Featured Author: Makena Song
Where imagination, memory, and myth become a world of their own.
Some writers discover storytelling late in life.
Makena Song grew up inside of it.
Adopted from Seoul and raised in Longwood, Florida, Makena’s earliest memories are shaped by her mother reading aloud the books that first opened her imagination: The Tale of Despereaux, The Shadow Children Series, The Missing Series. These stories planted the first seeds of wonder, and that wonder never left her.
Middle school brought her to Wattpad, where she found a new world: a place to spill ideas, experiment with characters, and let creativity roam free. By high school, those scattered ideas began forming into something bigger: a fantasy universe rich with history, magic, and heart.
Years later, after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Furman University and beginning a career as a marketing copywriter, Makena returned to that early world with new discipline and clarity. What began as a high school dream became a fully realized YA fantasy series: Among the Fallen and its sequel Among the Risen.
✨ What Inspired Among the Fallen
Makena spent eight years crafting this story… rewriting, reimagining, and growing alongside her main character, Lucian Roux.
Her inspirations are beautifully eclectic:
- world history
- Naruto Shippuden
- Christian themes
- Studio Ghibli films
Somehow, in Makena’s imagination, these threads wove themselves into a single coherent tapestry.
As she puts it, she is a “pantser”, not a planner, meaning her books evolve through intuition, emotion, and instinct. And the years she spent writing the story mirrored her own evolution. As Lucian faced darkness, identity, and destiny, Makena was learning her own strength, voice, and creative purpose.
Through this journey, she found community, both online and offline, and readers who connected deeply to the themes of belonging, courage, and freedom.
📚 About the Book: Among the Fallen
A clean YA high fantasy adventure (no explicit content or profanity), with a touch of darkness and a whole lot of heart.
Remember The Fallen Ones…
Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Lucian Roux flees his home village in search of the one thing he has never had: freedom.
But that freedom comes with a cost, one tied to a mysterious, dangerous entity living within him.
Joined by a delusional goddess trapped in a mirror and a sarcastic swordsman with questionable judgment, Lucian embarks on a prophetic journey to uncover the truth about his past… and the darkness threatening to consume him.
A story about destiny, courage, friendship, and the chains we break or choose to carry.
📖 Where to Buy:
https://books2read.com/amongthefallen
🌐 Find Makena Online:
Website & Socials: makenasong.com / @makenasong
