perusing your Goodreads page, and see you are drawn to writing about “diverse power couples, strong female characters, original worlds, wholesome romance, and political intrigue.” Can you share why?
Reni: The power couple is my favorite couple dynamic. I love couples where both parties bring a unique set of skills and become a powerhouse.
Strong female characters are a must in all my work. The female side characters in The Enemy of Heaven are well developed. I’m also writing historical fiction novels, from the female perspective, where I get really into the psyche of a woman from the historical period.
Wholesome romance is my favorite type of romance. Sorry, but enemies to lovers is not my kind of trope. I do not enjoy couples who hate each other at any point. Give me two people who are loving, respectful, no unnecessary drama or miscommunication. They first need a good relationship before they take on the problems of the world.
3. Let’s talk about your main characters, Raphael and Dante. What do you love most about them?
Reni: I wanted to create a couple who worked great as a team. On their own, they are strong. But together, they are unstoppable.
To achieve this, I made them opposites: Raphael is smart, Dante is strong. Raphael is rich, and Dante is poor. Raphael is an angel, and Dante is a demon. Raphael is a strategic decision maker, while Dante is a meticulous enforcer. They complement each other, not just in their personalities, but also in their skill sets.
And because they have such a productive teamwork, it made sense to make their romance passionate, wholesome, and respectful. They don’t need drama in their relationship. Enough problems and drama are coming from the outside. It’s Raphael and Dante against the world.
And they also learn from each other by witnessing and experiencing the other’s reality. It’s the kind of love where the lovers not only make each other better people, but also make the world around them a better place.
4. And what makes you shake your head at them?
Reni: I’m not doing much shaking, since I’m the one who gave them their flaws. Maybe others will shake their heads when Raphael gets so obsessed with his plans, he takes risks to the point where he appears suicidal. And sometimes Dante has spontaneous moments of low self-esteem because of his abandonment issues.
5. Without giving away any spoilers, what was your favourite scene to write and why?
Reni: All torture scenes! I am a sadistic god, and I enjoy putting my characters in the most heart-wrenching situations. But don’t worry, there usually is a comfort scene after that. Sometimes, it’s delayed, but it’s there.
I’ve tortured Dante more than Raphael. It’s not because I hate him, but because I want to showcase his resilience in the face of cruelty and injustice. The world does everything to stomp on him, but Dante is still here, still going forward, and still capable of being happy. His reward – a gorgeous prince who loves him, is great in bed, and will turn the world upside down to make him happy.
6. Tell the readers why they should read your series.
Reni: If you love romantasy with a gay power couple, if you want a wholesome romance in a dark, complicated world, if you live for political intrigue in a world where angels and demons are social classes, there is a lot of heart wrenching drama, and zero homophobia, The Enemy of Heaven and its sequels is the story for you.
7. How does your series differ from other forbidden love novels?
Reni: This is a love story between an angel and a demon. Not Christian angels and demons. Racism and classism are the core conflicts. Relationships between angels and demons are outlawed, but of course, the characters would not accept this.
8. What can we expect from you in the future?
Reni: I am already working on my next queer novel. This time, I’m moving to a sapphic historical fiction, taking place during the First Bulgarian Kingdom. So, expect more queer books from me.
9. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Reni: Work less, live more – that’s how I beat depression, anxiety, and burnout.
****
The Heaven Trilogy by Reni Stankova
A Queer Fantasy of Angels, Demons, and Forbidden Love
MM Gay Epic Fantasy
Overall Heat Rating for the series: 2 – 3 flames
The stories are best read in order.
****
Title: The Enemy of Heaven
Series: The Heaven Trilogy, book one
Tense/POV: third person, past tense, alternating POV.
Genres: MM Gay Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Tropes: Political intrigue, forbidden love, power couple, slow burn
Themes: No homophobia (sexuality doesn’t play a role in the plot), however, there’s in-world racism and police brutality
Length: 100 000 words
Release Date: second edition, February 2025
In a kingdom ruled by angels, falling for a demon is treason.
Blurb: As an angel prince of Heaven, Raphael has spent his youth fighting for demon rights. His efforts are fruitless until he meets Dante, a demon with dangerous powers.
Seeing potential, Raphael recruits him as his royal guard, scandalizing the court, and turning a demon into his closest ally in a mission to dethrone the King of Heaven.
Dante has always hated angels, but after Prince Raphael saves him from execution, he couldn’t help but follow him. Being the only demon among the angel elite is unbearable, but for the first time, he has hope for the future.
But a coup is a dangerous game. Can Dante protect Raphael long enough for him to ignite real change? And what does it mean for the Kingdom of Heaven when an angel and a demon dare to fall for each other?
Finalist of the 2023 Indies Today Awards.
Note: It can be read as a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger. It’s a Happy For Now ending.
Without saying a word, Samuel Mitrigard sunk the knife deep into Dante’s side. Piercing pain ignited his senses and weakness spread through his body. He gritted his teeth and glared at the bastard, not giving him the satisfaction of hearing his anguish. Samuel pulled the blade out without even twisting it to finish the job. He was playing.
