 rules over them, a fight that has exploded into a kingdom-wide civil war. Though there is magic and gods, this series is also rooted in reality. NPR's Mallory Yu caught up with the author to talk about how. Like the title suggests, Children of Anguish and Anarchy begins at a low point for main character Xaeli, who's already experienced a lot of lows. As a child, she had to watch as her mother was killed in front of her for possessing magic.