A Love Letter to Fantasy, Dragons, and Romance: A Guest Post by L.R. Lam
From books to TV shows to movies, dragons have always been one of our favorite mythological creatures. Our Monthly Pick author L.R. Lam has penned an exclusive essay on her love for dragons, fantasy, romance and writing. Read on to discover how her latest novel, Dragonfall, came to be.
Paperback $18.00
Dragonfall (B&N Exclusive Edition)
Dragonfall (B&N Exclusive Edition)
By L. R. Lam
In Stock Online
Paperback $18.00
Packed with secrets, shapeshifting dragons, romantic tension and non-stop action — you’ll be hooked.
Packed with secrets, shapeshifting dragons, romantic tension and non-stop action — you’ll be hooked.
I always knew I wanted to write a book with dragons. Dragons are also having a moment just now, and I’m delighted. After all, what fantasy fan doesn’t love that ultimate mythological creature? I began my writing career in fantasy with my debut Pantomime, and then I dabbled in science fiction for a time, like the near-future Goldilocks. I always knew I would come back to fantasy, but it took three main points of inspiration before I was ready to write Dragonfall.
I had the first inkling of my dragon book while wandering around the Pergamon Museum in Berlin over a decade ago. There was a collection of carved Assyrian seals and a placard saying they were sometimes considered magical amulets. As I wandered through the museum, I idly imagined a fantasy society where everyone wore seals to funnel their magic. I thought about how it might be a way for those in power to control who gets to access magic and why. Rolling that seal in ink to sign a contract could be magically binding, and a government could track you through them if they chose. That was an interesting idea, but it was only a detail: not characters, no world, no story. No dragons.
A few years later, I came back to that detail. What if humans had to wear those seals because long ago they’d stolen dragons’ magic, betraying and banishing them to a dying world? What if the humans forgot what they’d done over generations and now worship them as gods, but the dragons hadn’t forgotten or forgiven? Closer! Still not a book, but at least we had some dragons.
Lastly, I knew I loved myths and stories where a dragon can shapeshift into a human form. I can never resist star-crossed lovers. What if a genderfluid human thief with plenty of secrets fell in love with the last male dragon who had secrets of his own? Could I essentially smuggle a shifter romance into an epic fantasy? I decided to find out.
My dragons are in some ways more like angels who can transform into demons. They have feathers, like dinosaurs, because why not. Dragons are growing increasingly desperate because their world is dying. Their only chance of survival is to return to the human world, but centuries of hatred makes it hard for them to work for peace.
Dragonfall is my take on prophecies, chosen ones, and curses. There are monsters, and assassins, and a heist for a magical artifact. I also wanted it to be an inclusive world in terms of gender roles and expectations. I also noticed most fantasy books don’t write from the point of view of the dragon, and I found that a fun challenge.
Dragonfall, then, is a blend or an amalgamation. It’s epic fantasy, it’s romance, and it’s a little experimental in form. It’s a love letter to classic fantasy while also hopefully adding a modern spin. For a long time, it was mine, but now if you wish, it’s yours.
