BULGARIA

Sava’s motherland, the small Balkan country of Bulgaria, has inspired Yantra and consequently half of the cultural identity of Empress Zora and the Empire she has been enthroned to protect.

Bulgaria is a Slavic country with a rich history, a deep and largely unexplored mythology in English-language literature, and many legends Sava’s family read to her as she grew. The Cyrillic alphabet that Bulgaria uses has inspired the “High Trakiy’yan” language of the Gods in Empress Zora’s Universe.

LEBANON

Sava’s fatherland, Lebanon, was once part of the Phoenician maritime civilization and is situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula. With its world-renowned food and fashion designers, Sava couldn’t help herself when it came to incorporating her father’s country into her writings.

The Dutchy of Aytos and its Golden Duke are inspired by the glamorous lifestyle (and nightlife) Sava witnessed when she lived in Lebanon in the early 2010s.

CHINA

Sava’s new home. A civilization and a culture she has been fascinated with for years.

China and its rich traditional culture significantly inspired the traditional culture significantly inspired the Universe Empress Zora lives in—from the Zhou Dutchy and its pallid Duke, to the founding origins of the Empyrean Empire, and all the way to Zora’s taste in food. Glimpses of Chinese culture are splattered across the book like the ink Sava used to practice Chinese calligraphy when she was learning Chinese.

In fact, Princess Li Changge as played by actress Dilraba Dilmurat in the series “The Long Ballad” affected the way Sava envisioned Empress Zora’s developmental arc. A strong heroine who lost everything, but refused to lose herself and her righteous soul. This C-drama reignited Sava’s love for stories, bringing to you what is now Empire of Flaws.