Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Fantasy is for young and old, so today we’ve got a coming-of-age series from Aaron Waseskuk. Aaron, can you tell us a bit about your books?

Aaron: SoulBound is a series following the adventures of Jaelyn as she unlocks the hidden magic powers dormant within her soul. Through the teachings of Master Oum & his protege, Ethan, they impart wisdom and skills, granting her strength to fight her own inner demon—as well as pirates, Monsters, and a cult of arsonists. But will her newfound abilities help her reunite with her family?

Zilla: What inspired you to write this book?

Aaron: Originally it started as Naruto fanfiction ages ago, but I liked the original protagonist enough to want to make something out of it. Ironically enough, he’s not even my current protagonist.

Zilla: Which of your characters do you most wish you could meet?

Aaron: I’d want to meet Oum, the mentor figure in Volume 1 and Volume 2. I love talking to old wise mentors. Sharing a cup of tea with him sounds delightful.

Zilla: Which of your characters would want to talk to you? What would they say?

Aaron: I think Sebastian (the protagonist of Volume 3) would demand to know where his mother is and why I’m so mean to him. I don’t think he’d appreciate either answer. What’s twisted is that he is my favorite character… eventually. He needs time to mature first.

Zilla: What makes Sebastian your favourite?

Aaron: His ability to see the future (among other things) has so much potential for weird and trippy story telling. Plus I have a lot of big ideas planned for him down the road. Jaelyn is #2, because she is our first protagonist and succeeding in making her a good character felt like a huge win to me.

Zilla: How much research did you need to do for your book?

Aaron: For a work of fiction, a surprisingly large amount. From technology of the time period to physics to color and dream theory. Even the names are researched and carefully chosen for each relevant character.

Zilla: Is your work more plot-driven or character-driven?

Aaron: I like to think the characters make their own decisions and I just relay what they do. I have an idea of where I want things to go. But, quite recently, we revamped an entire plot in which our hero escapes a dungeon. Instead of finding help like originally planned, he runs into another character who ruins the entire escape. But a new plot emerges from the choices of these two and I’m excited to see what they do next.

Zilla: Who did you imagine reading your book as you wrote it?

Aaron: I imagined myself as a teenager when I first got into anime and fantasy. People who grew up loving stories like Naruto, Avatar, and the like. We modeled a lot of SoulBound off Japanese anime and manga from its release to the world. If you like those types of world and stories, you’ll enjoy this.

Zilla: What’s your next writing project?

Aaron: We are looking into sci-fi for our next genre. It’s actually something we’ve been outlining for a while. Ghost Hunting, but in space. I’m excited to get to work on it once time allows.

Zilla: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
Aaron: This link has all the stores where you can buy our physical book and ebook, as well as our social media platforms. Audio and as early releases of chapters are available only on our Patreon. We are most active on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook.