Lucy A. McLaren

Lucy: Hello! Thank you for joining me today for a chat about our shared love of writing, gaming and storytelling.

First up, tell me a bit about yourself—as both a gamer and a writer.

Ulana: Hi Lucy, thank you so much for having me! 

I’m Ulana Dabbs, fantasy author, and a huge video game nerd. I was born in Poland. My fascination with stories started even before I learned how to read. My earliest memory is of me holding a book with a dragon on the cover and ‘reading’ it to my mum. I wrote a lot as a teenager, pulling inspiration from books and games. 

I adore Final Fantasy franchise! I fell in love with the fantasy genre after playing Final Fantasy VIII. The game took me on an emotional journey like no other, filled with magic, romance, friendship, and adventure—themes that shape my writing to this day.

L: You’re not the first I’ve spoken to who loves the Final Fantasy franchise—and I’m not surprised, I do too. It’s like you say, they include an exploration of such wonderful themes that I think most people really feel drawn to. You mentioned those themes shape your writing to this day. I wonder if you could tell us a bit more about your work and the themes you’ve seen develop within your stories as a result of your love of those games.

U: A great question! You will discover Final Fantasy influences in all of my published novels. When I was brainstorming a heroine for my standalone book, Storms of Tomorrow, I used Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII as my inspiration. Even though Estel is a more extreme character (she can’t feel human emotions), you can identify traces of Lightning in her: independent, introverted, and distant. A fun side note: there is a horse in Storms of Tomorrow named after a Final Fantasy character, but I won’t reveal which one 🙂   

The character of Lumi in the Lumi trilogy was originally inspired by a Japanese legend of a snow woman, Yuki-Onna. I was fascinated by the various interpretations of the spirit, which always reminded me of Shiva.

Another example is Jarin, the main protagonist in the Lumi series. He’s an amalgamation of Cloud from FFVII, Squall from FFVIII, and Noctis from FFXV. Jarin is moody, likes to keep things close to his chest, and finds it difficult to ask for help. 

As for the general themes, all my novels touch upon the relationship between the human and the divine, which many FF titles also explore. Reading my books, you will find a hero on a quest, surrounded by companions who become firm friends. There’s always a romantic subplot as well.

L: Oh so the Final Fantasy series has really been a particular influence for you! Which is your favourite game in the series, would you say? (Mine’s X). Love that you named a horse after a FF character too!

I love how you have been able to take inspiration from your favourite characters and utilise them in writing your own characters in the stories you write. It also seems that you have some big themes to explore such as the relationship between the human and the divine (much like FF games, as you say). That always plays out in different ways in Final Fantasy games, but there’s always a level of corruption in the divine and highly powerful. Can you tell us a little more about how this plays out in your stories (spoiler-free, of course)?

U: Final Fantasy X is a beautiful game, but my favourite is Final Fantasy VIII.
As a child, I was fascinated by the tales of the gods from various mythologies. This fascination carried into my adulthood and re-emerged in my stories.
In my standalone novel, Storms of Tomorrow, I borrow heavily from Slavic mythology. The main character, Estel, has a mysterious connection to the gods. To succeed in her quest and connect with her emotions, she must look to her origins, and the gods hold the key. What she learns turns her world upside down.

In the Lumi trilogy, I’ve invented my own pantheon consisting of three deities: the God of Life, the God of Death, and the Goddess of Destruction. They’re siblings and play a major role in the story. Their actions (past and present) impact the main character, Jarin, as he’s trying to figure out his place in the world. At the start of Lumi’s Spell, the three gods are asleep, which makes Jarin question their usefulness as the almighty creators. He doesn’t trust them, and in the course of the trilogy, he discovers they’re as flawed as the rest of us. But is that a bad or a good thing? Well, you have to read the books to find out 🙂

L: Your books sound absolutely fascinating and will certainly be going onto my TBR! So for Storms of Tomorrow, there’s a lot of Slavic mythology which, I presume, would have helped you create the world and lore within it. For the Lumi trilogy, you created your own deities which sounds like a lot of fun. When you look at them, do you see where the inspiration has come from? Does it feel like a mix of influences that have played a role in your writing, or can you see direct links to things you have read/played and loved when you were younger?

U: Thank you. 🙂  The inspiration for Storms of Tomorrow came from my childhood. I’m Polish, so I grew up with Slavic tales. My grandmother loved sharing them, and so did my mum. Playing The Witcher 3 for the first time felt like home. The world of the Lumi trilogy was largely inspired by my trip to Iceland. The destructive magic in the books shows up in the form of northern lights. I was fascinated with them, so I went to Iceland to see them for myself, and then I used that experience in Lumi’s Heart (book 2) to describe the skies. There’s definitely a lot of green in the book! Even the cover reflects that. Speaking of covers, your novel Awakening has a beautiful one. The book itself sounds like something I would enjoy, so it’s definitely on my TBR. 

L: That’s awesome. Do you see a lot of inspiration from Poland in playing The Witcher 3? It’s an absolutely gorgeous game.

