Hexe — Behind the Chapters with Lara Zanatti Reis

Hexe, an ongoing series told across several volumes, does not present itself like a simple fantasy. Beneath its magic, spirits, and kingdoms in conflict is a stranger architecture: nine moons, fractured histories, shifting testimony, cursed devotion, and a world shadowed by the possibility of its own ending.

At the center are Yeso Sternacht and Noctavia, bound by love, fate, and forces far larger than themselves, while wars brew across continents and ancient powers begin to stir. The deeper Hexe goes, the clearer it becomes that this is not just a story about saving a world, but about understanding what kind of world has been built in the first place—and what truths can still be trusted inside it.

In this Behind the Chapters feature, the WNF Codex speaks with Lara Zanatti Reis about writing through reinvention, letting the story expand far beyond its original form, building fantasy through sci-fi logic, and shaping a long-form saga that invites readers not just to follow events, but to question them..

About the Novel Series Hexe

Title: Hexe (Series) Author: Lara Zanatti Reis Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Supernatural, Sci-fi, Drama, Mature, Reincarnation, Tragedy, Urban, War, Cyberpunk Read on: Royal Road Status: Ongoing Current progress: 184 chapters

🌒 In a world governed by nine moons, ley lines, ancient spirits, and fragile political alliances, Hexe follows Yeso Sternacht, Noctavia, and a widening cast of allies and witnesses as they confront war, shifting destinies, and the looming End of Time itself.

What begins as a story rooted in fantasy gradually reveals deeper layers of scientific logic, historical testimony, and hidden connections between events that may not mean what they first appear to mean. The result is a narrative where magic and knowledge intersect, and where the past and future seem constantly in conversation.

Will the scattered threads of this world ever form a complete picture—or is the real shape of the story only visible once it is already too late?

I love this story, it has a great premise and sticks to its world building very closely. The initial book is truly the prologue of what comes next. And oh boy if you like piecing together what is going on, you will like this.

Mr.Myxplyx

Behind the Chapters of Hexe: A Conversation with Lara Zanatti Reis

From rewritten first chapters to expanding maps, shifting narrators, and a story that kept outgrowing its earliest form, Lara Zanatti Reis reflects on the strange evolution of Hexe—how a quick fantasy concept became a layered saga of testimony, mystery, and cosmic recurrence.

This conversation was captured in January 2026.

About The Author

WNF Codex: A quick word about you?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I am not a writer, even if told otherwise. I’m a storyteller who uses dragons as a signature, not a feature.

Before I ever dared to write, I was an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction, until I ran out of books to read in my local library. One day, I woke up and decided to write the book I wanted to read. And here we are.

About The Novel & Its Promise

WNF Codex: When the idea for this novel first appeared, where were you in life at the time?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I was in a very bad place. I had been diagnosed with bipolar type II and OCD. My doctor also told me that I could finally have babies, a dream that had been stolen from me ten years earlier after a stroke, and I had just ended a nine-year relationship. Creativity loves misery.

Or is it the other way around?

WNF Codex: What was the original spark for the story?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I remember being in my mother’s kitchen, doing the dishes, and recalling a conversation with my little sister. She had told me she was reading what she called “fairy-porn.” I was there, scrubbing a plate, seeing foam and bubbles, and wondering: how do you tell a story about fairies and make it interesting?

WNF Codex: Early on, what felt coolest or most exciting about this novel to you?

Lara Zanatti Reis: It is important to understand that I initially wanted to write something quick and fast, just for the fun of it. The concept of the Black Mage existed simply because the first character wore a black coat. However, the idea slowly gained the core of the Hexe story, which was a spell that summoned the mightiest mage and then chained them to the will of the summoner.

The original story, what I call version one, is actually mentioned in Book One as The Little King and the Mage. That was the first version of the story that later became Hexe.

WNF Codex: For someone discovering the novel for the first time, what kind of experience are you hoping they’ll have?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I hope they get lost. Confused. Wondering what will happen next. I want them to try to solve the mystery, only to find out a few chapters later that they were wrong. I want them to forget about the main villain and the real danger, and when they finally realize it was there all along... it’s already too late.

