It has been a long while since we’ve done an author interview, but we are so back! And we’re especially proud to announce that we got the chance to talk with Michelle Jabès Corpora on her new book, She Knows All the Names, the writing journey, her characters, and more!
THP’s book team has been a huge fan of this author since her Throne of Khetara trilogy kicked off last May. With the sequel of the series officially out, we finally get to share this lovely interview as well.
Before we get started, be sure to check out our in-depth book review of She Knows All the Names. While you’re at it, you might want to refresh your memory on His Face is the Sun as well. Then once you’re all caught up, jump right in to our exclusive Michelle Jabès Corpora interview!
Welcome to The Honey POP! It is such a pleasure to be able to interview you today, and we’d love for you to start with a brief introduction, along with three things you’d like our readers to know about you.
Thank you so much for inviting me! My name is Michelle Jabès Corpora, and I’m the author of many books for readers of all ages, most recently the Throne of Khetara trilogy. Throne of Khetara is an Ancient Egyptian-inspired epic fantasy series about four strangers—a princess, a priestess, a rebel, and a thief—who are connected by an ancient, forgotten oracle, and must work together to save their kingdom. The first book in the trilogy, His Face Is the Sun, was an instant New York Times and national bestseller, and was chosen for the 2026 YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Teens list. It was my tenth published novel (five were ghostwritten), but it was the one that utterly changed my life. Book 2, She Knows All the Names is out in May, and Book 3 releases in Spring 2027!
As far as three things about me: 1) I have been a children’s book editor and concept creator for almost twenty years; 2) I’ve been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for nine years; and 3) I’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons with the same group of friends for a decade!
Congratulations on the upcoming release of your novel, She Knows All the Names! How do you feel now that the sequel to your Throne of Khetara series is almost out?
Oh gosh, thank you. I really thought that the way I felt when His Face Is the Sun came out was the pinnacle of emotion, but I wrote She Knows All the Names while all those amazing things were happening to me in real time, and I think the immense joy, excitement, and gratitude I was experiencing filtered through the writing. I tear up literally every time I think about this book. It’s interesting, because my four main characters all experience the same kinds of transformations that I did during the story. I didn’t do it on purpose—it was only after the book was finished that I realized I’d created a mirror to my own life. All my books are incredibly personal, but this one might be the most intimate one I’ve ever written.
Writing Book Two
Can you describe your writing journey with book two of the trilogy compared to the first? Have you noticed anything changing with your creative process or otherwise?
Writing Book Two was definitely easier and more carefree, for two reasons. One, I’d already done all the heavy lifting in His Face Is the Sun in regard to character development and worldbuilding. A massive part of the effort for Book One was establishing the arcs and weaving the subtle connections between the four characters. There are motifs that appear throughout the entire series—certain phrases and imagery—that are signposts to the reader that whatever is happening has to do with the heroes’ shared destiny, and there was a ton of work that went into inserting those elements organically into the narrative.
For Book Two, I got to enjoy the fruits of my labor, and fall into the narrative with all of that already in place. The second reason it was easier is that I simply felt more confident. Book One was such a huge leap of faith—I was writing fantasy for the first time, I was writing a narrative with multiple perspectives for the first time, and I was asking the reader to join me on an epic, deep-hearted journey that didn’t exactly follow all the hallmarks of popular fantasy. It was different, it was a risk, and as someone who is acutely familiar with the industry, I knew the challenges I would face. By the time I was writing She Knows All the Names, though, I’d gotten validation from the world that my work was being embraced. There was so much joy and release in that, and it made writing Book Two an absolute pleasure.
All my books are incredibly personal, but this one might be the most intimate one I’ve ever written.
Michelle Jabès Corpora on She Knows All the Names
Did you experience any challenges such as “second book syndrome” with this novel? If so, what did you do to navigate through them?
