One Foot In A Fantasy Land - An Interview with Harper A. Burge

You know the old saying, “opposites attract”? It is very often true, which begs the question: how opposite are we from one another? In the fictional world of Akkadia, fantasy author Harper A. Burge dives into that question headfirst.

Burge’s YA novel The Road Thieves brings Volya and Nassa together in a world where magic is outlawed – despite the fact they both have magical capabilities. On the surface, both parties are tense and opposed to one another, but dig a little deeper – into both of their pasts – and they may be able to build a closer bond than they might expect.

We spoke with Harper about her love of young adult fantasy fiction, how she brought her characters to the page and asked, on behalf of all struggling writers, how to overcome unexpected hurdles along the way.

---

The Road Thieves is the first instalment of a young adult fantasy series. Do you have other fantasy stories that you read as a young adult and have directly inspired your writing?

I have so many fantasy series and authors that I love. As a child, JRR Tolkien changed the way I thought about reading, and from then on, I always felt I had one foot in this world and one foot in a fantasy land. His books taught me that the fun of reading is the journey, not just to finish the book like you’re taught in school. As a child, some authors that inspired me were Madeleine L’Engle, Roald Dahl, and Sharon Creech. As an adult, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from some of my favorite authors like Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, and Patrick Rothfuss. But really I love to read. I continue to read as much as I can and draw inspiration from so many stories and wonderful authors out there!

Your lead characters are Volya, a street urchin and thief, and Nassa, a reclusive orphan. How did you decide to write about these two particularly distinct protagonists?

I wanted the two main characters to have very different personalities, while at the same time having similar tragic pasts. Because they are two very opposite people, it builds up a good tension between them. However, because they have both lost so much they are able to understand each other on a deeper level. The differences between them create a fun banter, but ultimately we hope they will overcome their tribulations together giving them a profound and heartfelt bond.

The world of The Road Thieves is devoid of magic (legally speaking). What lead to you taking such a bold choice, in a genre where magic is frequently used to spectacular effect.

I wanted to create a morally grey world where right and wrong don’t necessarily reflect the law. You see these two characters, which legally should be put to death for having magic, and yet one is very innocent and one has a host of other crimes. In their current country, because magic is illegal, there is an ongoing tension as they need to hide their abilities. In the second book of the series, the world expands and we will learn a lot more of the magic system.

Is there a particular moment in your writing process where you found yourself stuck behind a hurdle you couldn’t easily jump? How did you overcome the challenge, if so?

My biggest challenges were the off-days, where my words just didn’t seem to flow, or I couldn’t seem to describe the scene the way it played out in my head. I’ve learned that taking a break is OK. The biggest thing is just to eventually push through, keep writing, and when the book is finished, I can always go back and add a little extra zing to those parts that caused me trouble. Oftentimes, when I go back to a section that was difficult to write, the words come easily after being away for a time.

Finally, what can you tease for the next book in The Road Thieves series?

I am really excited for the next book! There will be a couple of new characters, a bit of war, and a whole lot of tension building. The first book takes place mainly in Akkadia, but the second book is going to have a lot going on in Sudonia, so we will learn of this other nation and more about the magic system - this time in a country where it is legal.

The Road Thieves is available now in paperback and on the Kindle Store.