Mai Corland’s Letter to Librarians

In VERITY GUILD, Mai Corland writes a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers story filled with secrets, deception, and blood magic, that feels like The Traitors meets A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES. In her letter to librarians, she shares how a love of libraries was instilled in her from a young age, and how it felt like fate for her to become a writer.

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Dear Librarian,

I’ve made several attempts to start this letter, but I failed due to the meaningfulness to me and the weight of our current circumstances. We find ourselves in interesting times, where once again, knowledge is being assailed and words feel too small, too insignificant. Yet, if that were true, if words were just ink on the page, those who oppose us wouldn’t be so determined.

I grew up in libraries, surrounded by the smell of old books and the crinkle of the plastic wrap. I remember card catalogues and stamped due dates, cardigans and starched shirts. My father managed the Brooklyn Public Library and worked out of the gorgeous Central Branch. He passed away far too young, but not before instilling a love of libraries in me, along with the necessity of protecting equal access to the stories therein.

With words flowing in my veins, it seems like fate that I became a writer. In my previous series, the Broken Blades, temples of knowledge served as pivotal locations for the characters, and in my new novel, VERITY GUILD, books and the former palace library play a vital role in the romantasy murder mystery.

I began the world of VERITY GUILD with the simple question of what happens when some people are above the law. The seven senators of Pryor killed the king and appointed themselves for life, but now, twenty years after the founding of the “republic,” the senate leader has been found murdered. As with all classic mysteries, the social commentary lies beneath the puzzle, but the question of what is just in a political world is central to VERITY GUILD.

I would be honored for my book to have a place on your shelves. VERITY GUILD received a star from Kirkus, its first review, stating that it would have appeal beyond the romantasy crowd. However, even if your budget doesn’t allow, please accept my humble thanks for all you do to safeguard stories and the communities you serve.

Thank you,
Mai Corland
Author of VERITY GUILD