Q&A: James Rollins, Author of ‘The Cradle of Ice’

The Cradle of Ice is the second book in the New York Times bestselling Moonfall series from thriller-master James Rollins and it’s a page-turning tale of action, adventure, betrayal, ambition, and the struggle for survival in a harsh world that hangs by a thread.

Hi, James! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Sure. I started my professional life as a veterinarian. I had a hospital in Sacramento for fifteen years, when a hobby of writing turned into a new career. I now have over forty novels under the belt, many which became New York Times bestsellers. But I’ve not entirely set aside my love of science, medicine, and animals. You’ll see all of the above in my novels—in my Sigma Force thrillers, my stand-alone adventures, and even in my new fantasy series. It might seem like a strange detour for a writer of mainstream scientific thrillers to delve into a fantasy landscape, but that’s actually where my writing career began. From the get-go, I was writing a thriller and a fantasy every year for the first decade of my writing life. So it’s great to return to my roots with the MoonFall Saga.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve been an avid reader from a very young age, where I measured my reading life not in the number of books finished as the number of inches, then feet, of books on my bedroom shelf. But I never considered writing as a career. I thought you had to have some pedigree, some writerly lineage in your past, to become a successful author. But I was also raised with three brothers and three sisters. They became my first audience for my “storytelling” (what my mother called “lying”). My goal was to terrorize my siblings with wild stories, and if tears were involved, all the better. And that’s pretty much what I’m still doing today—only with a slightly larger audience.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading?

Easy. It was Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Again such a story leaned into my burgeoning love of animals. But what sold me on the story was an “Ape-to-English dictionary” featured at the back of the book. It was that touch of verisimilitude that convinced me that the story was less fiction and more a possibility. It was that sense of inspired wonder that made me a lifetime reader.

The Cradle of Ice is the second installment in your Moonfall series! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Adventurous, torturous, and ultimately wonderous.

What can readers expect?

The first book in the MoonFall series—The Starless Crown—introduced a world that is tidally locked to its sun, which means that one side forever faces the sun and the other is locked in eternal darkness and ice. The inhabitants of this world live in the only habitable region, the area trapped between ice and fire. In the latest book, the world opens further as war breaks out and the heroes introduced in the first book are forced apart: one group must contend with the treachery and bloodshed as kingdom fights empire; the other heads into the sunless ice in a quest to uncover a secret buried for untold millennia. Their goal is to discover a way to thwart a prophecy of doom—a prophetic vision of the moon crashing into their world and destroying all life.

Like many second journeys into a world, this novel is a dark mirror that reflects the events in the first book in a new light. Friendships turn to enmity, trust to betrayal, and hope is dashed against harsh reality. It is where, as an author, I find great joy in storytelling: to find light in darkness, heroes in monsters, and hope in the most unexpected of places.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

As a veterinarian, it was great fun to create the rich world, especially the creatures who have evolved to survive such a harsh, unforgiving landscape. To build this bestiary, I leaned on my own background in evolutionary biology, while also consulting with xenobiologists. And throughout the novel, you’ll come across biological sketches of many of those creatures. What more could a veterinarian want?

Do you have any tips for budding fantasy writers when it comes to worldbuilding?

I’ve had no formal training in writing. I learned by reading. There is an old adage of writing everyday to hone your craft—which is definitely true. It’s said you should expect to write a million words before you should expect to be published. But I add my own caveat to that adage. Besides writing every day—you should be reading every night. What I discovered while writing those million words was that whatever difficulty I struggled with during the day of writing (dialogue, world building, scene setting, etc), I would find an answer, a lesson, or an example in what I was reading that night. By writing daily and reading nightly, my writing and prose grew stronger and stronger. It’s also important to read deeply in whatever genre you want to write in. It’s the only way to see what has grown stale, what become trite, and to see the thousands of ways that a world could be built.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel?

It’s always difficult juggling backstory with forward motion. You don’t want the front of the book to be full of exposition, explanations, and reminding readers of what’s come before. Yet, it’s important that you do welcome your readers back with enough tools to make them slide smoothly into the new story.

With your first novel published almost 25 years ago, what are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a writer?

Early on, I was told this:  The main goal of nonfiction is to pass “information” to your readers. The goal of fiction is to pass on “emotions.” It’s taken these decades to truly let that sink in, to understand how to do this well. And I’m still learning. How? By reading every night and seeing  how other authors evoke a strong emotional response through their prose, plotting, and characterizations.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the third book in the MoonFall Saga, while researching my next Sigma Force thriller.

Lastly, are there any 2023 book releases our readers should look out for?

This summer, my next Sigma Force novel (Tides of Fire) hits bookshelves. It’s a massive story of lunar exploration, strange deep-sea life, and an earth-shattering threat.

Will you be picking up The Cradle of Ice? Tell us in the comments below!