The series was originally conceived as a trilogy following a progression derived from the
Three Fates of
Norse mythology in which the heroine is first a type of sacrificial maiden, second a “
Sarah Conner-type mother” and, finally, a monster. Worley envisioned the third part as a “reverse-
Beowulf” in which Rowan, formerly the protagonist, would be the antagonist to a werewolf warrior. It was feared the third part would over-complicate the story so the original idea was abandoned. Worley adapted his original plan for the third part into a different vision of a world now adapted to long-term moonlight, with “a far-out
pulp sci-fi feel, like something off a
prog rock album, a
Rodney Matthews poster or an '80s fantasy epic like
The Dark Crystal, all funky vegetation, and alien creatures running around looking awesome.” == Publication history ==