As The Crow Flies, by Robin Lythgoe
Today on Meet the Author, please join me for an interview with Fantasy Science Fiction Network (FSFN) member, Robin Lythgoe. Robin is the author of As the Crow Flies.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a wife, a mother of four, a chocoholic. (Milk chocolate is a color, not a flavor.) I love writing (no, really) and reading (yes, more please), and watching movies.
What inspired you to write As the Crow Flies?
I had a scene come to me one day—the opening scene, in fact. To this day I can picture it with absolute clarity. It was so strong that I simply had to follow it and see where it went.
What does your heroine, Crow, yearn for?
Crow is actually a hero, albeit reluctantly! He craves independence, pretty things, and as little responsibility as he can possibly get away with.
My bad! What’s the novel about and who would enjoy it?
As the Crow Flies is the tale of a master thief. He’s been successful enough at his job that he plans to retire to his favorite island with his ladylove. His plans don’t just fall through, they’re smashed to bits beneath the heel of on Baron Duzayan, a mage with much bigger and loftier plans for the future. Duzayan sends Crow on a quest for a mythical dragon’s egg, and ensures that he’ll stick to the task (no flying away!) by dosing him with a slow-acting poison. Worse, the mage forces Crow to travel with Tanris, the man who managed to capture him.
If you are looking for a light, fast-paced adventure with a wildly irreverent and sarcastic protagonist, this is the book for you. I had one reader tell me she read it in a single day, and another—who rode the bus to work—constantly had people looking at her, wondering why she was laughing out loud.
Narrative voice is the holy grail of writing, and let me tell you, you’ve got it in this book. How did you find it?!
Thank you, that means a lot! At the risk of sounding vain, I didn’t actually look for my “voice.” It is a gift for which I am constantly thankful. No doubt all the reading I’ve done throughout my life has also helped.
What do you think makes for great fantasy fiction?
For me the value boils down to depth. I want to read about characters with solid motives for being who and what they are. I want settings with color and culture. I want a magic system that doesn’t make me roll my eyes (though they could probably use the exercise). Lastly, I want an author who can tell the tale without reminding me of their presence.
I think the only exception to the last requirement is when the author pens a line or a paragraph that makes me read it two or three times, then just sit back to savor the perfect blend of words and senses.
Who are some of your biggest influences as a writer?
Tolkien’s books captured my imagination when my sister read them to me when I was a child. They were, if you will, the sunshine and water on the seeds of my own creativity. The “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn” series by Tad Williams continues to resonate with me. Terry Goodkind, C.J. Cherryh’s fantasy books, and Robin Hobb all have a two part affect on me: they draw me completely into their stories; at the same time, they inspire me with their characters, their descriptions, their settings.
How do you approach crafting a novel?
I sneak up on it and tackle it when it’s not looking!
Actually, each of my novels has started with an idea—a scene, a character, a “what if.” I jot it down, let it burble around in the caverns of my imagination for a while, then add a little more. I tend to gravitate toward characters more than anything as a starting point, and fleshing them out is a great way for me to develop the setting and the plot.
As the Crow Flies began with the scene of Crow perched on a high windowsill, stolen trinket in hand, guards hot on his heels. The obvious questions are What did he steal? Why did he steal it? Is he a career thief, and if so, why? Where is he, and what difference does it make?
That windowsill turned out to be located in the mansion of a formidable wizard (little did our thief know), and the prize Crow stole was a famous jewel meant for his ladylove—his crowning achievement before he retired. New questions, right away! Clearly, the wizard won’t let Crow get away with that, so what happens next? What does the wizard want and why?
What’s ahead for you?
I am definitely going to revisit Crow’s world; it was a fun place to play in and there are so many ways his story could continue and those of his companions could grow. But… right now I am working on the first of a series of books set in the lands of Tairenth, where my main character, Sherakai dan Tameko, becomes a pawn in a contest where the prize is an empire and the players will do anything at all to get it.
Thanks for joining us today! Readers can purchase “As the Crow Flies” and follow Robin Lythgoe at the links below.
Synopsis of As the Crow Flies:
Meet Crow, an engaging but self-serving thief. He has spent his life perfecting the talents given to him by the gods, sharpening his razor wit, and planning for a comfortable future with the woman of his dreams.
And then there’s Tanris, dauntless servant of the empire, dedicated lawman. It’s a feather in his cap when he finally captures the miserable, thieving bird that’s been flitting about the Bahsyr Empire as if he owned it.
Neither man is prepared to become a cat’s paw for a wizard with even bigger plans.
In this tale of thieves and dragons, author Robin Lythgoe ventures into a world where the master thief Crow and the lawman Tanris must learn to weather each other as well as survive dangerous lands, a haunted cave, and a temple guarded by blade, sorcery—and a vengeful dragon. Their goal? Simple: take a journey across inhospitable land to fetch an incredible, mythical prize. Escape the dragon. Return before time runs out …
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Follow Robin Lythgoe:
About Robin Lythgoe:
Robin Lythgoe did most of her growing up in Oregon, with a few trips between coasts before moving to Utah. Reading and writing have always been a part of her life, and she is particularly drawn to fantasy. Today she writes tales about wizards and magic, fantastical places and extraordinary journeys.
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Robin Lythgoe, Author of “As the Crow Flies”
