They’re not the only ones suffering in this world. They’re outcasts suffering from slow, quiet class violence that grinds them relentlessly into poverty and crime. His people are forbidden from owning businesses, congregating in large numbers, or establishing permanent homes. Meanwhile, Nox Hatcher is from the Crow clan, a “shattered” clan discriminated against by those in authority. Class tensions run high, especially in Ellie, who chafes against the strict hierarchy that forbids her from being a knight and defending her town from gargoyle-like monsters that haunt the skies. They farm the land, craft everyday items, and support the ruling upper class of High clans, the Hawks and Eagles. Most of these clans are considered Low, and include such clans as Ellie’s Sparrow kin. Their society is structured into clans according to their wing type-Sparrow, Robin, Hawk, Eagle, etc.
Questions about politics, race, gender, and one of her favorite topics-what makes bad guys bad and good guys good? It even, coincidentally, explores the issue of disease and pandemics and how different people respond to widespread health crises (the book was written entirely before Covid, but I think that upon reading it, you might not believe it!)Įllie Meadows and Nox Hatcher are members of a race of humans with bird-like wings. I created the world of Skyborn to be the kind of place that asks-and answers-those tough questions my daughter asks of me. It can be, if needed, a pleasant shelter for a reader who is simply in need of escape. Sparrow Rising is a story in which kids can have fun and be surprised and feel safe. It’s a book that reaches back to my own childhood love for comforting, exciting fantasies like those of Brian Jacques, T.
My new series, Skyborn, (book one, Sparrow Rising, just released!) may look on the surface like a simple fantasy adventure story. Why do we have to wear masks? What’s an election and what is a president? Why do some people have different color skin? And as we welcomed a new little sister in the midst of the pandemic, the inevitable: where do babies come from? My oldest daughter, now starting kindergarten, isn’t afraid to ask those questions. We’ve endured sudden change, isolation, confusion, and so many difficult questions. Jessica Khoury, author of Skyborn, the first book in the Sparrow Rising series, stops by the blog to discuss how fantasy novels help children answer their most difficult questions.Īs an author juggling a slew of middle grade books and a mother juggling two energetic daughters, I can say with exhaustion that it’s been a long year in my house, as I’m sure it has been in yours.
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