Author Interview: Harley Quinn: Redemption by Rachael Allen

We are thrilled to speak with author Rachael Allen about the third & final installment of the Harley Quinn DC Icons novels, Harley Quinn: Redemption which is available now! And if you were curious, yes, it is queer! They even want to go to a Pride celebration! Happy Pride!

Harley Quinn: Redemption (DC Icons Series)

by Rachael Allen
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
on April 23, 2024
Genres: LGBTQIA+, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Young Adult
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When girls in Gotham City go missing, Harley Quinn is determined to track down their kidnapper. But the only way to outsmart a villain is to engage in a little villainy herself. Don't miss the adrenaline-racing conclusion to the Harley Quinn trilogy.

In Gotham City even the heroes are wicked.

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy can't wait to cross off the final items on their summer bucket list. They still need to:
Go to Pride
Get mani/pedis
Figure out how they can kiss without Ivy's toxic lips killing Harley. (Every relationship has its challenges!)

But their to-do list gets more dangerous when young girls vanish from the streets of Gotham City. The only clues left behind are the dolls on Harley's doorstep from a mysterious sender known as the Dollmaker. The message is clear: come find me...if you dare.

Award-winning author Rachael Allen delivers the fast-paced and fiercely feminist conclusion to the Harley Quinn trilogy.

"Allen's Harley is a fierce, righteous, brilliant, and preternaturally brace ball of chaos. I loved and feared every single minute with her." -Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer

Author Interview:

1. If the Harley from book 3 could give past Harley any advice, what would it be?

If book 3 Harley could give her past-self advice, it would probably sound something like, “Hey, puddin’! Buckle up and trust your gut more. You’ve got more strength and smarts than you give yourself credit for. Oh, and maybe stop feeling like everything is on you all the time. It’s okay to rely on your friends.”

2. What has been your favorite part of writing Harley and Ivy’s romance?

I love how well they balance each other out. How they make each other braver and better. They truly bring out the best in each other.

From their initial meet-cute when Harley literally runs smack into a cute red-haired girl named Pamela Isley in the last chapter of book 1 to Ivy wanting to burn down the entire world after Harley gets kidnapped in book 3, writing their relationship has been one of the best parts of writing this series.

I think my favorite part of writing their romance has been taking things that I love from the romance genre (an MC and LI that can’t kiss for Reasons, banter for days, a love interest’s fierce desire to protect the main character) and pouring them into one of my fave queer relationships of all time.

3. Which of your other characters would you dedicate an entire book to?

Oh, gosh, my favorite side character in this whole trilogy is definitely King Shark. He’s so unexpectedly kind and gentle and also he’s a motherfreaking shark. I wish there could be an entire book on King Shark. I want his full origin story. I want to see him fall in love and complete some kind of grand mission on his own. And if I could pick someone to write it, I would pick Julian Winters.