The Nerd Daily had the pleasure of welcoming back Esme Symes-Smith, author of Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston, a fantastic middle grade story featuring a nonbinary knight, found family and fighting for what’s right. With the much anticipated sequel, Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost, now on shelves, we asked Esme all our questions about dragons, writing tips and so much more!
Welcome back, Esme! How has 2023 been treating you so far? How are you doing?
It’s been a wild ride, but somehow much more manageable than last year! It’s been so delightful seeing the reactions to CHAMPIONS as I draft Book 3 (???) It still doesn’t feel real in the slightest, but I love being able to settle into the comfort of writing!
If you had to sum up your journey since publishing Sir Callie in five words, what would those be?
- Impossible
- Lucky
- Supported
- Rewarding
- Incomprehensible!
Now, tell our readers what’s in store for them in Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost!
Fire! Vengeance! But seriously, I’m so stoked to bring readers across the bridge alongside the characters where their assumptions will be challenged, new friends and enemies will pop up in unexpected places and, of course, the growing bond between the kids even as each one is tested.
I don’t want to go too much into detail for the sake of spoilers, but this sequel has decidedly darker themes and takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. Without spoiling too much, can you tell us a bit about your writing process and figuring out where to take Callie’s story in this sequel?
The process for DRAGON’S ROOST was a really strange one. Initially, I had it in my mind that the SIR CALLIE series would be your standard magical school series, following Callie and their friends through their lives in Helston. But as I was drafting that version, I started to realize that would be disingenuous to the characters. There is so much that is broken in Helston, and Peran is only a single piece. Just because he’s gone, doesn’t mean that the supports that upheld his beliefs and permitted his abuse aren’t still in place. The problems in Helston run far deeper than one man.
I’m not going to pretend that SIR CALLIE isn’t directly inspired by the world we live in. The relief that came when Trump was voted out was intense, but getting him out doesn’t get rid of all the toxins left behind, nor the society that allowed him to thrive in the first place. Tolerance is not the same as acceptance, and striving for a better world is so much more complicated than a single battle.
It was very hard trying to keep the thread of hope through this story. Like the grownups in Callie’s world, I don’t have the solutions to the bigger problems. But the kids I write for and the grownups who fight for them gave me the energy to persevere. Even though things are bleak, in the story and in the world, we have to keep fighting and hoping for better.
Alongside Callie, their friends go through grand emotional journeys in this story as well. When you were writing, did you have favourite scenes for Willow, Elowyn, Edwyn or Teo that you couldn’t wait to show readers?
I love these kids so much! I truly do not have a favourite haha! My favourite scenes for Willow are the ones where he’s experimenting and learning about his own identity. For Elowen, I love her rage, especially when it clashes against the people she loves. The final scene between El and Callie really punched me in the gut. For Edwyn, there is a chapter where we dive into his head and unlock memories he has repressed. That was a really intense scene to write, especially working out how to portray it through Callie’s eyes. I am really proud of that chapter, and I’m excited for readers to experience things through Edwyn’s eyes.
Readers also get (re)introduced to mythical beings in this sequel: dragons! What inspired your personal spin on trans dragons and the refuge they offer for Callie and their friends?
It just made sense to me in a way I can’t really explain? I’ve always loved dragons in all iterations, and I’m not entirely sure how or why I developed my dragons the way I did. But I’ve really loved adding to the lore and explaining who they are against the stories and rumors spread about them. Fear inspires so much hatred, and that’s really the essence of these beings. They are so powerful and awe-inspiring, but they have been forced to either hide in their human forms or go into hiding for fear of humans. They could destroy the world if they wanted to, but when they defend themselves, they only enforce the stereotypes. I realized how much that translates to minorities, and Trans folks in particular, quite a long way through the drafting process.
The Roost was the first element of Book 2 that solidified in my mind—a collective and a haven for those fleeing from persecution and abuse. I can’t talk about this storyline too much without spoilers, but it was really interesting to delve into the break between original intention and they way it can be twisted to serve a selfish purpose, allowing those with more power to prey upon the vulnerable.
With getting to know the dragons, you also took the opportunity to discuss prejudice and the nature of being indoctrinated with harmful stereotypes without even noticing it (especially as a child). Can you tell us a bit more about Callie’s emotional journey with learning more about dragons and their connection to them?
Callie is the kid of the king’s champion, and Nick has killed his fair share of dragons. To Callie, dragons exist as magical monsters that are innately evil. They are exactly as they are portrayed in the ballads that inspired them. When they meet Teo, they connect with xem on a human level, as another mistreated kid just like them. But when they discover Teo is a dragon, their head bends so hard it nearly breaks as they try to understand that the this new friend is also the evil monster their dad has killed. It’s really tough for Callie, questioning Nick’s judgement and their own intentions. Knights kill dragons. But dragons are people—scared, persecuted people. So what does that mean for their life’s purpose?
They are initially very resistant, afraid that they will lose themself if they accept that everything the thought they knew is wrong, but as they witness the kindness and the sanctuary given to their friends, they start to come around and accept that they were wrong.
Let’s talk about your love for fanfiction: If Callie, Willow, Elowyn and Edwyn were to be transported to the real world today (AU 😉), how do you think they would get on?
Oh my gosh, I’ve thought about this so much! I think they would translate really well to a modern-day middle school AU! Honestly, I feel like they are such a modern group anyway, their dynamics wouldn’t change much. I definitely see Callie as the jock who comes in and challenges all kinds of gendered assumptions in sports, with Edwyn who started serious football training before he was out of diapers. Elowen is the astute kid who rarely says a word but sees everything. And, of course, Willow is entirely oblivious to how ‘weird’ most people see him as, and will chatter on about his special subjects for hours on end, only to be subjected to horrendous bullying after class.
Peran is the head teacher who rewards the bullies and punishes the victims for being too soft, and refuses to be challenged by anyone, least of all the obnoxious orange-haired new kid who has the audacity to question his rules.
It ends with Elowen and Edwyn being fostered by Nick and Neal, and Peran being fired.
Okay, so maybe I need to write this now…
Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost leaves readers at a precarious moment in the story. Can you tell our readers a bit about what’s next for Callie and their friends (and Helston)?
I’m outrageously excited for the rest of the series! Book 3 was so much fun to write, mostly because it’s going to be four PoVs (!!) We get to go to brand-new places and learn more about kings and dragons, as well as revisiting familiar setting through new perspectives. Book 3 is darkness of the storm before the sun comes out, but I hope my readers will trust me enough to keep going!
Last but not least, do you have any 2024 book recommendations for our readers?
- THE CURSE OF EELGRASS BOG by Mary Averling
- BENJI ZEB IS A RAVENOUS WEREWOLF by Deke Moulton
- JUST SHY OF ORDINARY by A.J Sass
- FLICKER by H.E Edgmon