Wow, I love the idea of the destructive magic forming through the Northern Lights (something on my bucket list to see!). That sounds like a really unique idea. What inspired that idea—was it seeing the northern lights in Iceland, or did you have the idea before you saw them in-person?

Also, that leads me to ask—what is your favourite video game magic system and why?

(And thank you very much for the compliment on Awakening’s cover, that means a lot! Your book covers are also lovely. ❤)

U: Definitely! The countryside in The Witcher 3 very much reminds me of the Polish countryside. Monsters, too. I remember hearing stories about them when I was growing up. Some were even covered during Polish literature classes at school. 

Actually, I had the idea before I saw the northern lights, but I always wanted to see them, so it was an excellent excuse to go 🙂 I must say, the view was breathtaking, but it was incredibly cold! So much so that many people just sat in the bus and had to be coaxed outside by our tour guide. I was wearing multiple layers, but I still couldn’t feel my fingers and toes by the end. Wrap-up warm is definitely the takeaway from this trip.

That’s such a difficult question! There’s so much variety in video games when it comes to magic systems. Since Final Fantasy VIII is my favourite game of all time, I will have to go with the Junctioning system. It’s an unpopular opinion, but if used properly, magic functioning can be so much fun. It removes the need to grind because you can junction various spells and level up your characters instantly. What’s interesting about FFVIII is that monsters level up with you, so grinding can be counterproductive. If you remain at a low level but know how to junction your magic efficiently, you can blitz through the game.  

L: Wow. It must have been wonderful seeing a fantasy world representing different aspects of the country and culture you grew up in.

Absolutely, that was a great excuse to go and see the Northern Lights. Haha, I’ll remember that should I ever be lucky enough to go and visit them.

Ahh yes, Junctions were certainly a unique system. I must have been about 14 when I played FFVIII and I certainly didn’t utilise the system properly ha. I didn’t even know that about the monsters levelling up alongside you! I certainly made that game a lot harder for myself. I think I’d choose a FF game too, to be honest, because the magic systems are so intrinsic in those games. I enjoyed IX in that you learned the magic from items as you levelled up. That seems like it would come in handy in real life!

Staying on the subject of magic, then—can you tell us any more about the magic system in your book and how it works alongside that inspiration from the Northern Lights? How does it impact upon the story, world and characters in the Lumi trilogy?

U: Yes, playing The Witcher 3 was an immersive experience. 

I really do hope you will get an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. If you do, remember to wrap up warm 🙂 

Final Fantasy IX is another beautiful entry with a fascinating magic system and a story that’s emotional on so many levels.

As for the magic in the Lumi series, the main character, Jarin, was born on the night when the goddess’s magic weaved through the sky, and as such, he was marked by a scar shaped like a constellation. Before the Goddess of Destruction fell asleep, she left her sword behind to serve as a conduit between Jarin and the magic. The idea was that when her magic appeared again, Jarin would draw it into the sword, and from the sword, the magic would transfer to his soul. He could then use it to awaken the goddess. There’s a riddle in the book which hints at this process:

“When my soul spills across the sky, 

Heed my call and seek out the blade, 

The power is yours to take, 

The judgement is mine to make, 

The end of mortal vanity, 

The beginning of divine eternity.”  

At first, Jarin is unaware of this, but then a terrible event occurs that uproots his world. In a way, everything revolves around this magic. In Lumi’s Spell, Jarin learns about the circumstances of his birth and his connection to the Goddess of Destruction. In Lumi’s Heart, he must take a stand and decide what he’s going to do when this magic appears in the sky. In Lumi’s Legacy, the presence of this magic and its effects on Jarin’s soul is the primary source of conflict. 

L: I love that. It’s evident how much the magic of certain games have influenced your Lumi Trilogy. What are you working on at the moment and has it been influenced by video games in the same way, would you say?

U: I’m currently working on a new series inspired by Japan. I love all things Japanese, so I’m really enjoying this project. I’m doing extensive research into various aspects of Japanese history, mythology, folklore, customs, etc., and sharing these findings and how I use them in my stories with my newsletter subscribers. Since the trilogy is very much rooted in fantasy, I’m not looking for historical accuracy. My aim is to give tribute to the country that inspired so many beautiful games and anime stories. One of the main characters is a summoner, which should appeal to Final Fantasy X fans 🙂 

L: Amazing! I really love the sound of the magic in your series. It actually reminds me a lot of the Legend of Zelda series with the Goddesses. I look forward to checking it out!

Thank you so much for this chat, Ulana. It’s been lovely getting to know you, your stories and your video game influences.

Final question: what’s your favourite video game you’ve played lately?

And, of course, so let us know where we can follow you and your work! 🙂

U: Thank you for having me. I had a blast! 

I started playing Dragon Age recently. I played the games before, but this time, I decided to work my way through the whole timeline, including books, comics, DLCs, etc. There’s a lot of extra content, which makes for a rich and immersive experience. I just started Dragon Age Inquisition, and I’m loving it! 

You can find out more about me and my books on my website at https://www.ulanadabbs.com/. Also, feel free to connect with me on X @UlanaDabbs.

L: Thank you so much Ulana, it’s been wonderful chatting. I can’t wait to check out your Lumi trilogy! 🙂