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“Modesty was just another cage placed on women by men who feared they might realize that power.” — Born of Mist and Dragonfire, by Ava Thorne
About the book:
The Old Gods are dead, and magic along with them. Princess Tori has grown up during the longest peace in recorded history, but still she is at war. A war she fights every day against the expectations held for a fae princess, in a land where it’s easier to see her as the reckless spare to the throne than the powerful creature she is.
As Tori grapples with her own shadows and the weight of her responsibilities, her world is shattered by an invasion that thrusts her into the iron grip of Abraxas, the Dragon King — a man known for his ruthless discipline and unyielding power.
Read more about the book here!
Interview with the author:
“I wonder, have you been dreaming of me, little bird?”
1. What were some of the first fantasy stories that stole your heart, both from TV and books?
When I was in elementary school doing one of those summer reading challenges at the local library, a recommended book was Alanna: The First Adventure, by Tamora Pierce. To say it shaped me is an understatement. Alanna was a young girl, about my age, who pretended to be her twin brother in order to become a knight, but the story is really about growing up. I learned about menstruation with her, I had my first fiction crush with her, and I learned all about friendship and betrayal, all in an amazing fantasy setting where she grew into a total badass. From there I devoured all kinds of fantasy books, but I would be remiss to not mention Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and the Final Fantasy and Dragon Age video games that were also huge influences on me.
2. Did any book/tv characters or people you know inspire Tori and Abraxas, or any of your other characters? What do you love most about both of these characters?
Tori is, to me, the amalgamation of many of my favorite fantasy heroines. She is fae and therefore strong physically, but like many of us who grew up gifted, she still struggles to feel like she is enough, that…
