Creating Powerful Protagonists and Emotional Adventures in YA Fantasy
David Combs discusses his journey from childhood storytelling to published author, exploring magic, family, and character-driven narratives in his acclaimed YA fantasy novels.
David Combs has never let go of the wide-eyed wonder that first drew him to storytelling as a child. From humble beginnings penning short tales at the age of eight, he has since carved out a place in the world of YA fantasy with richly layered narratives, emotionally resonant characters, and worlds teeming with magic. Best known for his debut Thieves’ Honor and the award-winning Witches of Pioneer Vale trilogy, Combs writes with the heart of a dreamer and the discipline of a seasoned craftsman. In this exclusive interview, Combs speaks candidly about the origins of his magical realms, the importance of strong female leads, and the deeply personal threads of family and legacy that weave through his work. With warmth and sincerity, he invites us into his world—one built not only on spells and swordplay, but on the enduring power of connection and imagination.
A heartfelt storyteller whose characters linger long after the final page is turned.
What inspired you to create the Witches of Pioneer Vale series, and how did you develop its unique magical system?
Pioneer Vale actually started with a Sims 2 video game character I created. Anne-Marie Carmichael was a young farmer turned immortal witch that began to watch over later generations of her family from the woods near her family lands. As for the magic system, I lean towards the idea that magic is more of an energy that can be harnessed by those trained to feel it and can manipulate those energies into whatever effects they can think of. The price for such power though is that the more significant the effect, the more of a physical toll it takes upon the caster. Several times in the series, Anne-Marie and Angelica have painful and nearly crippling physical reactions when they push the limits of their magic.
In ‘Thieves’ Honor’, you introduce a complex world of magic and adventure. How do you balance world-building with character development in your writing?
My characters always come first. At the beginning of any writing project I know far more about the people in the story than the world that they live in. Those details tend to come later. I will typically have a handful of very detailed, almost cinematically imagined, scenes thought up that I write first, and then build out from those. Locations and world details get created while I connect the dots between these pivotal events but at the same time integrate them into a dynamic world.
‘Covenant’ is the third book in the Witches of Pioneer Vale series. Can you share any challenges you faced while concluding the trilogy?
I had so many loose ends to tie up! I knew where I wanted the overarching main story to finish, but I did struggle finding satisfying wrap ups with certain subplots. There were a lot of events that I wanted to create “A-ha” moments for and show how they connected the 17th century half of the story with the modern arc. There were secrets regarding certain individual characters and within some of the prominent families that had to circle back and that meant reviewing notes of the previous books to keep the continuity straight. Pioneer Vale is meant to be a small town, so maintaining generations of family histories had to still make sense after 400 years.
Your stories often feature strong female protagonists. What draws you to write about these characters, and how do you ensure their depth and authenticity?
I felt that I had underrepresented women in Thieves’ Honor and knowing that The Witches of Pioneer Vale would feature women leads, I wanted to portray them just as capable and admirable as my male heroes. I wasn’t interested in ‘damsels in distress’. As a father of two daughters, I wanted to create women that a female audience could admire and respect, but that also packed a punch. Anne-Marie tempers her incredible power with wisdom and maturity, while Angelica is fearless, often to a fault. Their personalities complimented one another as they stood in defense of not just the world but specifically those they loved most.
How has your background and experiences influenced the themes and settings in your novels?
I grew up with a very close knit circle of friends and family and I have often been asked if certain characters were directly taken from some of those people. While I don’t think I ever did so consciously, I believe the impact and importance these people had in my life shows up in my work to some degree. I have also been a fan of fantasy literature, role playing games, and high adventure entertainment most of my life. I kept my head in the clouds through a lot of my formative years, so falling into fantastic settings and stories came rather easily to me.
Could you discuss the role of family and relationships in your storytelling, particularly in the Witches of Pioneer Vale series?
Family really is the core of the Witches series. Anne-Marie accepted the role as Guardian in the 17th century because she was desperate to keep Carmichael Farms in the hands of her own family rather than those of Shade’s co-conspirator Preston Mathers. Her devotion to her husband and children ultimately lead to the powers becoming a legacy gifted down through her own bloodline where before they were passed along more randomly. Over the course of the story, however, she does learn that not all of her descendents share her incorruptibility and sense of duty. It isn’t until Angelica steps up to her turn, as her generation’s Firstborn, that she has someone of her bloodline whose dedication matches her own.
What do you hope readers take away from your books, and how do you measure the success of your storytelling?
More than anything, I want people to feel an emotional connection with my books. When they close the cover, I like to think they do so with a smile on their face and maybe even a few tears in their eyes. I don’t want them simply satisfied. I hope to leave them eager for what comes next. To me, the greatest success I could ever hope for is when somebody asks me “When is your next book coming out?” My greatest gratitude is that there are folks out there who have taken their time to come along for my written daydreams. It’s humbling and honestly was never something I thought would happen in my life.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors looking to create immersive fantasy worlds and compelling narratives?
Worry less about the plot and focus on developing fleshed-out living characters complete with their own passions, ambitions, and flaws. Every little detail that you know, even if it doesn’t make the final cut, breathes life into them. Make them real enough so that your reader shares every triumph, every joy, and even every hardship right along with them. The plot will evolve with how those individuals react to events around them. If the characters feel flat and lifeless, your readers won’t feel as invested, won’t care enough to keep turning pages, and then no amount of good storytelling will hold their interest.
