Reigning Fire: A Fantasy Novel with a Neurodivergent Heroine

After months of quietly working away in the background (and emotionally falling apart at least seventeen times), I’m finally ready to share that I’ll soon be publishing my first fantasy novel. 🖤

A New Chapter Begins

This novel is wildly different from the work I do as a psychologist—and even more different from the painstaking care I pour into building NAPAA. Writing this story gave me a kind of balance I didn’t know I needed. It became something to hold onto when the reality of systemic change felt heavier than one person should have to carry.

The World of Smokeveil and Emberkin

Set in a world of Smokeveil and Emberkin, this story features tangled alliances and quiet betrayals. It takes place in an ancient Chinese-inspired kingdom, paying homage to my cultural roots. The narrative explores themes of survival, memory, and the ghosts we carry—especially the ones no one else can see. It also delves into how neurodivergence may be experienced and perceived in Asian cultures.

A Surprising Return to Writing

After Nurturing Neurodivergence, I thought I would never write another book again. But perhaps book writing is a bit like getting a tattoo—you never stop at just one. Before my ADHD diagnosis, my autistic side was always dominant. I never felt I could handle doing one thing at a time.

However, the ADHD diagnosis freed something in me that I didn't even recognize was there. It ignited a desire to be more than just one thing. I found the courage to live more than the one life I had told myself I could live. In a world with a thousand rules, we only need to break the one that really matters. I don’t have to be just a psychologist, an advocate, or a creative. They all make up who I am.

Yan Xun: A Complex Heroine

As a neurodivergent author, creative writing and fantasy have always been my way of remembering and rewriting. It’s where I can imagine a place for someone who’s always been on the periphery—someone who has never quite fit the roles written for her.

Yan Xun, the heroine of Reigning Fire, embodies that complexity. She is many things: bright, too much and not enough, bound to a forbidden Emberkin, and autistic in a kingdom that fears her flame. Navigating the ruthless court means learning to form alliances and read the undercurrents of power, all while remaining true to herself—even when others would rather she remain silent and small.

The Beauty of Ancient China

When I began building the world of Reigning Fire, I thought it would simply be an homage to the beauty of ancient China. But it grew into an empire of smoke, silk, and secrets, shaped by what lingers quietly in my bones.

It has all the elements that fascinate me about ancient China: stone bridges arched over still water in Hangzhou, the weight of embroidered silk whispering with every step, tiled rooftops catching lantern light in Beijing and Xi'An, and the way rituals could hold both tenderness and control. Those memories became the foundation of this world—a place of breathtaking traditions and quiet rebellion, where beauty and danger are inseparable.

The Significance of the Qilin Drummers

From the very first chapter, when the twenty-four Qilin drummers appear, I knew their significance in this story (even if it's yet to be fully revealed in this book ;)). That moment was inspired by the 24 Festive Drums, a traditional Malaysian-Chinese art form I first encountered in high school. At a time when life felt suffocating, watching those drums performed woke something in me—a quiet, insistent fight. Their rhythm became hers, too.

The Need for Representation

Initially, I was writing this for fun and didn’t think of publishing it. But at some point, I realized that this story needs to go out into the world. We don't just need more representation in research; representation in literature is equally important. The world needs more neurodivergent heroines. And why not an Asian one, while we're at it?

I didn’t grow up seeing girls like me at the heart of fantasy stories. Too often, we’re cast as the wise guide, the silent sidekick, the "exotic" romantic interest, or the misunderstood villain. We’re rarely allowed to be complex, powerful, and messy—let alone the one the story belongs to.

Crafting a Unique Reading Experience

Once I decided to publish this, I had a vivid vision of how I wanted readers to experience the story. Throughout Reigning Fire, I included Chinese calligraphy inserts of character names, honouring the artistry of the written word. This allows readers to feel the texture of another language on the page. It felt right to weave those brushstrokes into the book, like whispers of history between the chapters.

A Love Letter to Culture

In crafting this world, I wanted to create something that felt both rooted and imagined: a love letter to culture and a space for complexity and defiance. The empire of Reigning Fire is steeped in smoke, silk, and secrets—and at its heart is a heroine who dares to claim her own flame.

If you have pre-ordered Reigning Fire, a big THANK YOU for holding space for a story like this. If you have yet to check it out, click here to find out more about it.