Insolence: An Author Interview with Gwin Savage
- Swords & Sapphics team
- Sep 26, 2025
- 8 min read
Dive into a world of dark arcane magic and morally grey sapphics with Insolence by Gwin Savage. In this interview, we discover what draws Gwin to the complex power imbalances found in her stories, why polyamorous representation is so important, and what we can expect next in this seductive new fantasy universe.
Thank you for joining us, Gwin! Could you start by introducing yourself?
Hello and thank you for the opportunity! I’m a sapphic polyamorous indie author writing the books I’ve always wanted to read.
We would love to know more about Insolence and what inspired you to write it!
Insolence was born out of a short story I started writing back in 2019. I never finished it and set it aside. But I couldn’t let go of the concept of sapphic women at a temple where dark things happen in a grim society. After a conversation with my partner in 2022, I got inspired all over again! I ended up writing a novel that takes place in a fantasy world I created almost 10 years ago but never published anything about until my debut last year.
What drew you to the fantasy genre in particular?
I have a vivid imagination and have been fascinated with fantasy my whole life. To the point the real world seems boring at times! I can’t remember how or what first sparked the obsession, but I’ve been consuming fantasy books, shows, movies, and creating my own worlds since childhood.
And what do you love most about including dark romance in this genre?
I love exploring the messy, flawed aspects of relationships—specifically power and control and power imbalance between love interests. What happens when boundaries are crossed and broken? When characters push each other past their limits? What does it look like when characters who are drawn to each other are also trapped in toxic and unhealthy cycles?
With a fantasy realm including arcane magic and goddesses, what did the world-building process look like for you? Is the setting inspired by any places, real or fictional?
While I can’t name any particular places, I will say reading An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir for the first time got me so inspired to dive into in-depth world-building. My fantasy world has taken shape slowly over the last 10 years.
I adore dark academia and anything 1920s-1940s, so in-world technology and aesthetics are heavily influenced by that. Since the temple in Insolence has been around quite a long time, I leaned heavily into Art Nouveau vibes for this book. Thematically, I explore the systemic issue of patriarchy. What would oppression look like in a world where only sapphic women are gifted by the gods with arcane abilities?
Are you a plotter or pantser, and did any additional, perhaps even unexpected, research go into this book?
Both! I’m a plantser. While I make detailed outlines before drafting, my ADHD hijacks things on a regular basis.
With the historical influences in my world, I’ve researched some interesting things. Since the temple where Insolence takes place is very remote and not yet wired for electricity, I went down a fun rabbit hole about how Victorian greenhouses were heated in winter.
Can you tell us a little bit about your characters? Which, if any, do you identify with most and why?
Itissa (Tiss for short) is a new initiate to the temple. Thanks to the temple’s cleansing ritual, memories of her past and her own identity have been magically wiped. She’s observant and curious but also an impetuous brat when she wants to be. She struggles with certain boundaries.
Elodie/El is Tiss’s primary love interest, Second High Priestess to the Temple of Eisha, and teacher to new initiates. She’s genderfluid (she/her or he/him) which is called having a “mutable soul” in my world. She’s guarded and extremely secretive. She has mood swings, especially when Tiss pushes her boundaries. Her sassy raven, Bibi, is her ride or die animal companion.
Sadrielle (Sadrie for short) is Tiss’s other love interest and another new initiate at the temple. Energetic, outgoing, and bubbly, she’s outspoken and makes no secret of her attraction to Tiss.
Although there are aspects of me in all of my characters, I’ve probably explored my personal flaws and imperfections through Tiss’s arc the most.
And which characters do you hope your readers will connect with the most?
I’d be thrilled for people to connect with Elodie and her masculine persona, El. His POV was a challenge at first, but then became my favorite POV to write. He’s the tender, vulnerable center that Elodie shields beneath her spines to stay safe in a claustrophobic setting.
You describe your MCs as toxic; what interests you about writing morally grey characters? With darker topics and personalities — especially in regards to women — often rejected from the mainstream, have you come across any struggles in finding your audience?
The grim, intolerant world in which my characters exist influences their internal struggles, which translates into angst and toxic dynamics between love interests. I suppose this is my way of processing the state of the world around us, along with my own journey as an imperfect person who’s caused hurt and damage in my life.
I’m not alone in that, which is why I think it’s so important to write complex, deeply flawed FMCs who make mistakes but also grow. I think the fact that morally gray women are often rejected from the mainstream makes it that much more essential to write their stories. And to give them a shot at redemption and a glimmer of hope for better things to come.
I’m still brand new and just starting out on my indie author journey. My biggest struggle right now is exposure, haha! My audience is definitely out there and wonderful readers have found my debut.
My books aren’t going to be for everybody, and that’s all right. Insolence will be darker than my debut, and Tiss gets quite a bit more unhinged than Evie did in Indecent. Time will tell how well it’s received, but I know there are readers out there somewhere who want to read this Sapphic monstrosity as much as I wanted to write it.
