We chat with author Emily Lloyd-Jones about The Wild Huntress, which is a thrilling fantasy about three unlikely allies bound together in a deadly, magical competition—perfect for fans of Holly Black and Erin A. Craig.
Hi, Emily! Welcome back! We last spoke in 2019 for the release of The Bone Houses. How have you been and what have you been up to?
Has it been that long? Time feels as though it has lost all meaning in the last few years! I’ve been doing pretty well! Lots of walks in the woods, learning more about myself, making friends, woeful attempts at trying to make sourdough, and of course, I’ve been writing.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Oh no, this is a hard one! I’m wracking my brain for old picture books I owned when I was a kid. I think it was probably either Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey or Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.
- The one that made you want to become an author: This one is easier! The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander was the fantasy series that kickstarted my lifelong desire to be an author.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud has lived rent-free in my brain since I was a teenager.
Your latest novel, The Wild Huntress, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Monsters and magic in forests.
What can readers expect?
This book returns to the same world as The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods, but with all new characters and a standalone story. It introduces Branwen—a huntress of monsters. She was accidentally touched by an otherfolk ointment that allows her to see magic. But unfortunately being a monster hunter doesn’t pay all that well, so she hires herself out to Gwydion. The self-made trickster of the noble house of Gwynedd, Gwydion wants to win the infamous Wild Hunt to prevent his tyrannical older brother from gaining the throne. They’ll have to team up with a prince from a rival kingdom and brave the terrors of the forest of Annwyvn to win the Hunt.
Also, Branwen has a cat. It’s definitely a cat. Nothing magical about it. Nope.
Where did the inspiration for The Wild Huntress come from?
While drafting it, I jokingly referred to this manuscript as my “Welsh Myth Turducken” because I rolled so many myths into one story. The Wild Hunt is the most obvious. I love the idea of a magical hunt, flitting through the woods and blurring the lines between hunter and hunted.
The second inspiration was the tale of the midwife—a bit of obscure folklore about a midwife that was asked to deliver a fairy child, and in doing so, accidentally gained the ability to see magic. In the original story, the midwife came to a bad end: depending on who tells the tale, the fairies either cut out her eye or kidnap her so that she can never use the power against them. But from that story, I found the idea for Branwen’s history and powers. I switched up the characters, making the midwife’s child the one who was given the ability to see magic. And when she tangles with the fairies, she fights back and decides to start hunting monsters.
As for the final bit of inspiration… that one is a spoiler. But let’s just say it involves Gwydion, one of the most famous figures in Welsh mythology. He’s been a favorite of mine for many, many years and this story seemed like the ideal time to write about him.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I adored writing the interactions between the three main characters. Banter and dialogue is incredibly fun for me, and getting to put three very different characters in close proximity is always enjoyable. Branwen is stubborn and honest; Gwydion is a silver-tongued liar; and Pryderi is loyal and observant. The three of them working together led to some incredibly funny moments—and some heartbreaking ones, too. They all grow together, having to face truths about themselves in the depths of the magical woods.
And the cat, of course. Anything to do with Palug was so much fun to write.
What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as an author since your debut?
Considering it’s been a decade since I debuted, I feel like a completely different person!
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned over the last ten years is just to be kind. Being an author is an extremely chaotic, unpredictable and solitary career. And it’s easy to slip into the mindset of “me, me, me.” After all, we’re spending years laboring on our books! We’re steeped in our own words, our own truths, our own experiences—and we have to remember to look outside of that. We’re all just trying our best, and it’s so important to support one another. My author friends are all wonderful, talented, and so encouraging. I’m so grateful that this career is what allowed me to meet them. They share my failures and my successes, and we’ve had some amazing times together.
What’s next for you?
Hopefully, more books! More friends! New adventures!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I loved Lucy Undying by Kiersten White, The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning, Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, and the Monstrous Kind by Lydia Gregovic. I’m looking forward to Heir by Sabaa Tahir, The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew, and Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz.
