When the Avalanche Reveals the Valley
A conversation with author Ella Larson about hot trolls, hidden valleys, and finding magic in the ruins of the familiar.
Sometimes the universe conspires to give you exactly what you need. I went hunting for troll romances (because that’s my nickname for my husband), and what I found in Ella Larson’s Falling for the Hidden Folk series was a masterclass in threshold work disguised as spicy monster romance.
In this episode, Ella and I explore how her Norwegian trolls and their hidden valley offer us a new way to understand transformation. The series begins with an avalanche—a catastrophe that both buries and reveals, forcing humans and trolls to meet at the threshold of each other’s worlds. But here’s the thing: each character experiences that same avalanche differently. Just like in life, we can go through identical events and have completely different crossings.
What captivated me most was how Ella’s characters don’t rush through their transformation. They linger in the Heimli Valley—that in-between space where they must choose: stay or go? Each choice carries a cost. Each choice carries a gift. As Ella beautifully put it, love itself is a choice. It means “you’re not your own entity anymore,” but in that surrender, you open yourself to “so much love, so much compassion, so much support.”
We talked about how the valley represents things we’ve lost and could have again—particularly that sense of community and belonging that feels so elusive in our fragmented world. But belonging requires being seen. The trolls must reveal themselves to save the humans. The humans must strip away their defensive layers to receive love. Everyone must cross the threshold of visibility together.
This is what I mean by romancing the threshold: approaching our avalanche moments not with white knuckles and survival mode, but with the curiosity of lovers discovering new territory. Ella’s books remind us that the pause between who we were and who we’re becoming isn’t empty—it’s fertile ground for transformation.
Listen to discover why monster romance might be the medicine we need for learning to love our own becoming.
Guest Bio:
Ella Larson loves monsters and writing about all the crazy stuff they can get up to in…certain situations. She holds a special place in her heart for anything big, green, fanged, and preferably with a tail.
While she may have started with orcs, she swiftly lost herself in the monster romance world and you will find many different creatures in her work, namely her cozy monster romance set in Norway: Falling for the Hidden Folk!
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading and going for walks in the Norwegian forests. Although she hasn’t bumped into a troll yet… she is always on the lookout!
Find her on Instagram @ellalarsonauthor or at Patreon.
Ready to cross your own threshold into a hidden valley?
Start your journey with Ella Larson’s Falling for the Hidden Folk and discover what avalanches might reveal when approached with curiosity rather than fear.
If this conversation sparked something—about your own relationship with change, your secret love of monster romance, or that threshold you’re currently avoiding—share it in the comments below.
I’m convinced our collective wisdom about transformation lives in these stories we’re drawn to. And if you know someone who needs permission to linger in their own becoming (or just really needs some hot trolls in their life), pass this along.