As someone who has been in the industry for nearly two decades, I was very aware of “Second Book Syndrome.” I’d always planned Throne of Khetara as a trilogy, and I had made the decision from the beginning never to waver on that, even if the books became popular. I had a plan, and I was going to stick to it for the sanctity of the story. Three books! No more, no less. Therefore, I always knew Book Two would be a challenge. I have a bit of a rebellious streak, and so from early on, I sort of challenged myself to try and make the second book the best one of the three, just to spite the whole “syndrome” thing. In my mind, His Face Is the Sun is about finding the strength to accept your destiny, to choose the difficult path, which is a journey I think a lot of hero stories miss out on. Often, the hero either already has their power or they get it early on in the story.
I wanted to explore the journey of choice first, because in real life, power is rarely thrust upon us. We have to work for it, and for the right reasons. She Knows All the Names then became the story of gaining the power you choose to accept, and the deep personal work it takes to get to that point. It’s a book about triumph over one’s enemies and one’s fears, and it features the culmination of so many emotional threads from Book One. The ending both hits a major crescendo—probably my favorite moment in the entire trilogy—and also has a strong lead into the third and final book. I think all those factors, the galloping pace, the banter, the emotional resolution, and the climactic moments all came together to ensure that the second book not only stands on its own two feet, but it soars.
Your epic fantasy series is rooted in Ancient Egyptian mythology and features an incredibly diverse cast. What advice would you give to authors who want to write a diverse fantasy that is also steeped in culture and ancient mythology?
Honestly, I think it comes down to respect. Why are you choosing to write about these people? If the writing feels othering or exploitive, you’ve gone down the wrong path. Readers shouldn’t be led to think, “Wow, look at how strange and different these people were from me.” On the contrary, the world and characters developed in a story about ancient cultures should make you realize that all people are inherently the same, no matter where or when they lived. These stories shouldn’t separate us, they should connect us on a deep level to those from different parts of the world and from other eras throughout history.
Obviously, you want to explore and highlight all the incredible and diverse elements of their culture—what they ate, how they worshiped, how the common man lived and worked—but everything should be treated with honor and with a gentle touch. How would you treat an artifact in a museum? This is the same way you should handle stories of the ancient world. Even though Throne of Khetara is fantasy, I wanted it to feel as authentic to Ancient Egypt as I could, and so a lot of research went into these books to make them feel immersive, but also accessible for readers of all ages.
Her Characters
Speaking of the cast, among Sita, Neff, Rae, and Karim, which of the four main characters do you relate to the most, and why?
I get this question a lot! I think I put a little of myself into all four of the main characters, but if I had to pick one that feels closest to me, it would be Raetawy. When I was a younger, there were some people that told me I came on too strong, I was too opinionated, too “aggressive”—basically too much. And so, thinking it was what I needed to do to advance, I spent years trying to make myself smaller, less obtrusive, more agreeable. It was only when I started training Jiu-Jitsu that I started to see things differently.
At the gym, I was encouraged to be more aggressive, more confident, not less. My coaches saw that strength I’d hidden deep inside myself and brought it back out into the light, building me up into the person I’d always meant to be. I’m eternally grateful to them for that. Raetawy’s character arc, in many ways, reflects my own journey to see my power as something not to hide, but to celebrate, and to navigate a morally complex world. I love her for her grit, her tenacity, and her willingness to stand up for what she thinks is right.
I wanted to explore the journey of choice first, because in real life, power is rarely thrust upon us. We have to work for it, and for the right reasons.
Michelle Jabès Corpora
If you could pick any character (it doesn’t have to be from the core four) and spend a day in their life, who would you pick?
This is a tough one. If the day was tomorrow, then I honestly think I’d choose Pasenhor, the old priest from His Face Is the Sun. My life is so hectic right now (it’s a very good kind of hectic, but still a lot!), the idea of spending the day sweeping and caring for an ancient temple in the middle of the desert with my dog sounds extremely appealing! I think during busy times, what I desire most is stillness and the opportunity to just let my mind wander. Those are often the times I get the best ideas.
She Knows All The Names
We adore Sita and Karim’s budding romance in She Knows All the Names. How did you map out the journey that they would take together?
I love them, too. So swoony! Because Throne of Khetara is fantasy first, not romance first, it was important to me that Sita and Karim’s relationship was organically woven into the plot and that it felt essential to the realization of both of their destinies, but didn’t overtake their individual journeys. I was very inspired by both Disney’s Aladdin and The Prince of Egypt—readers may notice some scenes that feel a little familiar in both books when it comes to Sita and Karim.
