We chat with author Hazel McBride about A Queen Crowned in Flames, which is the epic finale of the Celtic-inspired romantasy duology that began with A Fate Forged in Fire.
Hi, Hazel! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
So I was born just outside of Glasgow and got my Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Glasgow. Now I live in the Netherlands with my husband, who is Dutch and our incessantly energetic Border Collie Whiskey! I love books about morally grey villains and a good flat white, both at the same time is my idea of heaven.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved reading. I was a library girl when I was younger and my gran and I always used to walk back to her house with a stack of books each. We would sit in opposite armchairs and spend hours reading in silence. It was bliss! As for writing, I used to write me and my cousins into our favourite stories like Narnia so we could have our own adventures and always viewed it as a hobby. As I got older I wrote short stories and terrible novel drafts that exist on a hard drive somewhere.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Enchanted Doll by Enid Blyton
- The one that made you want to become an author: Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Currently it’s the Debtor’s Game by Isabelle Mongeau, best book I’ve read in a long time
A Queen Crowned in Flames is the second installment in your Bonded to Beasts duology and it’s out May 26th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Epic female rage on dragons.
For those who haven’t read A Fate Forged in Fire, what can readers expect?
A blend of Scottish culture, intricate court politics, a succession war, matriarchy and mythical creatures – namely dragons! We follow our female main character, Aemyra, as she fights for her rightful place on the throne against corrupt kings and an oppressive patriarchal religion that has come in to tear down the matriarchy and Goddess-worship.
And for readers who have, what’s to come in A Queen Crowned in Flames?
Aemyra is a very different character when we meet her in book 1 compared to book 2. We explore more of fire territory as she seeks allies and we get to see more of the phoenixes and chimeras as she wages war for her throne. We also get a more in depth look at a lof of the side characters – many of whom are not what they seem.
Where did the inspiration for the duology come from?
Being Scottish, this book kind of feels like my fantasy love letter to my country. I based the entire world off the landscape, the culture and the folklore of Scotland and got lots of inspiration while I was on a three week trip home with my husband through the Highlands and Hebridean Islands. Additionally, it was around the same time as the first season of House of the Dragon came out and I was really intrigued as to what a succession war might look like if women were the ‘default’ to wear the crown by birthright.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further in the sequel?
I love complex characters and there are a few who didn’t get much page time in book 1 who needed a little more time to shine to the reader, and perhaps show their true colours. I’m so excited to see how readers respond to learning a little more about them. For me, the standouts are Draevan and Katherine – two parents on opposing sides with a lot of history.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing A Queen Crowned in Flames? How did you overcome them?
I think every manuscript comes with its own challenges, for me AQCIF took a long time to take shape. Compared to AFFIF which was roughly written in about six weeks, the first draft of AQCIF took 18 months. It took a while for me to get the balance right, given that this is a duology, the story has to wrap up in a satisfying way in book 2, while still feeling meaningful and impactful for the reader. But I’m glad to say we got there, and it’s even better than I could have imagined.
What’s next for you?
The next duology for this series takes us away from fire territory and into air territory! I’m so excited to explore a different area of this world with new characters in a completely new story – and griffins instead of dragons! The first book in the next duology is set to publish in summer 2027.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I’m looking forward to getting some more reading done now I’m not editing! I find it difficult to read fantasy while writing it, but recently I have loved Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E Schwab, Silvercloak by LK Steven and The Debtor’s Game by Isabelle Mongeu. Lots of fiery women to be found in those books!
