NYT Bestselling Author Thea Guanzon on Love that Weathers the Storm

With the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) just around the corner, book lovers are just teeming with excitement preparing the list of books they’ll be purchasing at the biggest book event of the year. ICYDK, it’s happening from Sept. 11 to 15 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
If you’re still curating your TBR list, we’ve got one title we strongly encourage you to pick up! If you’re a reader of fantasy and romance, you must have heard of Thea Guanzon and her buzzy debut novel, “The Hurricane Wars.” You might have seen it on your Instagram and BookTok feeds or might have even spotted it among our recent Romance Awareness Month book recs. Bottom line is, it’s the talk of the town—an electrifying "romantasy (romance-fantasy)" story that easily secured a spot on the New York Times Bestsellers list, and was listed among Barnes and Noble’s Best Books of 2023.
Set in a lush Southeast Asian-inspired world, “The Hurricane Wars” follows the story of Talasyn, an orphan girl living in a kingdom under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor and who has found a home among the soldiers fighting for their freedom. She also holds a deadly secret: she possesses a rare light magic believed to have been extinct, one that can potentially cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.
Meanwhile, Prince Alaric, heir to the Night Empire, has been tasked to obliterate any threats to the empire’s rule with massive armies and a mighty Shadow magic to back him up. No one has ever bested him, until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force unlike anything anyone has ever seen before.
Just from the brief blurb alone, surely you can tell it’s LIT and definitely something that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
The Beat Asia sat down with the author herself to talk about her writing journey towards creating this thrilling NYT Bestseller, her early beginnings as a fanfiction writer, and her insights on why the romance genre continues to entice and captivate readers worldwide.
PS: Keep reading and you just might catch a special snippet from her upcoming sequel too! *winks*
Hi Thea! Can you tell us when you began writing? Was it something you always wanted to do?
I’ve been writing stories since grade school, so for as long as I can remember! I had a hyperactive imagination as a child, and writing was a way to express that. Eventually, I fell in love with the craft itself — playing around with language and evoking senses and emotion through the written word.
From grade school to university, I was an active participant in campus publications and writing contests. Even when I started working, I’d still write during lunch breaks and weekends. But I never really envisioned myself as a published author because it’s quite difficult to make a living out of the arts here in the Philippines, and I also come from a very traditional family where everyone is either a doctor or a lawyer, so I thought I had to be one, too.
You’ve always had ink in your veins! We heard you’ve got some background in writing Fanfictions too?
Yes! I owe my entire writing career to fanfiction. It was my hobby throughout my late teens up until my thirties.
It was how I honed my craft and developed an ear for dialogue and romantic beats. It was also how I got “discovered” — an editor who had been reading my fics reached out to me and asked if I had ever thought about writing an original novel. I decided to give it a shot, and I haven’t looked back since.
That’s so cool! So, what inspired you to write “The Hurricane Wars?”
Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope of all time, so this series is my interpretation of that — its setting is informed by my Filipino background, and its beats are derived from all the Asian dramas that I grew up watching.
Also, in the world of Lir, the main weapons of mass destruction rely on storm magic, which is something that we are all too familiar with here in the Philippines because weather disasters are as much a fact of everyday life as it is an ongoing conversation on how to mitigate their effects. Everyone has a typhoon story, a flood story. I wanted to write about people coming together to stop the hurricanes and help one another rebuild in the aftermath.
Did you have to do a lot of research on Filipino myths? Was it a subject you’ve always been interested in?
I'm a huge fan of mythology in general, and I especially love Philippine myths. It was cool to research them beyond the surface level, in a way that could help me adapt them to the made-up cultures of an imaginary world while still being an homage. I learned a lot of things along the way; stuff like our indigenous constellations that we aren't taught in school. The research process for this series has instilled in me a deeper appreciation of our ancestral folktales.
Considering you’ve incorporated high fantasy elements; it must’ve taken a huge amount of worldbuilding! Can you tell us a bit about your process of creating it and the magic system at work in the world?
I wish I had a better answer for this, but I was honestly just going off of vibes! For example: I needed a main mode of transportation that referenced ancient seafaring Filipinos, but I also didn't want the characters to spend days on a boat, so I settled on the concept of airships modeled after our heritage vessels such as the karakoa and the vinta. Then I had to think about what enabled the airships to fly, which led me to wind magic, which then also led me to the other branches of elemental magic and how they could be incorporated into the world's technology.
