Details
Author name: Lee J. Marvin
Book title: The Wars Between
Genre: YA fantasy & adventure
Launch date: 19.06.2026
Website: Lee J. Marvin
Buy links
Summary
It is said that there was once a time of peace. A time when the sounds of swords clashing and shrieking cries of agony were not so familiar. This time was long ago and has passed out of the dreams of most. The rulers of the world were determined to wield their power with force to maintain their strength and wave their flags with pride.
Asalandia was a country that took pride in the history of war. Thousands of history books were written, depicting heroes, winning battles against the evil Kastanarians, who wanted to invade, steal, and change their way of life. As Asalandia grew, diversity was inevitable, and some grew weary of the constant invasions, wars and flag waving. However, the wars went on and warriors kept battling. The smell of burning arrows and the sounds of sinking ships became oh so familiar. Kastanarian catapults launched huge boulders into Asalandian walls, crushing everything in the way. Asalandian ships sailed across the seas to Kastanaria to seek revenge and launched their brutal attacks. Blood poured and hearts stopped, and this became a way of life and death between the two nations. Many wondered if it would ever stop but none of them did anything about it and just thought it was all a normal part of life. Nobody questioned anything, they just let it happen, repeatedly. They did this for years and years until someone finally did something. Someone, from the most unlikely of places, did the most uncommon thing to start change. That someone was a young man by the name of Outis Everrett.
Let's talk about it
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
During the 1990s I listened to Janet Jackson on my CD player in my bedroom secretly
Why did you choose the themes in your book and were you aware of them from the start?
I was inspired by current events unfolding across the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine was one of these and led to the creation of the character Nobody Important, (a picture book) who is based on the character Outis Everrett in my new book The Wars Between. He represents an idea that poetry should be more valued and we should use dialogue to learn and discuss differences in international disputes.
How difficult was it for you to write this book? Did you face any obstacles?
The first edit was easy, a few months, the second and third edit was just arranging the multiple character viewpoints
Do you always write in this genre or do you like to break out of the box?
I write in fantasy, horror and science fiction genres. I am adding romance elements in this book.
What are your writing habits or idiosyncrasies?
I normally write in the morning, I get up early when there is no noise. That’s all I need, though I often write with TV on or with music playing.
What would you do differently next time?
No, I think I liked this process and do will the same next time.
With hindsight, what would you say to yourself as a fledgling writer?
Keep writing, even if its bad, it can be edited. The more the better.
If you worked with a professional editor, what was the experience like?
I hired an editor for The Wars Between and the process was smooth. I am also getting additional editing provided by the publisher. Its slow but it is needed.
What’s next for your writing?
I am currently writing a novel set in the same world as The Wars Between, titled The Angelic Fallen. It is set hundreds of years after the events of The Wars Between.
Author Bio
Lee J. Mavin is a Sydney-based author of children’s and young adult fantasy whose work blends adventure, satire and layered social themes. Across thirteen published books, he has built imaginative worlds that explore identity, courage and the power of storytelling.
His latest novel, The Wars Between, follows an unlikely young poet who sets out to end a thousand-year war with words instead of weapons. Written for readers aged eight to fourteen and beyond, the book reflects Lee’s interest in how narratives shape nations, how myths endure, and how unlikely voices can create change.
Lee has lived in China and Japan and speaks three languages. His experiences in these countries inform his global perspective and storytelling. He is a school teacher and lives in Sydney with his wife and children and spends his free time reading, watching movies and listening to hip hop.
