My next Author Spotlight interview features YA fantasy writer Tessa Gratton whose second book of her “Night Shine” series is set to be published on August 30.
She’s authored “The Queens of Innis Lear” and “Lady Hotspur” as well as other YA series and short stories that have been translated into twenty-two languages. She currently lives along the Kansas prairies with her wife. “Moon Dark Smile” is perfect for fans of “Descendant of the Crane” and “Girl, Serpent, Thorn.”
Set in a lush YA fantasy world, “Moon Dark Smile” follows an heir to an empire who tests the bonds of her freedom when she befriends the demon living within the palace. This story features non-binary and gender fluid characters, and a variety of queer romantic relationships, all of which are accepted and portrayed positively.
What inspired you to write the “Night Shine” series?
The first line of “Night Shine” has been in my head since about 2011. “Nothing killed the prince.” I wrote it down for a short story I was trying to write, and at its core, it was always about identity and how we recognize the people we love. The idea haunted me until autumn of 2018, when I was practically living in the hospital during the final weeks of my mother’s life. It was a hard time, of course, and I was desperate to hold on to a thread of my creativity. I started to work on what would become “Night Shine” because the world is a strange, lush fantasy land filled with spirits and demons, living volcanoes, ancient sorcerers, and that weirdness was so far from the cold, modern reality of the hospital.”Night Shine” was a way for me to take a few minutes here and there to escape, to keep my imagination thriving. It turned into a book about bravery and identity, about losing and finding love again, and how much courage it takes to claim one’s truth.
The companion,”Moon Dark Smile,” got me through the start of the pandemic in a similar way. I could go to the Empire Between Five Mountains to escape, and perhaps it isn’t surprising that the main character begins the story very isolated and lonely. But Raliel’s story is about going out into the world to demand answers, about taking risks in order to create a new world that is more just than the one her parents made.
“Moon Dark Smile” is categorized to have an LGBTQ+ community. How would you say including marginalized voices in novels will affect an audience as individuals and as a whole?
“Moon Dark Smile” is queer. It is a queer book, with queer characters, story and author. I’m a queer, nonbinary writer. It is necessary for marginalized voices to be promoted; it is necessary for marginalized characters to be given center stage. It will make books, readers and the world itself better. Literature grows stagnant when only straight, white voices are heard. Without examining our privilege and making space for marginalized people, we are part of the problem. Readers should seek out marginalized writers, both for themselves—to see themselves—and for their communities—to learn empathy and appreciate that for too long our culture has prioritized only a small number of voices, to the detriment of us all.
If you could describe your book as an aesthetic, what would it be and why?
Maybe Studio Ghibli demonic cottage core? It’s a very lush, fantastical rainforest world with tiny radish spirits and great sea demons, but at its heart remains intimate and cozy.
You’ve traveled all around the world and have seen so many different cultures. Were there any that inspired “Moon Dark Smile?”
The world of the Empire Between Five Mountains has a little bit of the Cairns rainforests of northeastern Australia, but even more of the volcanic forests of the pacific northwest US. I grew up partially in Japan, which also has volcanoes, and a long history with animism—specifically Shinto, which fills Japan with shrines both large and small, and there is nothing quite as inspirational to this world as my experience walking through a forest and suddenly encountering a little shrine tucked away against the wall of a cliff, or offerings left in the roots of a tree.
You seem to be a “Star Wars” fan considering you’re co-authoring a “Star Wars” series. How does your love for sci-fi fit into your writing and into your new novel?
I am a “Star Wars” fan, and have been since I was very small—thanks to both my parents being huge fans of the original trilogy. I barely remember a time when I didn’t love science fiction and fantasy—the genre is intrinsic to who I am as a person and as a writer. It’s impossible to tease out who I might be without it! I love creating and exploring new worlds, and bringing my questions about our world to them in order to find magical, interesting ways to challenge the status quo and pose questions for readers to ask of themselves.
What does the “Moon Dark Smile” or the “Night Shine” series mean to you as a person and as an author?
Though in the past I have put parts of myself into all my novels, the character of Kirin Dark Smile from this duology is the most me of all my characters. I am proud to have been brave enough to make him like me with regards to messy gender identity, and sometimes hurting people we love as we struggle, but ultimately being most interested in making our world better.
Some of your characters’ names are unique, and they range from Sunrise to Osian. What does a character’s name mean to you, and how do you think it impacts the story?
In a book like “Moon Dark Smile,” where names literally reflect who a person is, names mean everything. They are magic. They are power. This story could not be told with different names. In general, I think what we call ourselves and what we call each other is a matter of respect and love. I try to reflect that in “Night Shine” and “Moon Dark Smile.“
What can readers look forward to in this novel? Any warnings or spoilers?
Readers can look forward to a dark queer fairy tale with a magical road trip through a spirit-infested rainforest. There is betrayal, great demons, ancient sorcerers, kissing and above all an exciting, bittersweet journey of self-discovery.
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Thank you to Tessa Gratton who answered my questions beautifully. I can’t wait to see how the LGTBQ+ community is portrayed positively in “Moon Dark Smile.” Congratulations for continuing to write literature that stems away from generic straight white voices. Special thanks to Lindsey Ferris of Simon & Schuster who was the email correspondent between Gratton and me during our interview. This incredible opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without either one of them.
If you’re interested in reading more about Gratton or her works, visit her website. “Moon Dark Smile” is already available for pre-order.