Show Notes
Elise Kova is a fantasy novelist whose rise from online serial writer to international bestseller has made her one of the defining voices in modern fantasy. She began writing young, producing her first novella in sixth grade, and later returned to storytelling in earnest when she started Air Awakens in 2012 as a hobby, posting chapters online and building an early community of devoted readers. After querying the book without success, she chose to publish it independently in 2015, a decision that gave her full creative control and transformed her career.
Within a year she had become a full-time author, and soon afterwards her work began appearing on bestseller lists, from USA Today to the New York Times. Since then, her novels have reached readers around the world, selling millions of copies and spawning a string of beloved fantasy series, including the Loom Saga, Married to Magic, Dragon Cursed and Arcana Academy. Next, she returns to that world with Prince of Swords, one of her most eagerly awaited books yet, publishing in July 2026.
Elise Kova – Website & Books: Elise Kova's official website Elise Kova – About & FAQ Prince of Swords – Elise Kova's website Prince of Swords – Penguin Random House
The Games: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Final Fantasy X Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Persona 3 Bloodborne
Music mentioned: Zedd – Clarity (Spotify)
Simon's books & projects: Trial of the Space Invaders: The Case that Changed Video Games Look for the Light: The Last of Us Anthology – Tune & Fairweather (pre-order) Support My Perfect Console on Patreon
Next week's guest Gabríel Ólafs – Polar (Spotify) Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Will de Renzy-Martin is a British actor and voice performer whose career has increasingly become intertwined with video games. As a child, he was fascinated by storytelling and by watching his older brothers play Ocarina of Time, but initially followed a rather different path, reading Computing at Imperial College London. Before long, however, he changed direction, training as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he discovered voiceover shortly before graduating in 2017.
My guest today is an Irish writer, producer, and multimedia creator whose work spans journalism, video games, language, and digital culture. Born in Vietnam, she was adopted at three days old by a primary school teacher from County Kerry, and brought to Ireland at six weeks of age. Irish became one of her spoken languages, and it would go on to shape both her education and her career: she later studied Irish and Journalism at Dublin City University, building a body of work that moves across reporting, video games, and digital culture.
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