We chat with author Jasmine Skye about Daughter of the Bone Forest, which follows two girls who are reluctantly bound by fate and must weather a dangerous courtship as a prophesied war grows ever closer.
Hi, Jasmine! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey y’all! I’m a queer, bigender, grayace author with a megaton of hobbies including gaming, cosplaying, and recreational competitive figure skating. Daughter of the Bone Forest is the first published novel in what I hope to be a long career of queernormative SFF for teens and adults.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
It all started in elementary school when my best friend and I stumbled across a book in our school library. That book was Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. It was, as far as I remember, the first medieval fantasy book I ever read on my own—and the first one where I saw myself in the main character. (My dad read me The Hobbit growing up but while I adore Bilbo, I do not see myself in Bilbo.)
Reading The Song of the Lioness Quartet series with my best friend was the moment where I truly fell in love with stories. Tamora Pierce’s Tortall universe made me want to write my own fantasy adventures. From that moment on, you could not find me without a notebook in hand—ready to jot down my fantastical stories at any spare moment.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson
- The one that made you want to become an author: Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Your debut novel, Daughter of the Bone Forest, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Witches, Woods, Wolves, War, and WLW (Women-Loving-Women/Sapphic)
What can readers expect?
A world of witches and familiars where the wealthy and powerful take classes at a magic school and a horse rancher’s daughter is invited to attend said school by the princess of the kingdom. There’s shapeshifting and necromancy, hate-to-maybe-love inside a fake courtship, and a prophesized war that looms ever-present in the background.
Where did the inspiration for Daughter of the Bone Forest come from?
Oregon! Yes, the state. My Cursed Kingdom was directly inspired by the beautiful landscape of Oregon—from Mt. Hood to Crater Lake, the Newberry Caldera’s Obsidian Flow Hike, and the gorgeous Multnomah Falls.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I consider myself a build-up writer. All my favorite scenes comes toward the end of the book (or the series). I want to write those moments where everything comes together—all those little bits and pieces from the beginning that readers may dismiss as just flavor text, but end up being pivotal for the climactic scenes. So I can’t tell you my favorite moment without spoilers, but I can tell you that one of my favorite characters to write was Aklemin Alki—an ice witch, the Princess Shaw’s best friend, and a cryptic seer-type.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Long and somewhat arduous but I don’t regret a single step! I started trying to publish my senior year of high school. It was over a decade later that I finally sold my debut and now, two years after that, it’s hard to believe my book is out and in stores. The lesson I like to emphasize for other aspiring authors is to keep persevering. Hold onto whatever it is that drives you to write, drives you to want to publish, and remind yourself of it whenever the road feels too daunting. I re-wrote Daughter of the Bone Forest seven times (three of which were complete, from blank page, total book rewrites.) It was a lot of work. But I am so happy with and so proud of the book it became.
What’s next for you?
The sequel to Daughter of the Bone Forest—the final book in the Witch Hall duology called Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom.
Can you perhaps give us a little teaser for Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom?
Daughter of the Bone Forest is Rosy’s book. My ranch girl wolf familiar with a heart of gold and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom is Shaw’s book. My necromancer princess who was raised with the knowledge she would lead her kingdom into war—and now has to face the realities of that prophecy.
Lastly, are there any releases that you’re looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m so excited to read So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, Voyage of the Damned by Frances White, and A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal. I’m also looking forward to Road to Ruin by Hana Lee, Someone You can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell, the upcoming companion sequel to The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, and Freya Marske’s new book Swordcrossed.
