Innamorata Ending Explained, Author Ava Reid on Book 2 Plans

Ava Reid’s latest novel, “Innamorata,” ended with such a twist that the author says she would do a $1,000 bank transfer to any reader who was able to predict it.

The epic fantasy novel, released Tuesday from the “A Study in Drowning” and “Lady Macbeth” author, saw her main character, Agnes, slaughtered and posthumously raped by her love Liuprand on the orders of her cousin Marozia, then left dead in the bowels of Castle Crudele. But before the book ends, our omniscient narrator reveals an even more shocking end: Agnes, thought to be barren, is now growing life inside her corpse.

Reid, who has just completed a new draft of the sequel to “Innamorata,” has some further explanation for what’s going on here.

“She inadvertently did accomplish Adele-Blanche’s mission,” Reid told Variety this week. “But it’s important to remember that whatever is growing in Agnes’ womb is just as much Liuprand’s as it is hers. That’s my opaque tease of what’s to come. My other thing was names are really important, and I chose all the names — they’re all pretty much historical names — as specific references. And sometimes they hint to the character’s fate. So I would pay attention to the names of the characters from the House of Blood, specifically, if you want a hint at where the sequel is going. And I would look toward Minoan culture and toward Greek tragedy. There’s elements of ‘The Oresteia’ that are very strongly in the Agnes-Marozia-Liuprand love triangle, down to the symbolic sacrifice of the daughter. And obviously, Agnes having some element of Cassandra’s future sight. We’ll see more of that element in Book Two, as well.”

While Reid is not currently in the process of adapting “Innamorata” for the big or small screen — though she has teased a film project in the works for one of her previous titles — she will say she doesn’t plan on an potential adaption being a live-action project.

“The only way I could see this being done is as an adult animated fantasy, in the vein of like ‘Castlevania,’ because I can’t fathom how one would adapt some elements of this with live human actors,” Reid said. “And I think that because it’s so like classic fantasy, I wouldn’t want it to get the kind of grittier gray aesthetic that a lot of live-action fantasy often gets. If it was like a colorful, bombastic, ’90s era fantasy adaptation — but not the kind of drab, vaguely medieval, gray live-action. No shade, but the trailers for ‘The Odyssey’ don’t look very promising to me, just aesthetic wise. But ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ has made me hopeful for a return to that more, literally and figuratively, colorful era of fantasy.”

See below for more from Variety‘s interview with Reid about crafting “Innamorata” and what’s to come in the sequel.

How did you come up with the idea for “Innamorata”?

Not all books come together in such a way where I know what the book is and what I want it to be immediately. And this was one of those books where as soon as these disparate sources of information came together, I knew from page one what the book was going to be and what I wanted it to be — and that was not a romantasy, obviously. But this book is very meta in a lot of ways, so I did intentionally play with some of these romantasy tropes. Like the “fated soulmates” was something I did almost a parody of in this book. And forbidden love and romance and “Romeo & Juliet,” that was a big influence on this book as well. From Day One, I knew that this was going to be an escalation from what I’ve previously done, but also kind of a return to my roots with “Juniper & Thorne.” I said this one is for the “Juniper” girlies, and I think it really is. And “Juniper” was a book that was so important to me to publish early in my career and set up both the expectation from readers and also helped clarify my own identity as an author. And so I think that set the stage for “Innamorata,” and me being able to write it and publish it with confidence.

Agnes is dead at the end of “Innamorata” — but does that mean she won’t be a character in the sequel?

I will say Agnes is a character in the second book, but she’s not a POV character. And I made a joke in my Instagram Stories, because people ask about Waltrude — they love Waltrude so much, my unproblematic queen — “Waltrude will return in ‘Innamorata: Doomsday.’” Some of the returning POV characters are obviously Pliny, Maleagant (the sorceress from the outer wall), Ninian. What I think readers will not expect is that we have a new central narrator, and this is a character that is more of a side character in “Innamorata.” And the hint I gave to one of the readers was this character has a chapter named after them, but they have not yet spoken a line of dialogue. So that’s my little hint about where the sequel is going. And this sequel will go more in the direction of epic fantasy. The sequel to the first book in the series takes a different turn, moving away from the Gothic elements and delving deeper into epic, grim, dark fantasy, and court politics. Divided into three separate books, each focusing on different sets of characters in different locations, the sequel promises to expand the world and introduce new perspectives.

Book One of the sequel follows a specific group of characters in a particular setting, setting the stage for the events to come. Book Two shifts focus to another set of characters in a different location, adding layers to the narrative. Finally, Book Three brings all the characters together, culminating in a climactic convergence of storylines.

In the sequel, readers can expect to explore more of the islanders and other houses that have not been fully explored in the first book. The dynamics between these factions and their relationships with the ruling Seraphine will be further developed, shedding light on the societal structure and cultural remnants of the past. The loose threads holding this new world order together will be revealed, hinting at underlying tensions and power struggles.

The influences behind the first book, “Innamorata,” were a mix of classic fantasy elements, drawing inspiration from Gothic fantasy, epic sagas like “A Song of Ice and Fire,” and classical Renaissance epics such as “Orlando Innamorato.” For the sequel, additional influences come into play, including “The Death of Arthur” by Thomas Malory and “Dune” by Frank Herbert. These influences contribute to the sequel’s darker, more political tone, weaving a complex tapestry of intrigue and power struggles.

Furthermore, the sequel will delve deeper into Cretan history and culture, drawing parallels to Greek mythology and Minoan civilization. The rich tapestry of influences creates a unique blend of death metal aesthetics and chivalric romance, promising a thrilling and immersive reading experience for fans of the series.

As the sequel unfolds, readers can expect a deeper dive into the world of “Innamorata,” exploring new territories, characters, and conflicts that will shape the fate of the realm. With a mix of classic fantasy tropes and innovative storytelling, the sequel promises to be a captivating continuation of the series, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the final page.