The story features a diverse range of representation. Why was it important to you to centre a sapphic polyamorous romance and a genderfluid protagonist?
I discovered romantasy 3 years ago and started gobbling it up! But I couldn’t find anything that resembled my own experiences as a polyamorous lesbian with a two-spirit partner whose gender shifts. I was desperate for something that felt relatable, and knew I couldn’t be the only one hungry for this type of romantasy. That’s when I realized I needed to write the books I wanted to read.
Is there any additional representation that you’d like to see or write more of in the future?
I’m planning to write bisexual, PTSD, and chronic pain rep in the future.
We’re finally seeing more gender diverse characters, more sapphic polycules, and more sapphic romantasy in wlw romance, which is so exciting! I can’t wait to see this momentum continue. I’ll be here wrangling my crazy characters, trying to do my part.
What made you decide to pursue indie publishing rather than traditional?
Timing. At first I was on the fence about which direction to go. I’ve poured so much of my heart and soul into my little world, but I never felt brave enough to take the plunge and publish anything until I hit 40.
With the recent, very real concerns that increased censorship might make it impossible to publish what I write, and the time-consuming process of querying in trad publishing, I decided to self-publish just in case. Just to say I released one book in my life. And soon two now. With any luck, many more to come!
Have you come across any surprises or additional challenges in writing or publishing this book? How have you overcome them?
Oh, man. I was planning to release Insolence last year, when it was a very different book. I hired a developmental editor and gave it to beta readers. I was not expecting the feedback I got!
Tiss was originally too immature for her age. My editor and a few beta readers politely implied folks would throw my book across the room and/or DNF before her character arc kicked in! While I knew I was writing an unlikable FMC, I didn’t realize she was quite so unrelatable.
So some of the scenes in question needed to go, which meant the entire first half of the book needed to change. This snowballed into the entire book changing significantly and I did a full rewrite.
We’d love to know more about your debut, Indecent!
About those “immature” scenes I took out of Insolence… So, I was literally kicking my feet and cackling while drafting them. They were so fun and angsty, and I also needed a lead magnet and some space from Insolence.
So I outlined Indecent: my series prequel with all different, younger characters, and their adventures in a different part of the realm. I got to practice turning my disaster lesbian and her havoc into a sympathetic, more fleshed-out character and her journey.
I did exactly what you’re not supposed to do and wrote a whole book around a handful of scenes instead of vice versa. What can I say? I love a good train wreck! Honestly, it’s not my best work, and will likely get the rewrite treatment someday too, but I had a blast writing it. I learned so much about marketing and self-publishing.
And we’d also love a hint about what readers can expect from you after Insolence! What are you currently working on?
My next book is called Ingénue. Like Indecent, it takes place in a different part of the realm, will feature a different cast of characters, and will be a standalone with a Happily Ever After. It’s my mafia-adjacent dark romantasy featuring an organized crime syndicate run by mages. The focus is an F/F/F throuple-in-the-making, enemies-to-lovers, reconciling traumas, and found family. There just may be a heist subplot, too… I’m planning to release it in 2026, and I’m so excited to share their story!
As book 1 of a duet, Insolence ends on a cliffhanger (sorry!). Book 2 is in progress and will be coming in 2027.
Do you have any advice for authors who are considering writing or publishing in your genre?
Surround yourself with supportive people. Find other writers in the genre and make friends. Be social on social media. I wouldn’t have got through my rewrite if not for my amazingly supportive partner and the sapphic writers’ group another indie author and I started online.
Our podcast focuses on media we’re currently loving. Are there any books, shows, movies, or games you’re enjoying at the moment? Any recommendations for our audience? Bonus points if it includes sapphics!
I recently very much enjoyed Holy Wrath by Victoria Mier and A Restless Truth by Freya Marsk. Time well spent. Highly recommend!
About the Author
Gwin Savage has been writing stories and building worlds since the age of eight. Passionate about all things bookish, she earned a BA in English Literature and a Certificate of Women’s Studies. While in college, she especially enjoyed upper-level art history courses.
She writes deeply flawed heroines who make mistakes but learn from them. She enjoys making them suffer probably a little too much, but there will always be a HEA in the end. Although, some upcoming books will end on cliffhangers (and be marked as such)!
She develops FF+ polyamorous relationships with clear communication, consent, and boundaries, plus plenty of toe-curling spice. She enjoys exploring power imbalance, and what happens when boundaries are crossed and broken.
She collaborates on all aspects of Eisha’s Hidden Codices with her fiancée, who is making much of the upcoming series artwork as well. Gwin lives in the Seattle area and is in the process of getting her Spanish visa to join her fiancée, her “sister-wife,” and their two larger-than-life cats in Spain. When she’s not staying up way too late writing, she loves studying art and fashion history, reading spicy Sapphic romance, and traveling.
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