Posts Tagged adventure fantasy

Exploring Loss, Choices, and Magic with Megan Reyes

Today on the blog, we’re excited to host Megan Reyes, author of several exciting fantasy series for kids, including Llama Quest and the Heroes of Havensong. I had the pleasure of reading the newest book in the Havensong world, the third installment in an epic fantasy that follows four unlikely heroes who are bound by the Fates to save their world—and magic itself—from being destroyed. Read on to get insight into this latest adventure from Megan Reyes.

Cover of The Fifth Mage by Megan Reyes

Thanks so much for joining us here at the Mixed-Up Files, Megan! This book was such a quintessential fantasy adventure, full of magic (or should I say Magics?), dragons, prophecies, and a band of dedicated friends who are also unlikely heroes. On your website, you mentioned that Ender’s Game is still one of your all-time favorite books, but do you have any other favorites that watered the seeds that would grow into the world and characters of Havensong?

Thank you so much for inviting me to chat today! When it comes to Heroes of Havensong, there were a few authors who inspired me greatly: Kelly Barnhill (The Girl Who Drank the Moon, The Witch’s Boy), Jonathan Auxier (Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes), and Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities series). Each of these authors are magical when it comes to crafting fantastical stories.

You mentioned that you’re an outliner, though you do allow your characters to take the story where they like. Were there any unexpected or surprising changes when River, Blue, Wren, Shenli, and the others started running around in the plot?

Absolutely! I do love a good outline, especially when I’m working with a series. But, like you said, even though I usually have an idea of the basic plot bullet points, my characters sometimes surprise me. This usually happens when I’m writing dialogue between characters. One example, off the top of my head, is Blue mentioning in Book 2 that wood carving used to be one of his hobbies, back in Gerbera. Honestly, I didn’t know this about him until I was writing the sentence! This hobby ends up tying into his love of music and certain musical instruments. I love when little surprising details like that make their way into the story.

Themes of loss, grief, and overcoming come through strongly in almost all of the storylines in this book, but there are many great reflections of what it means to be a hero or a villain, accepting all parts of yourself, and doing the right thing even when it’s the most difficult option. Are these threads ones you planned on for this point in the series, or did your characters reveal them to you?

I knew certain things would be happening to cause grief to each of the four Heroes. But honestly, I didn’t know how they would deal with their grief until I started writing. Particularly River, in Book 3, deals with what it means to walk through grief, feeling as though hope and joy are both a thing of the past. And poor Shenli! I have put him through some difficult situations throughout the series that have forced him to make impossible decisions. But I believe this is a reflection of all of us. We all have to make choices, and those choices will have consequences on others. The best we can do is be true to ourselves and follow what our gut is telling us is the right thing to do. But this is often easier said than done.

With so many fantastic plot threads being woven together with characters who all have their own motivations and goals, how do you balance the internal and external conflicts and make sure everyone has plenty of time to shine?

It is a lot to keep track of! This is where my outlining comes in handy! My outlines for each book include the main cast of characters (both major and minor) and what each of their internal and external conflicts will be. Then I’ll organize everything by chapter, making sure each character gets their turn to shine. Also, my incredible editor, Liesa Abrams, helps me find the very best nuggets of story for each of my Heroes. She asks great questions as we go through our rounds of edits.

In this book, the third of the series, we get to learn a lot more about the characters and their destinies. River in particular discovers a lot about herself in this installment, but so many of the kids seem to have a gift or ability that makes them profoundly unique. It seems like the book is saying that all kids have something special about them. Was that an intentional theme?

It was intentional, yes. And this has been a fun journey for me to see who each of the four Heroes have grown in self discovery. For example, River starts out in Book 1 fairly confident in who she is. But her fierce independence sometimes leads to stubbornness, so she has to learn to trust those around her to help. Later, when she learns more about her abilities, she has to learn that there are different ways to be strong. There is physical strength, sure. But more so, she learns what it means to be emotionally strong: to make space for her feelings and what it means to be true to herself. In a similar way, all four Heroes learn about their strengths and what it means to trust yourself and know your own worth.

Were there any aspects of the world you wish you could have spent more time with? I personally thought the sand sharks were fabulous (and so unexpectedly polite)!

Hah! I love the sand sharks too. I’d love to go dune surfing! In my mind, the world of Haven is so much bigger and more detailed than I could ever put on the page. If I could, I would love to explore the Mountain District and visit the Lands Across the Sea. There are so many more adventures to be had!

I loved this quote from Alma, the Fourth Mage: “There is a language to magic. It is communicating all the time, for those who know how to listen.” Do you think readers can find magic in our world this way, too?

Yes! I absolutely believe we can find magic in our world. To me, magic is a mix of joy, beauty, and wonder. Recently, I came across a term called “glimmers.” Glimmers are tiny moments of joy that are discovered in everyday, ordinary things: Looking up at the moon on a peaceful night, listening to the sound of rain on the roof, smelling freshly-cut grass, or feeling your cat purr happily as they sleep in your lap. All of these moments of joy–these “glimmers”–are glimpses of magic in the real world.

Of course, we have to talk about one of the most memorable lines from the book: “Friends make the best rainbows.” It’s so true! Could you share with us a little about the origin of this gem?

Aww, thank you. To me, a rainbow symbolizes hope and joy, after (or sometimes even during) a storm. And that’s what my friends have been to me, particularly these last few years. There was a season in my life where I had a rough go of things. It was a painful and difficult time and sometimes it seemed like hope was lost. But then a friend would call or send me flowers or show up at my door. They were my hope and joy during life’s storm. And in that way, my friends have always made the best rainbows.

It definitely seems like the four heroes have more dates with destiny in their future! Can you give us any clues as to what they might be up to in the next book?

This is a bit tricky to answer because the fate of any book series is left up to the powers that be at the publisher. At this moment, there are no hard plans for a fourth book, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be sometime in the future. I have all my fingers crossed that we’ll get to see Blue, River, Wren, and Shenli again someday!

You mentioned it took ten years to get a literary agent and hundreds of rejections before you broke into the industry. If you could give writers any advice on how to keep writing even in the face of rejection or overwhelming odds, what would it be?

It’s true! At the time I signed with my agent in 2020, I had written five different books, and received over 250 rejections from agents over the span of ten years. There were a lot of no’s before getting my first yes. As you can imagine, this was very dejecting at times!  My advice to writers is to always have something new to work on. And also: write the story you’re most excited to tell. If you’re feeling stuck on a particular manuscript, maybe play around with some ideas for a new story. You can always go back to the first one, but it helps me when I’m focusing on something I’m really excited about. Sometimes all it takes for the spark to happen is to dive into something new. And as long as creating stories is bringing you joy, keep writing! Do it for yourself. And you never know what “yes” might be around the corner.

Interview with Alex London for BATTLE DRAGONS, Plus Giveaway

Alex London is joining us on From the Mixed Up Files today to talk about the first book in his brand new middle-grade fantasy series BATTLE DRAGONS. Alex is the author of more than 25 books for children, teens and adults, including the middle-grade series DOG TAGS, TIDES OF WAR, WILD ONES, and ACCIDENTAL ADVENTURES. His latest series launches on Sept. 21 with BATTLE DRAGONS: CITY OF THIEVES, which is a super fun adventure. Here’s the description:

Cover of Battle Dragons: City of Thieves by Alex LondonIn a modern mega-city built around dragons, one boy gets caught up in the world of illegal dragon battles and a high-stakes gang war that could tear his family apart.

Once, dragons nearly drove themselves to extinction. But in the city of Drakopolis, humans domesticated them centuries ago. Now dragons haul the city’s cargo, taxi its bustling people between skyscrapers, and advertise its wares in bright, neon displays. Most famously of all, the dragons battle. Different breeds take to the skies in nighttime bouts between the infamous kins―criminal gangs who rule through violence and intimidation.

Abel has always loved dragons, but after a disastrous showing in his dragon rider’s exam, he’s destined never to fly one himself. All that changes the night his sister appears at his window, entrusting him with a secret…and a stolen dragon.

Turns out, his big sister is a dragon thief! Too bad his older brother is a rising star in Drakopolis law enforcement…

To protect his friends and his family, Abel must partner with the stolen beast, riding in kin battles and keeping more secrets than a dragon has scales.

When everyone wants him fighting on their side, can Abel figure out what’s worth fighting for?

Doesn’t it sound awesome? Until you can get your dragon paws on your own copy, let’s go behind the scenes of the book’s creation. And make sure you read to the end to enter the giveaway.

Samantha: Hi Alex! Welcome to From the Mixed Up Files. I loved BATTLE DRAGONS: CITY OF THIEVES. Tell us where you got the idea from?

Headshot of Alex London | Photo by Gina Clyne Photography

Alex London | Photo by Gina Clyne Photography

Alex: Thanks so much!  The short pitch is that it’s The Fast and The Furious meets How to Train Your Dragon, except that I hadn’t actually seen those movies or read those books when I began this project. Of course, I’ve corrected that oversight now (and am kind of obsessed with the gleeful story-telling chaos of the Fast and The Furious franchise.

As to my inspirations, there are endless sparks that ignite the ideas in any novel, but this one combined so many influences that fueled my imagination when I was a middle schooler. It combines my love of cyberpunk like Akira and Blade Runner with my love of fantasy, of dragon lore, and ultimately of stories set in that middle school time, when young people start to come into their own and realize how much bigger, complicated, and wonderful the world is than they ever dreamed. I wanted to write a story that would have appealed to me in middle school, but that would’ve also expanded my imagination for what kind of a world was possible.

There are sibling rivalries and new friends and high stakes souped-up dragon riding action. There are also, I hope, a lot of laughs!

Samantha: You’ve incorporated a lot of dragon story lore (with the dragons keeping a hoard, for example), but you’ve also expanded on the roles of dragons, like having them be taxis, school buses and cleaners. How did you decide what to keep and what to add for this story?

Alex: Writing a mash-up of genres gave me the freedom to pick and choose what dragon lore was useful or interesting to me. What of my main concerns was using the lore that would make the dragons feel familiar and recognizable, without being derivative or boxing me in to any narrative corners. So, flying and hoarding and breath weapons were a must, but speaking English to humans, as they do in some wonderful dragon tales, was not something I wanted.

Samantha: I love all the different types of dragons you’ve come up with for the story. What inspired each one?

Alex: I couldn’t possibly go into detail on each one here, but I did develop a basic dragon taxonomy when I began, essentially dividing them into Short-Wing, Medium-Wing, and Long-Wing dragons, each more suited to different jobs for humans, and within each category a wide variety of species, from Infernal Long wings whose fire their hot breath from high in the clouds, the short winged Blue Foot, which are like the Honda Accords of the Drakopolis. Then there are the different Reapers, medium winged dragons who make the best battlers with their wide variety of breath weapons and skills, and the related Wyvers, pulled straight from mythology, but in my story, used mostly by the secret police. It’s a lot of fun researching and inventing dragons and their abilities! I spend a lot of time thinking of it like a card game, Pokemon or Magic: The Gathering. In fact, I even invented a game just like that for the story!

Samantha: Abel and his brother Silas and sister Lina are all very different. Are you closest to one of them or do they all have similarities to you in different ways?

Alex: I’m probably most like Abel, with my ADHD and tendency to catastrophize, though, like Lina, I’m idealist who broke more than a few rules as a teenager, but like Silas, I can slip into an inflated sense of self-righteousness if I’m not careful. This is the first series I’ve written since becoming a parent, however, so I do find myself identifying a lot more with their parents than anyone else! I hope I could stand up the gangsters and the secret police as well his Abel’s parents do!

Samantha: If you were one of your dragons from Drakopolis, which one would it be and what would be your favorite thing to hoard?

Alex: Oh, I would want to be Karak, the Sunrise Reaper, because describing him was just so cool! The scene where he meets Abel and Roa was the first I thought of, even before I starting writing.  And I think I would probably hoard books…because I kind of do already!

Samantha: You’ve written both contemporary and fantasy books, but you said in an interview that the fantasy book Redwall helped you become an avid reader. As a writer, do you enjoy writing one genre more than another?

Alex: I like writing everything! As this fantasy-sci-fi mashup with real themes of middle school probably demonstrates, I can’t confine myself to just one genre. The world is so full of stories, I’d hate to limit myself to just one kind.

Samantha: Do you have any tips for teachers and librarians who are trying to encourage reluctant readers to read more?

