I grew up in the French Caribbean before moving to mainland France for my studies, and eventually found myself living in Germany. Along the way, I spent years traveling through European cities, fascinated by the variety of cultures I encountered. Today, I enjoy the safety, beauty, and rich cultural heritage of Munich, a city I now call home.

Fantasy has long been my favorite genre—so much so that I’m rarely without a book open on my phone. Coming from a Caribbean background, I’ve always been intrigued by the ways culture, tradition, and even language shape daily life. That same curiosity naturally spills into my writing.

World-building has been one of the most exciting parts of creating The Red Mage. I loved exploring how culture, technology, and tradition intertwine in the distant city of Aklantis. For example, what does it mean for a society when 80% of its population wields magic? How does that affect their homes, their work, or the rhythm of everyday life? The answers to those questions await you in the story.

There are three main inspirations for this series that eventually intertwined: a certain frustration with “classical fantasy,” an irritation with some aspects of Harry Potter, and… Deadpool.

I’ve read fantasy novels for years and, while many of them are set in wonderfully original worlds, too often they recycle the same clichés: magic as a rare privilege, the hero secretly being the illegitimate child of royalty, elves displaying open and unapologetic racism, and of course dragons—always powerful, always dangerous, but usually a bit too romanticized for my taste. So I thought: why not turn these clichés upside down? In my world, the famously lost city lies in the desert instead of under the sea. Eighty percent of the population has access to magic, and disparities in magical power are uncommon and not tied to nobility. And yes—dragons are jerks.

As for Harry Potter, there’s no denying the importance and brilliance of the series. It accomplished exactly what it set out to do: a magical school adventure tailored to young readers. But it left me with one major frustration—the magic was never explained. That small irritation pushed me to create a magic system deeply rooted in science.

And then there’s Deadpool. I simply loved the idea of a character who isn’t always taken seriously and who cracks jokes in tense moments. That irreverent humor was something I delighted in reading—and writing. Of course, the Red Mage’s protagonist, Alan, is far from Deadpool in story, tone, and style of humor. He has a quieter, more self-conscious demeanor. But Deadpool definitely played a role in shaping him.

All of this merged into a story, a world, and a lore far removed from tired fantasy tropes—sprinkled with humor, awkward moments, and a protagonist who has a knack for stumbling into, and often winning, fights in the most embarrassing ways possible.