Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Ready for adventure? Vanessa Ricci-Thode has what you need, with another installment of her fantasy series. Vanessa, tell us about Firebound! 

Vanessa: For the first time in her life, Spark has friends and has cobbled together something that’s starting to look like a family in her new home under the dragon city. But she’s never felt more alone. Or under more pressure. It’s only a matter of time before Loch and the ice dragons take revenge and attack the dragon city again.

Spark throws herself into spellcraft as the dragons’ only hope. But there’s no way she can do it alone. And then there’s the matter of having mere days to rescue a stolen dragon egg. 

In order to save the dragons, she needs her mother and her grandmother at her side. Spark must delve into the most dangerous kind of magic while learning that rebuilding a family isn’t easy.

While this book is about grief and isolation and loneliness, it’s also about queer joy in the darkness. It’s about being the light that drives away darkness. It’s about family and trust and healing. It’s also the most like How to Train Your Dragon of the entire series.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Vanessa: Dealing with a lot of complicated emotional trauma, mostly from a crappy relationship with my mom. I wanted to write a book that teen me needed to help adult me heal, but also to help anyone else who wishes their family had been more accepting.

Sabitha: If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

Vanessa: I would (once again) apologize a lot!

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read?

Vanessa: Listen, if you really need a warm hug in book form I highly recommend The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. So gentle! So nurturing!

Sabitha: Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?

Vanessa: Oh yes. One of the family members Spark lost in Fireborn (Book 3) was a sweet

cinnamon bun and I’ve had some very cranky readers over that one.

Sabitha: Do you have any suggestions to help people in our community become a better

writers?

Vanessa: Attend writers’ conferences. See if there are any good ones local to you. If not, there are some terrific free/cheap online ones like WriteHive.

Sabitha:  What’s your next writing project?

Vanessa: I’ve started working on the fifth and final book in the series for NaNoWriMo. It’s going to be very queer and full of complicated messy women. Complicated, messy, and deeply powerful women in an epic team up! Also, there will be more dragons.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Vanessa: They can go to my website, or subscribe to my newsletter—(subscribers get a free short story from the dragon’s point of view). I use the handle vriccithode on all the social media platforms I use (currently mostly Discord and Bluesky with some Instagram and Mastodon—wandering.shop on Mastodon). And they can buy Firebound here.