Alex: Choice! Letting readers choose their own reading—even if it doesn’t seem like great literature to us—matters. I read far more Calvin and Hobbes as a kid than I did prose novels, and far more illustrated nonfiction magazines than ‘literature’ and far more “trashy novels’ than ‘great books’ and now I’m an avid and critical reader and a fairly prolific writer. People come to it in their own time and in their own ways, and I think we need to model following our interests and knowing when to put books down if they aren’t working for us. Life is too short and there are too many good books to force ourselves to read ones we hate. For every “reluctant reader’ out there, there are books that will feel like their were written just for them. They just need the chance to find them.

Aside from choice, I think removing the stigma from not loving to read could help. We put a lot of moral weight on reading, but I know brilliant people who don’t read much of anything and total monsters who are bookworms. I think reading is a source of great joy, insight, and inspiration, and I want to invite kids into it, but I don’t see any use for shaming them when they aren’t.

Samantha: Finally, can you give us a sneak peek at book 2 in the series? When is it coming out?

Alex: It will be called BATTLE DRAGONS: CITY OF SPEED. I don’t know the publication date, but I do know that there will be high stakes dragon races, new and wonderful breeds of dragons, and new friends and enemies for Abel and his crew. It’s gonna be a high stakes, high speed, high flying romp, that I hope readers love!

Samantha: I can’t wait!

Enter the giveaway below by July 30 for your chance to get one of three copies of BATTLE DRAGONS: CITY OF THIEVES plus a signed bookplate.

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Black MG Magic

I firmly believe that it’s important to stand together against racism, and I’ve been making an effort to feature more black characters in my book talks and displays. Many of the book lists that I’ve come across featuring black protagonists have been full of great contemporary, realistic stories that deal with the experience of growing up black in America but haven’t had a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, or horror. So, here is a list of some of my favorite fantastical, magical, and spooky middle-grade stories featuring black heroes and heroines.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Cover

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia- This upper middle grade follows seventh-grader Tristan Strong who accidentally rips a hole into a parallel world where West African gods and African American folk heroes battle iron monsters. To return home, Tristan must help the heroes find Anansi, who can heal the rift that he’s created between the worlds.

 

The Jumbies Cober

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste- Eleven year old Corrine doesn’t believe in jumbies, evil shape-shifting creatures that are said to live in the woods near her home, but when her father begins acting strangely following the arrival of the beautiful lady Severine, Corrine begins to suspect that Severine might actually be a jumbie and that she and her father are in danger.

 

Gloom Town Cover

Gloom Town by Ronald L. Smith- To help his struggling single mom, twelve-year-old Rory gets a job as a valet for the mysterious Lord Foxglove, but he soon discovers that the eerie goings-on at Foxglove Manor will put the whole town in danger, and it’s up to Rory and his best friend Izzy to stop them.

 

 

Bayou Magic Cover

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes- When ten-year-old Maddy visits her grandmother in Bon Temps, LA, she discovers that she can summon fireflies and see mermaids, and when disaster rocks Maddy’s family, her magical gifts are the only things that can save her beloved bayou.

 

 

Dragons in a Bag coverDragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott- Nine-year-old Jaxon discovers a package of dragons when staying with a relative for the afternoon. “Ma”, the mean old lady, who raised his mother tries to return the dragons to their magical realm, but a transporter accident strands her, leaving the dragons in Zaxon’s care.

 

 

Forgotten Girl Cover

The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown- Iris and her best friend Daniel are playing in the woods behind her house when they discover the abandoned grave of a girl named Avery who died when she was near Iris’s age. Shortly after the discovery, Iris begins having nightmares about a ghost girl in the woods.

 

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer cover

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles- On the last day of summer vacation, Otto and Sheed Alston accidentally freeze time in their small Virginia town. Now, they’ll need all their bravery and smarts to defeat the villainous Mr. Flux and save the day.

 

 

Shadows of Sherwood cover

Shadows of Sherwood by Kekla Magoon- In this futuristic Rbin Hood retelling, twelve-year-old Robyn Loxley flees to the forest following the disappearance of her parents. She bands together with a ragtag group of orphans and embarks on a mission to find her parents and stop the tyrannical Governor Crown.