Ellee Rhea on The Roots & Their Rage - Author Interview
I'm thrilled to welcome Ellee Rhea to the blog to celebrate the upcoming release of The Roots & Their Rage! In today's interview, Ellee shares the inspiration behind her romantasy debut, the joys of building a world rooted in nature and magic, and the journey of bringing Allyra and Malik's story to life. Keep reading to learn more about the story, the themes that resonated most with her while writing, and what readers can look forward to next!
About The Roots & Their Rage
The world is not what it once was.
A once thriving and lush world, Yllsora has been thrust into an everlasting winter since the Black Shroud. The rule of the women granted power by the Divine — the Mother Blessed — is no more, as the Black Shroud has stunted the roots from which the Mother Blessed drew their power with a permanent frost, severing their connection with the earth and the power granted from the Divine.
As a Mother Blessed, Allyra Alsunia must contend with this new reality, for the last ten years have seen the rule of man. With a timeless greed for power, the machinations of the common man are now coming to a head with a wish for the eradication of all Mother Blessed, as their connection with the Divine thwarts their claim for power.
The news of these intentions comes bared by the sudden reappearance of Malik Dures, Allyra’s long-lost betrothed, who disappeared ten years ago after the Black Shroud. With him comes an attack from the common men and the reappearance of the Divine, sending Allyra on a quest to reignite the Mother Blessed’s power and save her kind from extinction.
Together, Malik and Allyra travel south, causing buried feelings to rise to the surface, all while something darker stirs beneath Yllsora, the truth of what happened the night of the Black Shroud threatening to emerge, shattering everything Allyra thought she knew about her world.
The truth is surfacing.
Divinity is dying.
Love is reemerging.
This is the beginning of the balance.
Release Date: August 25, 2026
Pages: 338
ASIN : B0GX2XW298
Series: Standalone
Genre: Romantasy
Tropes: Childhood Friends To Lovers, Forced Proximity, He’s Just Ken, Hurt/Comfort, Meddling Gods, Nature-Based Magic, Second Chance Romance, Sentient Forest Setting, She Has The Powers
Content Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Fighting and Death, Parental Death (On and Off Page)
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Interview
Tell us about your new release, The Roots & Their Rage!
Art by @bleuarbre on X
The Roots & Their Rage is my standalone romantasy debut! It follows estranged childhood friends-to-lovers as they reconnect while traveling through a sentient forest on a quest to save the source of magic in their world.
What inspired you to write this story?
A lot of things, but most notably, I was watching The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and was:
A: immediately in love with Wulf and
B: needed him and Hera to have a happy ending.
So they immediately became the base for Malik and Allyra and how the story starts. I just loved the idea of two old childhood friends reuniting, and he just wants to marry and be with her so bad that it’s all he can think about. There was just so much to explore there, and I had so much fun getting into Malik and Allyra’s backstory and their different moments as childhood friends that I literally have like 10k words that I scrapped when I was editing!
And then when it comes to the magic and the plot and all of that, this world has been a long time in the making! I actually wrote a book in this world set way in the future a few years ago, but wanted to go back to the beginning and see how the world was then, and it was so fun. The world was always based in earth magic and how it affects the lands, so that came together pretty easily for me.
Also, I’ve always been inspired to write books where the women have the power/advantage in the world, so even though the women in this book in particular are struggling a bit, they still have the upper hand! It’s so fun to play with those power dynamics.
The locations in The Roots & Their Rage have such a rich history. What was your favourite part of building the world?
Early concept of temple by @mossypaintandprint
I loved playing around with the forest and its personality. I don’t remember when I decided that the forest would be sentient. It almost feels like it always was its own character, and writing it quickly became one of my favorite parts of this book. I loved exploring how it reacts to different people/things/scenarios!
Also writing the temples and exploring the idea of what this world was like even earlier was so much fun, even if it's not on page in the book. I loved thinking about what this world was like in its very first days, coming up with the world’s creation story, and how it affects what is going on in the world at the time of the story!
Was there a scene that surprised you while writing?
Ohhh, there’s a scene at the very end that I honestly didn’t write until the very end of editing that surprised me! The whole time while I was editing, I knew the story was missing something, and that scene came to me in one of those “sit-up-in-your-bed-when-the-idea-hits-you” moments!
Power, hope/faith in one another, survival, and love all play important roles in The Roots & Their Rage. Which theme resonated with you the most while writing?
Art by @bleuarbre on X
Definitely love and hope. But love more than all! I wanted to write a book where romance was truly at the center and where the story could not exist without the couple because they were so important to it. I love love and wanted something that basked in it, even the uncomfortable parts. I think more than anything, I wanted Malik and Allyra to feel real and imperfect in their relationship, because no relationship is perfect but can still be so full of love. They both have their issues, but love and accept them and are willing to go forward and fix them together.
And then hope for Allyra with how much she hoped for the Mother Blessed’s survival and everything she was willing to do to see that through. I really wanted her to have something outside of Malik that she cared about and hoped for, even if it was slightly to her detriment. Her hope for the Mother Blessed is what pushed her forward and was her main motivation throughout the story and leads her to the next phase of her life. And I think that that is what life is all about! We need to hope and to have faith in something to keep us moving forward, no matter how hard it gets!
What do you hope readers take away from The Roots & Their Rage?
I think readers can take away that it's okay to be vulnerable and let people see the sides of yourself that you usually hide. Both Malik and Allyra struggled with being vulnerable and letting one another in when they had both gone through so much. And once they finally do let each other in and those walls finally drop, things start to work in their favor because they no longer have anything to hide. So, don’t be afraid to be vulnerable because there’s freedom on the other side!
If you could describe The Roots & Their Rage in three words, what would they be?
Lush, reflective, grounded.
How are you celebrating release day?
I probably will be working (indie author life!), but will definitely be treating myself to a good dinner, some wine, and a good TV show to bask in it all!
What's next for you?
Relaxing for a little bit and then working on my next book! I am a discovery writer, so I have to start writing to kinda figure everything out, and then I’ll go into planning mode! Very excited to be at the drafting stage again because it’s my favorite part of writing!
*Interested in receiving an early copy to read and review? Learn more and sign up for an ARC here!
Where can readers connect with you online?
I’m @elleerheawrites everywhere!
And you can join my Discord here: https://discord.gg/cCT6Xu6x6S
About Ellee Rhea
I’ve been a reader and writer all of my life, and am finally taking the dive into releasing some of my writing into the world with my debut novel The Roots & Their Rage, coming out August 25th, 2026!
With all of the stories I write and plan on writing, you will find elements of nature, self-discovery, love, and acceptance.
When I’m not writing, you can find me taking walks in nature, book binding, doing yoga, or lying on the beach with a good book.
Connect with Ellee
Instagram: @elleerheawrites
Threads: @elleerheawrites
TikTok: @elleerheawrites
Discord: Join Ellee’s Discord!
Wrapping Up
Thank you so much to Ellee for taking the time to chat with me and for sharing more about The Roots & Their Rage! I loved learning about the inspiration behind Allyra and Malik's story, the sentient forest, and the themes of love, hope, and vulnerability woven throughout the novel. I can't wait to see where Ellee's writing takes us next!
Are you an author interested in being featured in an upcoming author interview? I'd love to hear from you! Send me an email at jessbeyondthepages@gmail.com with the subject line “Author Interview Inquiry.”
Until next time, happy reading!
