Dragon Week: An Interview with Author E.M. McConnell
This week, my blog is all about dragons. The inclusion of fantastical creatures is one of the best things about SFF and dragons happens to be my favorite fantastical creature.
I’m excited to welcome E.M. McConnell, author of Sunset Sovereign . Thank you for joining me! WS: Will you introduce yourself to the readers?
E.M.: Hi! My name is Eryn, and I write as E.M. McConnell. I am a British writer, living over in Germany, and I am also a voracious reader.
WS: How would you describe your writing? E.M.: I am pretty non-genre specific, as I write poetry, fantasy, dystopian and horror. But I have been described as writing literary and poetic prose which I will take gladly! I do write with a strong focus on character.
WS: What inspired you to include a dragon in your book, The Sunset Sovereign?
E.M.: I LOVE dragons. I think for me dragons have been part of my inner world since reading Tolkien: Glaurung, Ancalagon, Scatha and of course Smaug just captured my imagination. I first began writing The Sunset Sovereign as a more dystopian story without dragons, and there was something missing. It took me a while to see that it needed the Sovereigns, the dragons who were teachers and wise guardians, to bring the story to its necessary conclusion.
WS: There are so many different personalities given to dragons throughout fantasy history. What are your dragons like?
E.M.: I really have an aversion to dragons who are merely beasts of burden: I think it diminishes them. Dragons are so much more powerful than us, they should be more than just a service, a foil, to humans. The Sovereigns are powerful, wise and strong beings, who have been involved with teaching and guiding the humans for many centuries. They have split into four factions that best fit their abilities: Sunrise for those who wish to name what they see, to help people understand their talents, Day for growing and healing, Sunset for speaking up for others, helping with transitions, and Night oversees time itself. In The Sunset Sovereign we see some dragons who have taken on a humanoid form and live in the Capital, Farn and Lark in the Forest in Day, and Jetta in Night. But there are others who visit and guide and help. Each Supplicant has a Sovereign guide since childhood and each of those is very different.
WS: How do your dragons interact with your fantasy world? Did you have to adjust for their inclusion?
E.M.: In some ways they shaped the world and certainly created the Capital so it would be hard to adjust for them. They are simply there, and they exist within it. Throughout the day you see the Sovereigns flying and if you are a Supplicant for the Sovereigns you hear the song that is associated with your quarter. They are bonded by a mind magic, so they hear their Sovereigns whenever they need.
WS; What role do they play in your books?
E.M.: The Sovereigns are absolutely teachers and guides in this story. But as it is a dystopian fiction, as the series continues, we might see the cracks begin to appear.
WS: You noted how some have seemed to have evolved from villains to more benevolent characters. Why do you think that is and do you think that trend will continue?
E.M.: I think that we as readers want to see more nuance in our characters and that is not restricted to just human ones. We see and understand more in antiheroes and anti-villains, in characters who are flawed. I think that the trend of seeing more sentient dragons, ones with wisdom and understanding, is in relation to that.
WS: Why do you think dragons have been so popular in fantasy over the years? Will they continue to be a large component of fantasy books?
E.M.: Dragons are just badass. They’re armored, they can fly, they’re damn beautiful, and they can breathe out fire. They capture our imagination like nothing else. I certainly hope that they stay!
WS: Do you have a favorite dragon/s in literature?
E.M.: I really liked Ash, one of the dragons in Michael R Miller’s Ascendant Series !
About the author: Eryn is a non genre specific author, who writes dystopian sci-fi, fantasy, horror and poetry. They have been writing poetry since they were 16, and started writing fiction in 2020. They work freelance as an English teacher and live in South Germany with their family and the Cat.
Currently Eryn has an obsession with new Star Wars socks, monochrome art and foggy days.
If you want to see more of their writing you can find them on Facebook https: //www.facebook.com/ErynMcConnell.Writer/
Instagram http://www.instagram.com/erynmcconnellwriter
Twitter: https: //www.twitter.com/mcconnelleryn
