SAMANTHA-ELLEN BOUND’s book Seven Wherewithal Way: Over the Mountains and Across the Desert is the third instalment in her fantasy adventure series.
Good Reading for Kids asked Samantha about the Realm of the Mountains and folklores!
This is the third book in your ‘Seven Wherewithal Way’ series – what can you tell us about this new book in your series?
Ferd, Celeste, Esme and Logan get summoned to the Realm of Mountains to answer for the part they’ve played in the growing rebellion across the Realms. And it just gets worse from there! They are taken captive in the Order prison, pursued by beasties across volcanic mountains and lush islands – and Celeste finds herself all alone at sea in the middle of ningyo (mermaid) territory! Plus the ningyo Queen has taken a particular interest in her.
But if you think outsmarting a sea witch is the worst of Celeste’s problems – it isn’t! The ningyo have captured someone very dear to Celeste, and so the Wherewithal crew head to the Realm of Desert to seek help – but that Realm, of course, is being plagued by a vampiric shapeshifter called Adze, who is spreading terror and disease.
The third book builds to a big moment for Celeste’s personal journey, and we get to see a lot more of that sneaky faun Pan – Celeste might even have to work with him!
What inspired the Realm of the Mountains?
So far the Wherewithal crew’s adventures have taken them to Realms inspired by Slavic, Nordic and South American folklore. In the third book, the Realm of Mountains is inspired by Japanese folklore (especially the very cool Yokai tradition), and the Realm of Desert is inspired by African folklore. Not only the beasties and tales from these folklore traditions, but also the amazing landscapes! Expect giant kelp forests, geysers, volcanic craters, sprawling rice paddies, prehistoric caves, thorn tunnels, and lots and lots of sandy desert (crawling with creepy beasties of course!)
Which folklores did you draw on for this story?
Japanese folklore and African folklore. I’m particularly inspired by the Japanese Yokai tradition – which, did you know, is also the inspiration for a lot of Pokemon!
What kind of creatures will Celeste face in this book? And do you have any favourites?
I have been waiting the whole series to write about mermaids (my favourite fantasy creature), so I loved creating the underwater world of the ningyo, and especially the intimidating Queen! I love Shēdo, the clever nine-tailed fox, who is based on the kitsune, a Yokai figure. And the Kirin, a unicorn-type creature who is a bit of a daydreamer.
There are many beasties after Celeste in this book – I had a fabulous time writing about the kamaitachi (sickle-weasels), and the kappa (a sneaky sort of tortoise goblin). And a special shout out to Adze, the vampiric shapeshifter who is the main big baddie in the Realm of Desert. Why are bad guys so fun to write!?
Can you tell us about any of the new characters you’ve introduced in this book?
I’ve mentioned a few above – but I recommend you keep your eyes on the faun Pan. He’s not new – he’s been around since the start (first as a bronzed statue, then as a general sort of nuisance), but he gets a much bigger role in the third book, and we start to learn a little more about him. It’s still not clear if he’s a help or a hindrance – which is probably just the way he likes it!
What’s next in the series?
The fourth and final book will be released in 2025. We are finally going to the Realm of Fae, and bringing the fight to Red Cap and his army. Many things hang in the balance – the fate of Wherewithal, the Realms, and all the creatures Celeste has come to love. Celeste has grown a lot since her very first adventure, so we will see how her time in the Realms has changed her.
I love this world, though, and have spent a long time creating it. So I expect a lot of my future books – while not being a continuation of the Wherewithal story – will take place in the Realms. Who knows, Celeste might even make a guest appearance!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha-Ellen Bound is a writer, editor and children’s author. From humble beginnings as an eight-year old writing Goosebumps rip-offs, she now has many years experience working with books – as a bookseller at Top Titles, reviewer, editor, production and marketing coordinator, in education, you name it!
A huge supporter of #LoveOzMG, Samantha-Ellen has been shortlisted for numerous short story awards, including most recently the Peter Carey and Write Around the Murray short story awards. She was also shortlisted for the Vogel Prize in 2018 and been a recipient of a May Gibbs Creative Time Fellowship.
Samantha-Ellen was born in Tasmania but now lives in Victoria.
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