Shana Targosz: Writing Is Very Cathartic
In this interview, author Shana Targosz discusses retelling familiar Greek myths for a middle-grade audience with her new book, Relic of Thieves.
Shana Targosz writes about magical girls, budding friendships, ghosts who may or may not be friendly, and fiercely held hope. She is an Oregon Literary Fellow and the 2021 recipient of the Edna L. Holmes Fellowship in Young Readers Literature. Shana is the author of The Underwild series, the first book of which was an instant-New York Times bestseller. When not writing or reading through a stack of books, she spends her time playing Zelda with her son, designing solo journaling games, walking her domesticated monster disguised as a Labradoodle, and dreaming up different worlds. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.
In this interview, Shana discusses retelling familiar Greek myths for a middle-grade audience with her new book, Relic of Thieves, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Shana Targosz
Literary agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House
Book title: Relic of Thieves
Publisher: S&S / Aladdin
Release date: March 24, 2026
Genre/category: Middle-grade/YA Fantasy
Previous titles: River of Spirits
Elevator pitch: Desperate to reunite with her best friend who moved away, Anya “borrows” a magical set of keys from the goddess of ghosts—but by using the keys, Anya breaks a strict Law of the gods and together they are thrown into the Underworld, where her best friend is captured. To save her, Anya must journey from Mount Olympus to the depths of the ocean, search the realms for a long-lost relic, and dodge the clutches of the Furies—before they both become trapped in Underwild for eternity.
What prompted you to write this book?
In The Underwild series, each book takes a familiar Greek myth and turns what we’ve been taught about it on its head. To choose which myth to rework for Relic of Thieves, I started with the emotional story I wanted to tell. In my first book, River of Spirits, I explored the topics of grief and loss. I knew for Relic of Thieves I wanted to explore a different kind of grief with a focus on healing from trauma.
One thing I like about retellings is figuring out how to include these human elements for a middle-grade audience while still keeping the myth’s original story beats. I’d already retold the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice in River of Spirits and enjoyed giving Eurydice a larger role where she’s faced with important and heartbreaking choices that touch on loss and love. This time I wanted to integrate the Hades and Persephone myth and give Persephone a lot more agency in her fate while exploring how she heals from trauma. Anya, the main character in Relic of Thieves, embarks on a journey with her best friend that mirrors this new Hades and Persephone retelling, with both stories dovetailing together at the end.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
The book that became Relic of Thieves started out as an “untitled book two” in my debut contract. When my editor, Kara Sargent, asked me for ideas on what I’d like to work on next, I sent a few different pitches. Only one of them was an idea that would continue the Underwild series. I’m incredibly happy this was the book we chose! The time from that initial pitch, which was about a paragraph long, to the date the draft was due was a little over one year. The main story elements from the pitch didn't change, but working on the draft was a bit like peeling an onion—there were a lot more layers to the story than I’d originally anticipated!
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I am very new to the publishing industry, so I often felt surprised! This was my first book written fully under contract, which means that my publisher bought this manuscript as part of the two-book deal for my debut. The nice thing about being a debut author is that usually you’ve already written the full manuscript and had time to polish it to the best of your ability before sharing it with editors. Since the manuscript hasn’t been purchased yet, you are not under a contracted deadline and can take time to develop the story. Having a book under contract, though, is a different beast altogether. There is often a much tighter timeline, with a set deadline when the initial draft is due. Not only that, but the drafting process will be interrupted by other pressing deadlines for the previous book, such as revisions, line edits, copy edits, and cold read revisions—and sometimes the turnaround for those deadlines are tight. For me this created more pressure, as I couldn’t go at a leisurely pace with my new draft or explore different story paths because my due date was fast approaching. I enjoyed writing my sophomore book under deadline though, and I found that the experience made me into a more efficient writer.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I learn something new about myself and my process with every book I write. For Relic of Thieves, I learned to give myself grace. It is a massive challenge to write a book, and things happening in my real life at the time made this one even more difficult. Life comes at us unexpectedly, and it didn’t help for me to fall into despair when I couldn’t meet my daily writing goals or hit my personal deadlines. I found that I needed those short breaks from writing and learned I can rely on myself to get the work done once things settle down.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I’m so happy to answer this question! Every one of my books touches on heavy topics. For River of Spirits, the storyline is about finding hope and healing after experiencing a devastating loss. Relic of Thieves explores a different type of grief—the grief that comes from withdrawing from others and shutting oneself off because of fear, abuse, and neglect. While my books explore these heavier themes, they present them in a gentle, thoughtful way, and there is always an undercurrent of hope, of friendship, and a journey toward healing. Relic of Thieves is, at its heart, a story about taking steps toward healing from trauma, and forming a found family made of something far stronger than blood relations. My hope is that readers who need these stories most will find my books and learn that they, too, can embark on a journey toward healing and happiness.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Write your truths, write what scares you, write what brings you joy. Drawing inspiration from a place of authenticity brings a richness that cannot be easily replicated and will create a story that is unique and impactful. For me, writing is very cathartic. I explore a lot of dark and sad moments from my own lived experiences, and I share them through story so others can see themselves in my books and discover that they are not alone.
