“For everyone who’s turned their pain into power,”
In the crowded landscape of contemporary fantasy, few debut novels manage to capture readers’ attention quite like Dire Bound, the first book in the Wolves of Ruin series. Blending the high-stakes competition of The Hunger Games with the dragon-bonding romance of Fourth Wing, this dark fantasy has carved out its own unique territory in the hearts of romantasy readers worldwide.
But behind the pen name Sable Sorensen lies a fascinating collaboration between two lifelong fantasy enthusiasts— Eliza Phillips and Annie Paige-Stone—who spent a decade dreaming of writing together before finally bringing their shared vision to life.
Dire Bound follows Meryn Cooper, who begins her journey as someone who despises the very Bonded warriors she’s destined to become—elite warriors who forge deadly connections with massive direwolves—but when her sister is kidnapped by ancient enemies, she’s forced into the army’s brutal Bonding Trials. Trapped in four months of lethal training with an untamed wolf that refuses her bond, hostile nobles who despise her common blood, and a merciless instructor as dangerous as the beasts themselves, Meryn must navigate deadly combat lessons and treacherous court politics while risking her heart to the captivating crown prince—all while the castle conceals dark secrets that could destroy everything she’s fighting for.
From their unconventional writing partnership that spans different creative environments to the evolution of their magical world filled with direwolves and political intrigue, we sat down with the duo behind Sable Sorensen to discuss their collaborative process, the inspiration behind their brutal Bonding Trials, and what readers can expect as Meryn’s story continues to unfold in this promising new series.
BAZAAR Exclusive with Sable Sorenson on ‘Dire Bound’:
Since Sable Sorensen is a pen name for two co-authors, can you tell us about your writing collaboration?
Both of us have been writing all our lives, but neither of us had ever finished a novel until we decided to team up! We first met while working together, and we instantly bonded over our mutual love of fantasy and fanfiction. Ever since then, when we’d get together, we’d talk about the possibility of working on stories together someday. It took us a decade to start writing together, but we’re so glad we finally gave it a go!
How do you handle creative disagreements or different visions for the story?
Luckily, we’ve always had a very similar vision for where we wanted the story to go. But when we disagree on something smaller, we always like to talk it out face-to-face, even if that’s just on a video call! One of us can usually convince the other after some conversation, but if that’s not happening, then sometimes we’ll brainstorm a third option that we both love.
Dire Bound has been compared to Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games. What initially inspired you to create this world of humans bonding with direwolves?
We’re definitely inspired by all the amazing adult romantasy and high-stakes YA that we’ve read over the past decade, but both of us trace our love of magical animal companions back to books we read in childhood. We adored the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman and spent long hours dreaming about what it’d be like to have an animal we’re magically linked with, and what that animal might be. It was exciting to see that there was cultural interest in those types of stories again, so when we first started talking about what we wanted to write together, a story centring an animal companion felt like a natural fit. Both having been big “wolf girls” for years, we quickly landed on direwolves—and Dire Bound was born!
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Meryn Cooper is described as someone who “has always hated the Bonded” before her journey begins. What drew you to starting with a protagonist who despises the very thing she must become?
Every great fantasy story features a character who must learn and grow as they tackle the challenges ahead of them. We were particularly interested in the idea of people from two very different classes and backgrounds in this world coming together despite their differences. We think the world right now could benefit from people walking in each other’s shoes and spending the time to understand one another.
The Bonding Trials seem central to your world. Can you walk us through the inspiration and development of this concept?
Gladiator was very much on our minds when we first started working on this because the sequel was on the horizon, and we initially conceived of the Trials as a Gladiator-style competition. We knew that we wanted political themes to be central to the story that we were telling, as well; part of what has always made fantasy books resonate for us is the way the power dynamics can echo those we see in real life, whether throughout history or in our current day.
However, once we started actually writing the book, we realised the competition as we’d imagined it didn’t quite work, and we adjusted it to become essentially a boot camp process for the Bonded warriors instead. The structure of the Bonded society in Dire Bound is heavily influenced by werewolf fiction as well as the way that wolf packs work in the wild, and we liked the idea of using the Trials to help explain the pack structures of the world while exposing the brutality at the heart of everything.
Without spoilers, can you tell us about developing the romantic interests in this story?
This took a lot of development and changed a ton between drafts. We originally had a very different conception of Lee’s personality, and he evolved a lot thanks to amazing feedback from early readers. Ultimately, we wanted to show a compelling, realistic look at a complicated relationship in this novel, and we felt that the bumps and curveballs in Meryn’s personal life were an important layer to her development as a character and as a hero.
You have multiple books planned in the Wolves of Ruin series. Without spoilers, what can readers expect as the series progresses?
Meryn’s journey will remain at the heart of the series! In book two, readers will get a chance to learn a lot more about the magic of the direwolves and Nocturna as a whole, as well as explore the world alongside Meryn as her adventures take her further afield. We definitely have some surprises in store…and can’t wait to hear what people think!
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Are there other aspects of your world (perhaps different regions or types of magical creatures) that you’re excited to explore in future installments?
We have been having a fantastic time exploring the conflict with the Siphons in book two. And in book three, the world will expand even more…but we can’t say much more without spoilers!
As fantasy fans yourselves, what are some books or series that heavily influenced your writing?
So, so many. Favourites include: anything by Naomi Novik; the His Dark Materials series; anything by Tamora Pierce—her feisty, loveable heroines are a huge influence! The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan made a big impact on us (and for what it’s worth, the recent cancellation of the show is tragic). And of course, every fantasy author owes so much to both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and we are no exception! Annie’s family still makes fun of her for going to see The Return of the King movie seven times in theatres…
If you could bond with any creature (real or imaginary), what would it be and why?
Eliza: If it couldn’t be Anassa, Meryn’s dire wolf, I’d want to bond to something extremely cute like a red panda, just for the sake of having an adorable friend around all the time.
Annie: Assuming it’s too boring and predictable to say a wolf, then probably a cat! My own cat is simultaneously so dignified and so silly. I’d love to know what’s going on in his head.
If Direbound were adapted for the screen, who would be your dream cast for Meryn?
Probably Florence Pugh—she looks a bit like the Meryn in our heads, and we also think she’s such a fantastic and nuanced actor.
What’s the most surprising thing about your writing space or process?
We like totally different writing environments! Annie writes best in noisy cafes; something about having a lot going on around her really helps her to focus. Conversely, Eliza needs as few distractions as possible; her dream writing space is a blank room with no other people, no noise and no internet.
Did you listen to any particular songs or playlists when you wrote the book?
Annie listened to a lot of dramatic movie soundtracks (Pride & Prejudice and The Lord of the Rings in particular). Eliza is totally unable to listen to music while writing as it’s too distracting, but listens to a lot of brown noise playlists! However, we put together a playlist of music that we felt paired well with the book, which can be found in the new edition releasing into stores on August 26.
