Guest Post: Julia Ember's Favourite Literary Creatures

I am so thrilled to have Julia Ember on Syntax Reviews today. If you've read my review of Unicorn Tracks, you'll know I loved it, and you'll know the creatures were one of my favourite parts. I'm delighted to have a guest post from Julia about her favourite literary magical creatures.

Want to know more about this amazing f/f fantasy? Scroll down for the blurb & links.

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If you’ve read the synopsis for Unicorn Tracks, or have any familiarity with the book’s mythical safari topic, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that I adore magical creatures and beings. When Saruuh asked me to write a guest blog post featuring some of my favourite creatures in books, I was very excited to dive in! I’m not going to talk about Unicorns because I think my love of them is kind of a given and I might be a *little* biased in my book selections.

 

Dragons

 

                I love dragons of all types – from the dangerous beasts of the Trinwizard to the mathematical intelligentsia of Seraphina. As a former medievalist turned fantasy writer, I get particularly excited imaging medieval people discovering dinosaur skeletons and constructing elaborate mythologies based on them. I don’t know if that’s how dragons became such a universal feature of human myth or not, but it’s what I like to think. Here are my picks:

 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman – I loved the shape-shifting dragons in Seraphina! Most stories depict dragons as instinctual, emotional creatures that need to tame their inner rage. Not so in Hartman’s world! Her dragons are super intelligent, analytical creatures who weed out emotional reaction and attachment in their society. They make excellent scientists and mathematicians. The dragons can shift into a human form in order to live in human cities. Seraphina herself is a half-dragon, with traits from both creatures. However, in their true dragon form, Hartman’s dragons are monstrous and huge!

Tell Me A Dragon by Jackie Morris – One of the most richly imagined children’s picture books I’ve ever seen. This book depicts dragons of all types and sizes, from tiny lizards tucked behind children’s ears to great feathered ice dragons flying over the arctic. The book doesn’t tell much of a story, although it has words to encourage children to imagine their own dragons. However, each page is a work of art and well worth having in your collection!

The Ice-Dragon by George RR Martin – I picked up the beautiful new edition with illustrations by Luis Royo last year in a book shop. This bittersweet little book totally blew me away, both with the heart-breaking narrative (it’s George RR so he can’t let you be happy even in a children’s story) and the amazing blue-tone illustrations. There are many types of rideable dragon in this book, but it’s the illusive ice-dragon that steals the show. The ice-dragon is the bringer of winter and made of frozen crystal. The story fits nicely with the Song of Ice and Fire mythology because as long as the dragon remains it will stay winter.

 

Mythical Birds

 

                Confession time: I have a Phoenix tattoo on my thigh. I absolutely love phoenixes with their fiery feathers, symbols of rebirth and personal growth. Equally beautiful, but less known is the Caladrius. The Caladrius first appears in Roman Mythology, and is said to be able to take the sickness of a person and fly away with it, leaving them healthy again. They are usually depicted as all-white, but sometimes with blue and purple feathers.

 

                The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig – This magical debut novel opens in a bustling Indian market, where the protagonist and her dashing thief love-interest are bartering. Securing a Caladrius, they manage to escape the market with the bird. The Caladrius provides eery foreshadowing – it won’t look at someone if their condition isn’t cureable. When Nix shows the bird to her father, it won’t look at him.

 

 

                Harry Potter by JK Rowling – Okay, I feel like this is a predictable choice, but I couldn’t avoid it. Fawkes the Phoenix is pretty badass. His tears are able to heal Harry after he suffers a fatal wound and he’s able to regenerate in a puff of smoke.

 

About Unicorn Tracks:

Unicorn Tracks | Julia Ember

Published by: Harmony Ink Press, April 21st 2016

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology

Pages: 180

After a savage attack drives her from her home, sixteen-year-old Mnemba finds a place in her cousin Tumelo’s successful safari business, where she quickly excels as a guide. Surrounding herself with nature and the mystical animals inhabiting the savannah not only allows Mnemba’s tracking skills to shine, it helps her to hide from the terrible memories that haunt her.

Mnemba is employed to guide Mr. Harving and his daughter, Kara, through the wilderness as they study unicorns. The young women are drawn to each other, despite that fact that Kara is betrothed. During their research, they discover a conspiracy by a group of poachers to capture the Unicorns and exploit their supernatural strength to build a railway. Together, they must find a way to protect the creatures Kara adores while resisting the love they know they can never indulge.

About Julia Ember:

Originally from the Windy City, Julia Ember now resides in Sunny Scotland where she learned to enjoy both haggis and black pudding. She spends her days working as a professional Book Nerd for a large book wholesaler, and her nights writing YA Romantic Fantasy novels.  She also spends an inordinate amount of time managing her growing city-based menagerie of pets with Harry Potter themed names. Presently, she is the haggard slave Sirius Black and Luna Lovegood the cats and Bellatrix Le Snake. She also owns a freakishly adorable cob pony called Africa.

A world traveller since childhood, Julia has now visited over 60 countries. Her travels inspire the fictional worlds she writes about and she populates those worlds with magic and monsters. In the coming year, she really hopes to visit Iceland and participate in a Saga Tour — viewing the stunning countryside by pony-back.