Exclusive Interview: Marie Lu On Icon And Inferno

This year has really blessed THP’s book team. For starters, we get to spend our days reading and reviewing countless new book releases. But we also get to interact with authors we’ve only dreamed of interviewing! Today, we have the honor of chatting with Marie Lu on her new novel, Icon and Inferno! (Is this real life?)

Icon and Inferno is the second book in Marie Lu’s Stars and Smoke duology, following secret agent Sydney Cossette and international superstar Winter Young on their latest mission in Singapore. Check our our in-depth review of Icon and Inferno here!

There’s a legend in the house! (IYKYK) It’s finally time to share our exclusive author interview with Marie Lu. We’re beyond excited to give you all the details on Marie Lu’s characters, inspiration, and book journey with Icon and Inferno!

Welcome to The Honey POP! We’re so excited to chat with you today. To get things started, what are three fun facts you’d like to share with your readers?
Thank you so much for having me today! Three fun facts…. 1) I am ambidextrous, so I use my right hand to write and my left hand to hold a bicycle, throw a ball, hold a fork, and so on. 2) I have the worst sense of direction a person could have, so never let me try to find a location on my own without GPS. 3) My phobia is the open ocean at night. Just no.

Icon And Inferno

Congratulations on the release of your new novel, Icon and Inferno! How would you describe your journey writing the sequel compared to the first book?
Both Stars and Smoke and Icon and Inferno were incredibly fun escapism for me, but I’d say Icon and Inferno is the more romantic of the two. I spent a lot more time plotting out the complexities involved in
Winter and Sydney having to deal with their respective exes while navigating their own feelings for each other. It also felt really cathartic getting deeper into the weeds of each of their pasts and unearthing some of their traumas. A lot more character play in this one than the first one.

What inspired the Stars and Smoke duology? Did you originally intend for the series to have two books?
I started writing this series at the start of the pandemic, in March of 2020, when I desperately needed an escape. Around that time, I read an article about how former celebrities used to be spies (Cary Grant,
Frank Sinatra, Roald Dahl….I know, right?), and immediately started wondering: what modern-day celebrities are spies? That triggered the idea for Winter Young, a superstar tapped to become a spy. It’s been such a fun series for me to write. And yes, I always knew there would be more than one book, as Winter and Sydney needed to go on more than one mission.

Without giving too much away, what is one of your favorite moments from Icon and Inferno?
I really loved writing the final two chapters of the book! There’s a moment where Winter has a heart-to-heart with one of his best friends that helped me figure out what his true motivations were as a
character, and also a romantic moment that I’d wanted to write since I first began the series. I hope readers will enjoy!

Her Characters

What do you love most about Sydney and Winter? How much of yourself do you see in each character?
I have a soft spot for boy characters like Winter–he wears his heart on his sleeve and falls in love far too easily, and I love that about him, that he leaves himself vulnerable to love even though he has been hurt before. Sydney is the opposite, a walled fortress who thinks she doesn’t need love or companionship or friendship at all because she’s terrified of being hurt again. They clash well against each other because of their opposite traits, and I enjoyed writing that tension between them so much. I’d say I’m more like Winter than Sydney–I have a soft heart too, and although it means I’m often insecure and maybe too trusting, I have come to appreciate it more.

If you were in Winter’s shoes, how would you take advantage of your “International Superstar” card?
Getting to use the VIP terminal at LAX? It sounds very nice!

We get introduced to two new characters in Icon and Inferno who’d been involved with our main characters in the past. Out of everyone in the cast, new and old, who is your favorite to write about, and why?
I love writing about Sauda and Niall, Sydney’s mentors, as well as Claire, Winter’s manager. It’s tempting to strip out adults from YA stories, but Claire is a much-needed rock of support for Winter, and Sauda and Niall act both as guidance for Sydney and also as a warning to her for what her life could become if she isn’t careful. Their scenes were always really refreshing for me to write.

If Icon and Inferno turned into a movie, who would you cast as Sydney, Winter, Tems, and/or Gavi?
I’m the worst at casting, especially since I’m not up to date on current young actors and actresses, so I’m going to abstain from this one!

Inspiration And Takeaways

We read that you’re an ARMY and that Winter’s character had been inspired by BTS! Can you describe the origin story there?
I definitely am! Growing up, I loved music, but it bothered me that I saw no Asian music pop stars in the American music scene. Fast forward to several years ago, when BTS first exploded in popularity in the United States. Imagine my awe at seeing them performing at the Billboard Music Awards! I’m so proud of them for breaking down cultural barriers with their music and talent, so when I decided to create an Asian American superstar for my novel, I turned to them for inspiration. I’d say Winter is some mix between Jimin and J-Hope.

Sydney and Winter’s relationship had so much yearning, and we love the way you capture the vulnerability and passion between these two. How did you decide the emotional journey they would take on this mission?
Thank you, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed their relationship! I wanted to delve deeper into their romance in this book, not just whether they can make it together but what it means for their character arcs. Winter and Sydney are opposite sides of a coin, so I knew they would end up changing each other’s world views as well as how they see themselves.

We’re also huge fans of the ending. What do you hope readers take away from this book, whether it’s about love, life, or otherwise?
I hope readers are reminded of their own self worth, that you can’t be happy if you aren’t happy with yourself, that it’s okay to open your heart to love, and that it’s also okay to close your heart to people who don’t have your best interests in mind.

What’s Next

You’re about to go on tour for Icon and Inferno! What are some cities you’re looking forward to visiting? Are there any cities that are still on your bucket list?
I’m looking forward to all of them! Being on tour and seeing readers is truly a highlight of this career and I can’t wait. I guess I’m extra excited for Houston because that’s my hometown, so I’ll get to see my mom there. I think I’ve been to almost every major city in the US for tour now, so there aren’t really any on my bucket list!

Are you working on anything else at the moment? Can you give us any hints about your next project?
I’m very excited about my new novel releasing next June of 2025, although I can’t say much about it yet. It’s a story I’ve been working on for years! I hope I get to share more about it later in the summer. There are some other exciting projects in the works as well. I’m sorry that’s as specific as I can get–for now!

Finally, which book trope is your favorite to read and write?
Enemies to lovers. That might be obvious to my long-time readers! I absolutely love pairing characters together with opposite personalities and seeing them clash. It’s such a delight.

You can order a copy of Marie Lu’s Icon and Inferno here!

We loved interviewing Marie Lu on her newest book, Icon and Inferno! What was your favorite part? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Interested in reading more bookish interviews? You’re in luck! 

Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARIE LU:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE