The World of the Fae Interview with Erin Casey

1) Tell us about your Fae characters.
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My two primary fae characters make an appearance in the third book in The Purple Door District series called A Game of Fae. Fae in this urban fantasy setting come from a realm called the Veil and can travel between earth and the Veil through magical tears. They use magic called Ather, which originated in the Veil and can sometimes conflict with earth’s magic called Ether. Kafeada is a plant fae who spends most of her time on earth with her wife, a wind magus named Evelyn. She works as a parahuman mortuary cosmetologist, using her Ather magic to take care of the bodies of people who have died in supernatural or very violent ways. She periodically returns to the Veil to replenish her Ather magic, but otherwise, she stays on earth with Evelyn. To fit in better (since fae/parahumans aren’t completely known in society), she casts a glamour on herself to take on a human appearance. My second fae is named Vesp and is described as a dream/nightmare fae. She’s been banished from the Veil and forced to live on earth. Unfortunately, without an ability to return to the Veil, it’s common for fae to grow sick mentally/physically if their bodies aren’t compatible with earth’s magic. Because of this, Vesp has to get creative with her powers. She manipulates people’s dreams and causes them to be good or bad. She draws energy from the dreams, and the emotions connected to them, to help her survive. She’s one of the main antagonists in book three.

2) Do they have any unique powers?

Each fae has a unique ability typically connected with the elements (ie. fire, water, plant, air magic). Some are considered more chaos fae, like Vesp, who can create nightmares or make people live out their worst fears. Fae also can’t really be killed. If they lose all their magic, or their bodies are damaged beyond repair, they poof into balls of light. These lights travel back to the life tree in the Veil where they’re reborn. Sometimes they’re reborn with their memories intact. Other times, they are reborn into a new being without memories and with entirely new powers. Because of this, many fae don’t understand the concept of death. Kafeada learned about it after her many years on earth and found it so fascinating she decided to work in the funeral business.

3) Seelie or unseelie?

Both! Kafeada, I’d consider a seelie, while Vesp definitely leans more on the unseelie side. I think I prefer unseelie overall though, especially with how mischievous they can be!

4) What is your favorite Fae story or legend?

I really love the stories of Morgan Le Fay in Arthurian legends when she’s depicted as a fae or fairy queen. 

Erin Casey (she/her) is an urban fantasy writer and author of The Purple Door District series. She’s a Founder of The Writers’ Rooms, a literary non-profit corporation that focuses on providing a free, safe environment to all writers no matter their income, skillset, race, and gender. An advocate for mental health, she openly talks about her struggles with depression/anxiety/ADHD/CPTSD/eating disorder on her social media platforms and supports the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about her and her organization, visit the link below.

Author Website