Characters, World, and Inspiration

WNF Codex: Where did the main characters come from?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Eura had many names and roles. She was supposed to be the damsel in distress, but as the story grew, that role didn’t fit her at all. So she was rewritten again and again. The last name that stuck was Eura, a pretentious name for a pretentious, powerful mage.

I think she is the result of many archetypes of heroines blended into one person, with qualities and flaws, but mostly with the consciousness of her own power and the lack of it to predict her mistakes and her actions.

She is not the hero we want, she is also not the hero we need.

WNF Codex: Did any character surprise you as you wrote them?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Professor Edgar O. Duvencrune. I love this character, and he was and still is the one who surprised me the most. Initially, in version one, he was the villain. Through some act of magic, all his bad doings had a cause. All his actions, all his work, were for Eura.

In the last version, the one we are reading now, he stopped being the villain or the anti-hero who does bad to do good. He became simply a father trying to fix Time and Space for a chance to see his daughter grow.

Note: All answers from this author might be false. Or they might not. — E.O.D.

WNF Codex: What’s something special about the setting or world that readers might not immediately notice?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Although the story is pure fantasy, the setting itself is pure sci-fi. We are in a new world with nine moons, with its own laws of physics. I mean, nine moons and the tides are somehow all right? The ecosystem is divided by ley lines and nodes called Ormsaats... you see the picture.

But I noticed that, initially, people tended to see the world as medieval, classic fantasy, while I was more inclined toward a Dune, Star Wars, or Baldur’s Gate 3 ambience, just without spaceships. At least not spaceships you could see... yet.

WNF Codex: Did your characters or world ever push the story in an unexpected direction?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I ended up with three possible endings, and somehow I managed to fit them into one. That made me realize that the number of books was also growing.

Shaping the Story Over Time

WNF Codex: How did you move from the initial idea to writing the first chapters?

Lara Zanatti Reis: The answer is mostly about going back each time and rewriting the first chapter. The first draft is always the easiest, at least for me. The real issue comes when I’m already far beyond it and realize that the beginning no longer meets the end.

WNF Codex: Did the novel change meaningfully from its original concept to what readers see now?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Completely. The initial map was Faewood and Keblurg, and now we have the full cartography of the Map. And so did the cast of characters. It grew like star-mushrooms.

WNF Codex: What parts of the story came most naturally to you, and which parts fought you the hardest?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Ironically, all scenes with Professor Edgar O. Duvencrune are easier to write, because him being the narrator makes it easier. Orlo is more of an observer than a traditional hero. They share some similar characteristics: we like precise, factual information. How it really happened.

So his descriptions and opinions, as testimony of the events described in the book, are easier to write from his point of view than simply telling them as an author. One of the elements present in the story, and very well hidden, is heresy, meaning we don’t really know what happened beyond what the characters tell each other, unless it was written and narrated before. The information that remains in circulation is the one that survived.

WNF Codex: Were there any characters, arcs, or ideas that almost made it into the story but didn’t?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Too many. Some survived and were posted. And, contrary to my beliefs, they reached readers more strongly than I anticipated. Which now makes me sad, thinking about how many chapters I deleted because I thought they were too much or not enough.

Writing in Public & Serialization

WNF Codex: How has writing in serialized form influenced your choices for this novel?

Lara Zanatti Reis: It hasn’t. I never thought of it as a book. What I didn’t realize is that I don’t know how to write serialization, but I’m not so bad with books.

So the answer would be: I still don’t know.

WNF Codex: What surprised you most once readers started reacting to the story?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I don’t have many reactions. Not many comments. The most common one is a simple thank-you. There are also some comments of realization in certain scenes, but I don’t really have open discussions.

What I realized not so long ago is that my readers are binge-readers and silent lurkers, hidden in the shadows. You can’t see them, but they are there.

WNF Codex: Was there a chapter or arc that felt like a turning point for you as a writer?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Every time I end one… I guess.

WNF Codex: Are there themes, details, or ideas introduced early that only pay off much later?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Oh yes, yes, yes... and I can't really talk about it, otherwise what would be the fun?

WNF Codex: Which character changed the most from your earliest conception to their current form?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Professor Edgar O. Duvencrune, as explained earlier.

WNF Codex: If you were rereading the story today as a reader, what would you notice differently than when you first wrote it?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but whenever I need to go back searching for a detail, an event, or who said what, I’m forced to re-read it. And I get this small ego stroke, thinking: “Oh, this is actually really good.”

WNF Codex: Is there a funny, strange, or very human anecdote from writing this novel that you’ve never really shared?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Writing is a very solo process, and I never had someone behind the scenes to help me build the world or listen to all my delirium. My sister tried once. I think her mind left her body while I talked.

WNF Codex: Was anyone instrumental in helping you build or sustain this story?

Lara Zanatti Reis: My lack of willpower when it comes to having a social life.

WNF Codex: Did real-life events ever influence the tone or direction of the story in ways readers might not realize?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Not immediately, but many hard conversations are based not on my story, but on having gone through similar situations myself, which allows me to understand where they come from.

Sustainability & Reflection

WNF Codex: How do you approach this novel in practical terms?

Lara Zanatti Reis: It’s a story that needs to be written so it can be told. My approach is to make a cup of coffee, feed the cat and the dog, sit at my desktop, and start writing after two or three days of reframing actions, casting, and deciding who does what. And then I type. It won’t be done if the first sentence is not written.

WNF Codex: What has been harder than you expected about sustaining this story over time?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I wanted to write this story for myself. The thing is, I know the story bit by bit, and sometimes I’m tired, sometimes I’m sad, and I can’t find it in myself to sit in front of the keyboard and write. As I mentioned, my readers are hidden from my eyes, so I often wonder if I’m good enough or if I’m wasting my time trying to turn an abstract idea into something palpable.

WNF Codex: Looking back, what decision are you most proud of — not the outcome, but a choice you made along the way?

Lara Zanatti Reis: Try again. To be humble enough to understand that the first try is not the final one.

WNF Codex: If a new reader were about to start this novel, what would you quietly hope they notice or appreciate?

Lara Zanatti Reis: The hints and foreshadowing. I would love to read this little conspiracy comments. Now the what or the who, is not important.

Closing Thoughts

WNF Codex: Is there anything about this novel — its lore, its creation, or where it’s headed — that you’ve never really had a place to talk about, but would like to share here?

Lara Zanatti Reis: I would love to talk and share everything, revealing plot twist after plot twist. But I can’t do it, because I would ruin the whole experience. So I keep it to myself, in a very sacred place, and maybe one day I hope we meet there, and I can smirk, the sadist that I am.

Hexe is not built to give everything away at once. It withholds, reframes, and quietly challenges the reader to notice what has been planted early, what has been distorted in the telling, and what may only become clear much later. Reading Lara Zanatti Reis’s reflections makes that approach feel even more intentional: a story shaped through revision, persistence, and a willingness to let its structure grow larger and stranger over time.

For readers already following the series, Equinox feels like a moment where earlier threads begin tightening and hidden connections start to surface. For new readers, Hexe offers something rarer than a simple hook—a world with enough mystery and texture to reward careful attention.

If you're already reading, many of the threads planted early in the series begin revealing their larger shape. If you're discovering Hexe for the first time, it offers a story that rewards curiosity, patience, and a willingness to piece together what lies beneath the surface.

You can read Hexe on Royal Road and follow its progression on WebNovelFinder as Lara Zanatti Reis continues building toward the next revelations hidden inside its many layers.

Our thanks to Lara Zanatti Reis for sharing the thinking behind the chapters—and for offering a glimpse into the kind of story that prefers to keep some of its sharpest truths just out of reach.

Where to Read and Support Hexe

• Read Hexe Series:
• Add to your library on WebNovelFinder
• Read on Royal Road
• Read the Hexe Series on Amazon
• Follow and Support Author Lara Zanatti Reis:
• Support Author on Paypal
• Follow Author on WebNovelFinder