As part of the blog tour for Crow, Thief of Magic, I was pleased to send across some questions for Fiona to answer! Her answers are so detailed and will hopefully inspire you to find a copy to enjoy!
Tell us about how Crow and how his story came to be.
The initial inspiration for this story actually came from a dream! I had a vivid image of a ragged, dark-haired boy walking through the snow, and a room full of bottles of magical dreams.
I started writing, eager to discover who this boy was, why he was out in the snow, and what the connection was between him and the mysterious dreams. The boy quickly became Crow, and it wasn’t long before he met the old sorcerer, Viktor. Magical cat, Nekima, soon came padding in at their heels.
Will there be more from Crow and his friends?
Yes! I’m currently working on a sequel to Crow: Thief of Magic, which is due to be published in 2027. The story starts about three months after the end of the first book, and there are lots of exciting adventures to come!
What do you hope readers will take from meeting Crow and the characters he encounters?
At its core, it’s a story about hope and self-belief, which is demonstrated through the way Crow steps up to face the impossible situations he finds himself in.
Woven into the heart of this book is my belief that even in the darkest of times, hope can change the world – something which is just as important for readers as it is the characters in this story. While their own situations and circumstances may be very different from what Crow and his friends experience, I hope they’ll find something that resonates with them here.
Was there one character who was easier to write over the others or perhaps who captured your heart and imagination over the others?
I loved writing Nekima! She becomes a really important part of Crow’s life, and I drew inspiration for her from my own cats – who often kept me company while I was writing this book). Cats are inherently mysterious, so I really wanted to bring out this aspect in her character. And I enjoyed figuring out how a cat might speak!
What was the hardest element of the story to bring together?
Developing a whole fantasy world was so much fun, but there was a lot to think about. I wrote reams of notes about Starsgard’s geography, history, society, culture, and lore. Most of it never made it into the book, but I needed to understand it to make the city feel like a living, breathing place. I also made several versions of the map, trying to get it right – Nicolette Caven did an amazing job turning my scribbles into the beautiful map you see in the finished book.
My Shelves Are Full 