Pari Thomson on writing the final book in the Greenwild trilogy
Writing The Forest in the Sky was a wonderful and bittersweet experience. Over the last four years, I have immersed myself in the Greenwild, lived and dreamed with the characters, and explored magical worlds alongside them. I wanted this final instalment to be Daisy’s grandest adventure yet, packed with the biggest risks, the most epic action, the wildest dangers and the most page-turning showdowns.
When we first meet Daisy Thistedown at the start of Greenwild: The World Behind the Door, she is quiet and uncertain of her place in the world. Her adventure is kickstarted when her mother disappears in the heart of the Amazon rainforest – forcing Daisy to draw on reserves of grit and courage she didn’t know she had.
One of the most satisfying parts of reaching the end of the trilogy has been seeing Daisy grow into herself over the course of the three books. By the time we meet her in The Forest in the Sky, she has discovered her magic and learned how to control it, grown in confidence and courage, and is preparing to take on the Reaper King, the man bent on destroying the whole of the Greenwild. The third book forces her to ask whether she’ll be able to face this challenge – and to see that friendship and teamwork will be key to this. Writing Daisy’s friends – especially Max Brightly, a boy with water magic – was a true joy.
I also loved writing this final book because it was my chance to take my imagination to the Amazon rainforest, a place that has fascinated me ever since I first read Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson’s marvellous book about an orphaned girl called Maia who is sent to live with relatives in the Amazon.
In The Forest in the Sky, Daisy discovers a magical enclave of the Greenwild tucked into the heart of the rainforest. This place – Amazeria – is full of astonishing magical treasures, from giant white waterlilies to floating trees that grow among the clouds. I immersed myself in research about the real-life wonders of our own Amazon rainforest, watched endless documentaries and pored over the stunning photographs of Sebastiano Selgado, which shine with their own magic.
Saying goodbye to Daisy, Max, Napoleon and the other characters has been like saying goodbye to old and dear friends – but it has also been intensely joyful and satisfying to see them to their journey’s end. I hope that readers will feel the same way.
My Shelves Are Full 