In She Knows All the Names, I wanted to take both characters out of their worlds and take them into an unfamiliar one, so that they could detach from their pasts established in Book One and find themselves (and each other) in a new place. Despite their huge differences, I wanted to show that Sita and Karim have a lot in common, and that those commonalities, when shared, act as a bridge between their differences.
The four heroes gain and lose so much within the span of this novel. Were you at all surprised at the direction it took? Did you make any major changes that you didn’t account for when you first started writing?
I outline all major plot points in advance of starting the manuscript, so I very rarely experience that kind of surprise while writing. But there were so many times during the creation of both books that I felt synchronicity that bordered on magical. Because so much research went into the writing of these books, I’d often make plot decisions in the outline, then when I reached the chapter, I’d do a deeper dive into the research for more specific details.
For example, the Oracle of the Lamb is a real prophetic text which I adapted to apply to the four characters. Sometime during the revision process after the first draft was complete, I was doing research about the gods and came across a statue of the god Khnum, who was the oracle’s originator. Except, this particular statue happened to have four faces, mirroring my four main characters! Like my characters, who hail from the four corners of the kingdom, this statue’s faces pointed in all four cardinal directions to demonstrate that Khnum was all-seeing. I was flabbergasted by this coincidence, and immediately revised the Khnum statue in His Face Is the Sun to match the real one I’d found. You’ll also find a four-headed ram on the Khetara map, serving as the compass rose. These types of little serendipities are what’s made the creation of these books feel truly special.
It was important to me that Sita and Karim’s relationship was organically woven into the plot and that it felt essential to the realization of both of their destinies, but didn’t overtake their individual journeys.
Michelle Jabès Corpora
Looking Ahead
Without spoiling too much, what were some of your favorite moments to write about in the sequel?
There are so many! Sita and Karim dancing around the campfire, the rise of the villain(s), Sita in the underground temple and her experiences there, Rae as the bumbling palace spy, Neff learning magic with Kenna, and the climax! I had been dreaming of writing that climactic moment in Act 3 from the day this series was born. I cry like a baby every time I read it.
You’re about to go on a book tour! (*fingers crossed we can make it to one of your stops*) What are you most looking forward to at these events?
Oh my goodness, I would love to meet you guys! I really enjoy the events because although I am an introvert, I always transform into a slightly different person on these trips. It’s kind of like becoming my “Innie” from the show Severance (IYKYK). All my anxiety and exhaustion vanishes, and I’m just so thrilled to be wherever I am, and to be talking to readers, booksellers, and librarians about my work. I find myself wanting to hug everybody! LOL.
I’ve been working with books for two decades now, as an editor, concept creator, ghostwriter, and now author, and so I really, deeply understand the value of the success I’m experiencing with Khetara. Because of that, I am immensely, immensely grateful to have the opportunity to see faces, shake hands, and share my appreciation with all the people who have helped me get here.
Finally, as we get excited for She Knows All the Names, we know you’ve also been working hard on book three. How has that been? Can you give us any hints about the conclusion to the Throne of Khetara trilogy?
Ahhh, yes. Writing the finale is so bittersweet. Over the winter, I experienced a “dark night of the soul” while working on Book Three. Maybe it was the cold and the lack of sunlight, but I just felt burned out, lost, and inexplicably sad. Looking back, a part of me was worried I wouldn’t have the energy to give the final book the performance it deserved, while at the same time I was mourning the fact that soon, the series would be finished, and my time in Khetara would be over.
And although I’ve navigated my way out of burnout and am charging valiantly to the climax of the trilogy, I’m still sad to be reaching the end of this incredible journey. Despite all my worry, though, I am really proud of how the manuscript is turning out. Book Three is a quest, a culmination. It takes the supernatural elements that have been building and blasts them into the stratosphere. It asks the question: What do you do with the power you’ve been given? How do you handle that kind of responsibility? Expect a lot of banter, a ton of magic, an epic battle, and… well… expect to cry. I won’t say more! Can’t wait to share it with you in 2027. Thank you so much!
You can order Michelle Jabès Corpora’s She Knows All the Names here!
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