Today, I am chatting once again with MJ Porter about Dragon Bound, the first novel in the Ice and Fire series.
This time, we're delving a little deeper into the fantasy side of MJ's new world. From dragons with personalities and histories of their own to a landscape where cold and survival shape everyday life, Dragon Bound takes the historical foundations familiar to MJ's readers and moves them into altogether more fantastical territory.
MJ joins me today to talk about creating dragons, stepping beyond the boundaries of recorded history, writing romance, and returning to the series that began her writing journey many years ago.
You are best known for your historical fiction, yet Dragonbound introduces readers to an entirely new world. Did you find it liberating to step beyond recorded history, or did you discover that fantasy comes with its own set of challenges?
I think fantasy is both freeing, constraining and terrifying. When I step beyond the realms of historical possibility, it brings many challenges. I can no longer know the ending, unless I devise it. And indeed, when I was first writing these stories, I very often wrote the beginning and the end before starting the body of the story. This certainly helped me to know what I wanted to achieve, and was about as much planning as I allowed myself.
Dragons have appeared in myths and legends for centuries, each culture imagining them differently. How did you decide what role dragons would play in the Ice and Fire series?
I very much wanted my main dragon character to be quite an affable chap. I am not really a fan of dragons being ‘evil’ in stories. But, he is simply the latest in a long line of dragons to hold his position, and I also wanted him to face questions – about why his ancestors wanted him to believe certain things, which might not necessarily be true, so he also had to be quite open minded.
The title, Dragonbound, hints at connections that run deeper than simple circumstance. Without giving away any spoilers, what does it mean to be "dragon bound" in your world?
Ahh, there are far too many spoilers required to answer that, so put simply, some are predisposed to be dragonbound, but many aren’t.
Nature itself feels like a powerful force in the novel, with the relentless cold shaping every decision your characters make. How did you approach making the landscape feel almost like another character?
The landscape came before the characters when I was imagining the world of Ice and Fire. I think I made use of every experience of being cold and miserable to do that, but also my appreciation for the beauty of such a stark landscape.
Throughout your career you've written compelling historical heroes and heroines. How did creating Sereh and Erann differ from writing characters rooted in real historical periods?
Well, there are dragons, for a start But, actually, the main point is to ensure they still move the landscape in a way that feels natural. In many of my historical fiction stories (apart from the mysteries) to travel people must rely on horses or boats or their own feet. With the more fantastical elements, there were some other options for the series, but it is all about ensuring characters don’t do something that doesn’t fit. One of my earliest pieces of feedback was about ensuring they ate only what would be available in such a harsh landscape. It was important to get that right.
Relationships built on necessity often evolve in unexpected ways. What interested you most about exploring an alliance that begins through survival rather than choice?
Readers of your historical novels will recognise your gift for creating immersive worlds. Were there any techniques you've developed over the years that proved especially useful when building a completely original fantasy setting?
Yes, I did rely on a historical setting, and then moved at a tangent away from it. I must admit, in the final round of edits, some of the more historical elements have been shorn away, or kept for later, and this might make readers think I’ve created more than I have.
Fantasy allows authors to explore timeless human experiences through extraordinary circumstances. Were there any real-world themes or emotions you particularly wanted to examine through Dragonbound?
I would certainly say this series is ‘my’ love story. The characters in my historical fiction stories are often alone, or only have passing relationships, and because of this, such affection between characters is not that of a romantic relationship. Dragonbound is very different in that it does explore love, and without spoilers for future books, it also explores how far you would go to help those you love. As the series progresses, there will be more situations that are very real to us all, but explored in a fantastical setting, but I can’t say what they are.
You've written across historical fiction, mystery, non-fiction, and now historical romantasy. Does changing genres refresh your creativity, and have you found that each genre strengthens the others?
Probably yes, but also there is simply the act of constantly writing and creating which allows me to write better books. Jumping back to the first book (and series) I ever wrote has astonished me. The edits have been very hard (I had to rename my favourite character) but equally they’ve shown me how I’ve grown as a writer, but more importantly, they’ve revealed that I started with a very strong foundation. I knew what I wanted to accomplish, and I believe I did that. A historical period was the core for the series, as it so often is for any of my books, and my desire to question and understand, even in this romantasy series, remains very strong.
As the opening chapter in the Ice and Fire series, Dragonbound leaves readers eager to discover what comes next. Without revealing any secrets, what can readers look forward to as Sereh and Erann's journey continues?
Sereh and Erann’s journey is both small, encompassing only them, and huge, encompassing the whole future of the lives of all who live on Biklander. So, it is both a personal story and one of greater strife. It’s also not just a story of right here, and right now, but I don’t want to give too much away.
A huge thank you to MJ Porter for joining me again and sharing more about the world behind Dragonbound.
If you enjoy immersive fantasy worlds, dragons, romance and stories where the personal and the epic become increasingly entwined, then Dragon Bound is certainly one to add to your reading list.
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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx