WRITTEN IN THE STARS. Eau Claire native Emma Hesse is releasing her debut novel, The Color of Stars, on Nov. 11.

Fantasy novels have become quite popular amongst young adults in recent years with the releases of series such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Cruel Prince, and Shatter Me. Memorial High School graduate Emma Hesse is bringing readers into a world of her own creation in her debut novel, The Color of Stars.

Split into five parts, the novel follows Rae Andino, an immortal being tasked with learning more about – and stopping – a threatening force that is endangering the whole universe. With the help of her found family and a man with whom she meets under unbelievable circumstances, Rae must attempt to rescue her best friend from the clutches of one of the most powerful Greek gods: Zeus.

“(Rae is) the personification of the part of myself that I feel like I didn’t have control over, and she just does the things that I can’t do for myself,” Hesse said. “She’s limitless and she says what she thinks, and she really doesn’t care what other people think.”

Emma Hesse.

Hesse said the idea for The Color of Stars stemmed from her love of Greek and Roman mythology – which she learned a lot about during a stint traveling abroad in Rome – and a lifetime of writing as an outlet to relieve stress.

After the first portion of the book was written, Hesse said the rest of the novel practically wrote itself. She isn’t done with the story yet, though, as she is planning to write a prequel as well as a sequel. Hesse hopes the prequel will be published sometime in 2024.

Hesse credits her family – specifically her mother and sister – with pushing her to complete the book since she originally began writing it for fun. While the book is obviously otherworldly, Hesse pulled inspiration from some aspects of her real life. Rae’s found family is inspired by a lot of the people closest to Hesse, and Rae’s struggle with depression is pulled from Hesse’s own mental health journey.

“A big theme in this book is kind of healing my inner child and not thinking that my depression is the worst part of me, but a very unique and special part of me that has made me who I am,” Hesse said.

Hesse is currently taking preorders for the book as well as merchandise including stickers, hats, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and more. The book is being printed through Documation, a printer based in Eau Claire, and on Oct. 19, Hesse witnessed her novel being printed in real time.

“This has been kind of a surreal experience for me. … It doesn’t feel like an external experience yet,” Hesse said. “It doesn't actually feel like people are gonna read it. So going in and watching it print is that moment where I know it’s happening.”

Preorder The Color of Stars and read an excerpt now at thecolorofstars.com. Keep up with the story on Instagram (@the.color.of.stars).