We caught up with YXAVEL MAGNO DIÑO to chat about her debut novel, The Serpent Rider, which is inspired by Filipino folklore and follows a spunky, determined warrior who must claim her destiny in order to save her sister.
The Serpent Rider is inspired by Filipino folklore – did you draw from stories you were familiar with?
Definitely! The book is heavily inspired by the (terrifying) stories my family told me when I was a child. From the Adarna, a rainbow bird that turns humans to stone, to the tree-dwelling giants known as kapre, to the manananggal, flying vampires that can split themselves in half – I’m so thrilled I got the chance to include these Filipino monsters in the book!
What does it mean to become a Serpent Rider?
Serpent Riders are warriors who fight alongside magical elemental serpents to protect their village from deadly monsters. Children born under the Warrior’s Star are destined to become Serpent Riders, and are given an egg which will one day hatch into a serpent with fire, earth, water, or air magic. Becoming a Serpent Rider means fighting with courage, truth, and honour.
What adventures and challenges will Tani face?
In her quest to find her kidnapped sister, Tani will face one challenge after another – a serpent egg that refuses to hatch, a sly sorcerer with deadly magic, a perilous monster-filled forest, and Great Bakunawa, the most terrifying beast of all.
What can you tell us about the Great Bakunawa?
Great Bakunawa is the mother of all the elemental serpents, who devoured six of the world’s seven moons. It’s up to Tani and the Serpent Riders to stop Great Bakunawa before she swallows the last moon and plunges the night sky into eternal darkness.
What was your favourite part of writing this story?
Aside from getting to write about all the frightening Filipino monsters, my favourite part was writing Tani and Ligaya’s characters! They’re so brave and kind, and I definitely had a lot of fun adventuring with those two.
Describe this book in three words.
Filipino folklore adventure!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yxavel Magno Diño was born in the Philippines before moving to Australia at a young age, where she soon discovered that almost nobody there knew how to say her name. To make up for it, she spent her time daydreaming about fantasy worlds filled with characters who had more unusual names than she did. Now, she writes stories about her Filipino heritage and its fantastical folklore. When she’s not writing, you can find her drinking copious amounts of black tea or getting lost in the pages of a book.
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