L'Amant maudit

The mix of magic, danger, and love feels so seamless here. I'm curious whether this was planned from the start or evolved during writing.

His actions are morally complex, which made me wonder how much of his past shaped his current morals. Am I the only one who felt conflicted about liking him?

The atmosphere is so vivid and gritty — I wonder if it’s based on a real city or entirely imagined. How much of the world-building was mapped out beforehand?