ALEXANDRA BRACKEN is a bestselling fantasy author. The Mirror of Beasts is the epic finale to Silver in the Bone, a dark fantasy series steeped in magic and mythology.
We asked Alexandra what her desert island reads are and what book character she would be.
What are you reading now?
I’m re-reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time in years and it’s been a joy to rediscover how witty and wonderful it is. I’ve actually been reading a lot of historical romances in general; I typically can’t read the genre I’m writing in at any given time, so I’m very behind on my fantasy books!
If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have five books – what would they be?
You know, I think I could answer this in a few different ways, but my immediate response wasn’t to go with my all-time favourites. I’ve read them all enough times that I feel those stories live in me now … so I’m going very practical with my answer!
- The Lord of the Rings (preferably a bind-up of all three) by JRR Tolkien, both because I can’t ever seem to find the time to finish the books and because it’s a lot of paper for kindling.
- The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss, because I haven’t read this one yet and it feels like it might have some useful ideas.
- The Stand by Stephen King, because this has also been on my TBR list forever, and it’s long enough to kill a fair bit of time.
- Something like the SAS Survival Handbook or Bushcraft 101 because otherwise I am surviving three days, max. This girl has spent zero time camping and was born to be an indoor cat.
- My last pick would be something inspiring like Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken to remind me of the enduring strength of the human spirit.
Where is your favourite place to read?
In my living room, on the couch, with a mug of coffee and, preferably, a rare Arizona rainstorm outside.
Do you read one book at a time or multiple?
I tend to start a few at the same time to see which one catches my interest, and after that, I stick to the one.
Do you use a bookmark or fold the corners of pages?
Both! When I was in high school I got in the habit of dog-earing pages of books that had a beautiful line, a favourite moment, or something I felt I could learn from as a writer – I still do that to this day, and I use a separate bookmark to keep track of my place in the story.
Readers are reunited with Tamsin in your latest novel, The Mirror of Beasts – what’s new for her since the last book?
Tamsin had a very tragic and harrowing end to her time in Avalon, and the sequel picks up immediately where the first book left off. She’s forced to process a number of shocking things in quick succession, and she finds that she can’t escape her destiny or forget her feelings for Emrys. She really comes into her own in this book, and it was a joy to write her arc of cynical loner to someone who cares deeply about her friends and the world around her.
What can you tell us about the legendary Mirror of Beasts and its role in your story?
The Mirror of Beasts first enters a story as a kind of riddle. It’s not immediately clear to Tamsin or her friends what it is, let alone where it is – they only know that it’s the only thing powerful enough to stop their enemy, Lord Death, before he can exact his revenge on our world.
What was the most challenging part of writing The Mirror of Beasts?
This book has so many twists and reveals that it was a huge challenge to figure out how to pace them in a way that wouldn’t leave readers feeling confused or exhausted. It took a major revision – with me rewriting half of the book! – to do it. https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/titlepage/silver-in-the-bone-the-mirror-of-beasts/
What book character would you be, and why?
If I’m choosing one from The Mirror of Beasts, it has to be the Hag of the Moors. I feel like you can do just about anything you want if you’re a primordial deity with nearly unlimited power to control the boundaries between worlds and zero scruples.
If you could meet one author (living or dead) – who would it be and why?
Re-reading Pride and Prejudice makes me want to say Jane Austen. I’d love to have a cup of tea with her and learn more about her as a person – and take in all of her observations of the world around her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandra Bracken is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore, Silver in the Bone, Passenger, Wayfarer, ‘The Darkest Minds’ series and the ‘Prosper Redding’ series. After selling her debut novel in college, Alex worked in children’s publishing for several years before leaving to write full time. She now lives in Arizona, where she was born and raised.
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