“Drop him,” he ordered, ever so casually.
The arms pulled away and Dante fell face-first into the dirt. So, this was the end. Dante could never imagine his death, even though he had many close brushes. There were many things he hadn’t done in his life, but at least he took solace in knowing that Peter and Dianna were safe.
Samuel Mitrigard grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled Dante’s head. The edge of an impeccably clean sword lowered to his exposed throat.
“Halt!”
The guardian angels froze and gawked as a hooded figure appeared. Dante could swear he saw this hooded figure, but his vision was blurring quickly. The man walked closer and removed his hood, exposing a blond head and blue angel eyes.
“Don’t kill this demon! I order you to release him in the name of Raphael Azelys, Third Prince of Heaven!”
What did he say? Dante couldn’t trust his ears, or any of his other senses at this moment. A royal heir could not be in the ghetto. It made no sense. Though the guardians were suddenly standing to attention. Everyone but Samuel Mitrigard still held his prey by the hair, his sword still ready to slice.
“Your Highness, I don’t know why you’re here alone, but this is not the place for royalty.”
“Please, guardian Samuel, tell me exactly where my place is.”
Dante felt the body behind him tense. The soles of ridiculously expensive boots stepped close enough for him to smell the leather.
“Remove your weapon,” demanded the prince.
His voice was so calm, as though an owner was asking his dog to drop its favorite toy. The guardians were looking at each other, clueless as to what to do. Samuel Mitrigard pressed the blade against Dante’s throat, enough to break the skin, but no further. He simply did not want to let go, not even when his sovereign demanded it.
“Your Highness, this is a convicted murderer. He killed a guardian on duty—”
“Any demon’s crimes are erased should they become an honorary angel,” the prince interrupted. “I’m here to make him into one.”
“What?”
“Give him to me, guardian Samuel.”
The guardian tugged on Dante’s hair—one last act of defiance before he reluctantly let him go. Dante’s face planted back into the dirt, but the prince caught him in time.
His vision was blurry, but he could see him. His Royal Highness Raphael Azelys was kneeling before him, supporting his chin in his palm, enough so they could establish eye contact.
“From now on, you’re mine,” he said, and the world sank into darkness.
****
Title: The Secrets of Heaven
Series: The Heaven Trilogy, book two
Tropes: Quest fantasy, established couple, power couple, couple on the lam
Themes: more classism than racism in this one, travel adventure vibes
Length: 105,000 words
Release Date: second edition, February 2025
An angel and a demon defied Heaven. Now Heaven hunts them across the world.
Blurb: Five years of stolen peace in the mountains ends when Archangel Remiel, Heaven’s most elite investigator, finds Raphael and Dante’s sanctuary. Tasked with sending the fugitives to their lawful executions, she forces the couple into a life on the run.
Meanwhile, Raphael stumbles upon a clue to his mother’s lost legacy—the archeological artifact that caused her murder all those years ago might be within reach, and it might throw all of Heaven into chaos.
So, the chase is on.
Raphael and Dante travel through three continents, on their way to a secluded island in the Holy Land while evading Remiel’s elite guardian squad. With a prize for their capture, they’re forced to clash with old friends and foes, all eager to exploit their situation for personal gain, and their bond is tested in ways they never imagined.
But the closer they get to the truth, the higher the stakes become. What secrets lie buried in the Holy Land? And will Heaven survive what they uncover—or will it burn?
Note: It is not a standalone story and ends on a cliffhanger.
****
NEW RELEASE!
Title: The Children of Heaven
Series: The Heaven Trilogy, book three
Tropes: Angels and demons, rebellion, married couple, power couple
Themes: Themes of belonging, family, tragedy
Length: 115,000 words
Release Date: November 1, 2025
To build a better world, they must first burn the old one down.
Blurb: Michael Azelys has awakened a long-forgotten power, and for the first time in a thousand years, angels, demons, and virtues clash in a brutal uprising, reminiscent of the Great War.
Determined to stop his brother, Raphael becomes the key to ending the centuries-long oppression of demonkind. He will return free will to the demons, or die trying.
Far away, Dante braves the desolate Impact Land in search of other awakened demons like himself. What he discovers exceeds his wildest hopes. But will he return in time, with an army strong enough to stop Michael Azelys, and save his loved ones?
As Heaven crumbles and distance tests their bond, Raphael and Dante must face their greatest fears and decide what they’re willing to sacrifice.
Will they survive long enough to meet each other again?
Note: It is not a standalone story. It does not end on a cliffhanger. A Happily Ever After.
****
A bilingual author from Bulgaria, a dreamer, a traveler, and a gentle soul who loves writing about diverse power couples, original worlds, wholesome romance and political intrigue.
Follow Reni: Website | Newsletter sign-up | Instagram | BookBub
Maggie Blackbird 