Were there any characters or plot points that you really enjoyed writing or developing for this book?
I definitely enjoyed writing Alaric and Talasyn’s relationship. Tracking the evolution of their dynamic from hatred to attraction to a reluctant kind of softness and understanding… It was just really fun for me.
We all love a good love story! Do you think there’s a reason the romance genre is so popular and continues to entice all kinds of readers from different backgrounds 'til this day?
I truly believe that everyone's a romantic deep down! We all want to believe in happy endings. It's a form of escapism to chase that "kilig" (a Filipino term describing a person exhilarated by an exciting or romantic experience, according to the Oxford English Dictionary) feeling in media, and romance allows us to interrogate what we think we deserve from our partners and what we want for ourselves.
The love for romance transcends genres and personal backgrounds because it's a very human experience that all of us can relate to. For example, my dad is more into historical stories and thrillers rather than fantasy, but when he read my book, he started reminiscing with me about when he first saw my mom and it was like "the stars fell down from the sky." One very important scene in the book reminded him of that moment in his life.
Do you have a favorite romance trope?
Enemies-to-lovers because there's just something so compelling, as both a consumer and a creator, to straddle that fine line between two very different kinds of passion.
In a way, this trope necessitates a conquering of the self, because the characters have to let go of their preconceived notions and expand their existing worldview in order to make room for the other person in their heart.
Also, it's just really sexy.
We totally agree! And “The Hurricane Wars” surely delivered in that aspect. How did you feel when it became a New York Times bestseller?
It was very surreal. I found out through social media because my followers started tagging me before my editor could get a hold of me. My notifications were going off very early in the morning our time, then I spoke to my agent and my editor, and we all cried!
I wish I could have stayed online to celebrate more, but I had a mani-pedi appointment scheduled, so I had to go to that. *laughs*
But as I was sitting there getting my nails done, the thought "I can't believe my book is an NYT bestseller" was just running through my head on loop. I am so grateful to my HarperVoyager team and all the librarians, booksellers, and readers who made this possible.
But the journey is only beginning for Talasyn and Alaric. Rumor has it the sequel, “A Monsoon Rising” is coming soon! What can we expect?
Yes! It publishes on Dec. 5th in the UK and Dec. 10th in the US. In “A Monsoon Rising,” Alaric and Talasyn navigate their contentious political marriage and reluctantly grow closer amidst a whirlwind of new magic, old secrets, and hidden dangers.
It's also much spicier, so I am begging my relatives not to read it. *laughs*
Oooh! Can we get a sneak peek?
I think that as of now I'm at liberty to share one quote. Basically, some thoughts that Talasyn has during a certain scene:
"I'll never be the same. I will always remember this. Just him and me and the monsoon."
That quote gave us chills! Do you have any dream projects or tropes you would like to explore or write about next?
I would love to keep on writing Filipino-inspired fantasy, maybe next time with horror elements. Ours is a very rich tapestry of mythology, folklore, and urban legends, and I’m eager to explore more of that in future projects.
Romance Quick Q&A with Thea Guanzon
Enemies-to-Lovers or Forbidden Romance?
Enemies-to-Lovers!
Sweet or Spicy?
Spicy.
Passing Secret Love Notes or Grand romantic gestures?
Grand romantic gestures.
Romantic Comedy or Dark Romance?
Dark Romance.
Kiss under the Stars or Kiss in the Rain?
Kiss under the Stars.
Quirky writer trait that you have?
When I'm in the thick of drafting, I eat shawarma rice at least once a day. It's my brain food.
BONUS QUESTION: If Talasyn and Alaric lived in our world, what would their careers have been, and would they have still fallen in love?
I really enjoy the idea of Alaric and Talasyn in a modern corporate setting as the respective heirs of rival family businesses. Sort of like Romeo and Juliet meets Crazy Rich Asians.
And, yes, I believe that they would find, and hate, and then love each other in whatever universe.
Don’t miss the sizzling sequel to Thea Guanzon’s bestselling romantasy series, “A Moonsoon Rising,” hitting shelves December 2024! You can pre-order your copies here.
You can also follow the author on Instagram for updates on her latest releases.
Get the latest curated content with The Beat Asia's newsletters. Sign up now for a weekly dose of the best stories, events, and deals delivered straight to your inbox. Don't miss out! Click here to subscribe.