To Hell with Romantasy: Five Questions with Katrina Kwan

[alanajoli]

Romantasy is the most popular genre to discuss right now, and there's no way readers actually want to say "to Hell with it!"—unless it's because the novel actually sends its characters to Hell. That's the case in Katrina Kwan's new novel The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox, which hits bookstore shelves tomorrow (February 24, 2026)!

In honor of the release, Katrina answered five questions—more reviewer-thoughts about the book follow below, so don't stop reading!

Alana: Badly describe The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox in one sentence. (Then, tell us what it's really about!)

Katrina: A ragtag group goes on a road trip through Hell and absolutely nothing goes wrong. // A nine-tailed fox demon and a demon hunter end up trapped in Hell and have to work together in order to get out... Provided they don't kill each other first.

Alana: There have been a few novels lately about being stuck in—and having to escape—Hell (which may resonate with a lot of readers who feel like the real world has some dystopian vibes...). What was the most fun part of writing about hell as a setting?

Katrina: I enjoyed writing Hell as a twisted reflection of the world above. In Chinese mythology, the Jade Palace is a setting that's often cited both in Heaven and on earth (an as above, so below situation) and I thought it would be cool to add an extra layer by adding a version of it in the underworld, as well.

Alana: What is your favorite line from The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox that you can share without spoilers?

Katrina: "To be loved is to be seen. To be accepted. To be not only wanted but needed." I think this line sums up the moral of the entire novel. If we can look past our differences and accept one another, faults and all, we can find love, empathy and understanding.

Alana: In addition to your two novels inspired by Chinese myths, you've also written a culinary romance and a forthcoming heist romance. What do you enjoy about writing in these different genres?

Katrina: I enjoy writing different genres because it keeps things fresh. It takes a long time to draft a novel, and by the end of the project, I'm usually craving something new. By hopping back and forth between fantasy and contemporary romance, I get to stretch my writing muscles and give myself a palate cleanser.

Alana: If you could spend an evening with one of your characters, who would you choose, and what would you do?

Katrina: I would probably spend an evening with both Eden Monroe (Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love) and Sai (The Last Dragon of the East) because I know they'd both cook up a storm and they're the least likely to stab me. We'd probably spend the whole time gossiping, eating, and drinking tea.

Mini-review:

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox is the kind of enemies-to-lovers book that true fans of that trope will embrace. (Book Goblin, for example: Book Goblin wants REAL enemies-to-lovers, and Book Goblin would absolutely adore this one.) When they meet, Yue the nine-tailed fox demon and Sonam, an elite demon hunter, are truly enemies—he may as well be dinner for Yue, whose diet consists of humans, and she is the enemy he is determined to banish from the world. When they're both thrown into Hell, they make a pact to help each other out of sheer need to survive. Because the characters are navigating Hell, time doesn't feel linear, which means that the relationship itself feels both as though it has time to blossom and as though—once the enemies part is set aside—there's a quick road to the only inevitable path forward (which is heartbreak).But if anyone can carve destinies for themselves, it's a stubborn fox demon and an almost equally stubborn demon hunter.

Kwan also gives readers the joy of a larger cast present for almost the entire novel, so there are four characters—not just the romantic leads—who drive the story, Sonam's two fellow hunters, Wen and Sooah. They're not given the same focus, as they have no point of view chapters, but each feels as though they have a well of depth, and their devotion to Sonam bolsters his own character. (Sooah also gives readers my favorite line of the book: "'There is little time in the world', she says. 'Why choose to hate when you can choose kindness?'" Instagrammer Steph @stephs.morallygraylibrary made this post to collect more excellent quotes.)

For these characters, readers will want to go to Hell and back—and they'll be ever so glad they did. Rating: 9.7/10.