Kesia Lupo
About Author
By day, Kesia Lupo works as an editor for Chicken House, by night and the early hours of the morning she escapes into her very own fantasy world and writes.
She studied history at Oxford University and creative writing at Bath Spa.
Kesia lives in Bristol with her husband. We Are Blood and Thunder is her first novel.
Find her on Twitter: @keslupo
Interview
WE ARE BOUND BY STARS
BLOOMSBURY
JUNE 2020
In her stunning debut, WE ARE BLOOD AND THUNDER, KESIA LUPO introduced us to the world of Valorian, which is where we return for her second, stand-alone novel, WE ARE BOUND BY STARS.
Meet Livio, the heir to Scarossa, and Beatrice, one of the fabled triplet mask-makers for the rulers of Scarossa; both are bound by the stars to their inherited roles, and both are rebelling against the expectations on them. But the citizens of Scarossa, too, want change, and both Livio and Beatrice must decide where their loyalties lie.
We asked author KESIA LUPO to tell us more about WE ARE BOUND BY STARS:
Q: Can you tell us a little about your writing background, and how being an editor impacts on your writing?
A: Although I've written stories since childhood, I didn't take writing seriously until after uni. In a panic about what to do with my life, I followed my passion and decided to do a Creative Writing MA while working part-time as an admin temp.
I loved the course, but as well as developing my writing it introduced me to the wider publishing world - and afterwards, alongside submitting my own work for representation, I started to pursue editorial work experience.
My careers in publishing and writing have developed side-by-side: I signed with my agent while I was an assistant at Pan Macmillan, and gained a publishing contract two years later, after I had started as junior editor at Chicken House.
Now, I'm senior editor and have two books under my belt. Although time can be a real issue, I think being a writer has made me a better editor - and vice versa too. I am so fortunate to have found two jobs I really love!
Q: Why did you decide to return to the world you created in We Are Blood and Thunder for your latest novel, We Are Bound By Stars?
A: The world I developed for We Are Blood and Thunder was way bigger than the story; I felt there was loads more to explore. Thunder is set between two cities, which to me both feel very Northern European in different ways. Stars, meanwhile, is set in a desert city-island, loosely inspired by Sicily.
Q: Do your stories start with the characters, or the world you are creating?
A: The world! I developed the story for We Are Blood and Thunder through a series of lists of names and places, map sketches, ideas for gods, ideas for a magic system... out of all of this paraphernalia (a lot of which was discarded!) a story slowly grew... and finally, in the writing of it, my characters took shape.
Q: Can you introduce us to We Are Bound By Stars? Do you see it as a stand-alone novel?
A: We Are Bound by Stars is a dual narrative fantasy adventure about magic, fate and free will. Livio is the grandson of Scarossa's old, formidable Contessa. Beatrice, meanwhile, is one of the triplet mask-makers in the Contessa's service. Both characters rebel against the bonds of their destinies - but when a twist of fate unites them, it is up to them to stop a deadly revolution threatening to destroy the city.
Assassins, sand-wolves and a new form of magic are rising... But are our characters anything more than puppets in someone else's game? Or can they take control and change their fortunes?
The story can be read as a companion to We Are Blood and Thunder - you will find gentle links between the stories. But it is definitely a standalone book, no prior knowledge of the world is required!
Q: Why did you decide to have a different set of characters and setting for this story, even though The Wishes islands, on which this story is set, inhabit the same world?
A: I felt We Are Blood and Thunder was a fully rounded story, it didn't need a sequel. However, the world still held more promise for me and there was a lot more I wanted to explore.
At the end of We Are Blood and Thunder, one of the important characters dies - I took this as a starting point to explore the ramifications of that death for their family. That family is Livio's. So the stories are connected - but using the new set of characters was really refreshing. It allowed me to explore the world and its magic from an entirely new angle and to introduce more layers and intrigue.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your two main characters who between them narrate the story, and why you chose to tell the story this way?
A: As the grandson of the Contessa, Livio is from a very privileged background - even so, he's suffered a lot of hardship. When he was a baby, his mother disappeared. Early in his childhood, his father died. He's been raised by his formidable Grandmother. He's a mage, like nearly everyone in his family - but unfortunately he's not very good at magic. He'd rather read or explore the city - and he does this at night, escaping into a second, fantasy life as commoner.
Beatrice is one of the triplet mask-makers. In this city, triplets are claimed into the service of the Contessa at birth. Despite their humble origins, Beatrice and her sisters live in relative comfort in the Palazzo grounds, but in return they're forced into the considerable constraints of the mask-maker's life. Dressed in perpetual black, they're shunned by the majority of the population and closely guarded. Beatrice longs for freedom...
I chose a dual narrative partly because I felt this worked well in Thunder. Dual narratives help keep the pace up as you're always jumping between points of view and you're propelled to find out what's happening to the other storyline. Livio and Beatrice are very different but they have one thing in common: they don't want to live the life they've been assigned. For me, they complement each other as characters.
Q: Beatrice, a mask-maker, is one of triplets. Why did you decide to make her a triplet, and for the sisters' relationship to be an important part of the story?
A: I have two half-sisters myself - we didn't grow up together (I was effectively an only child) but perhaps as a result I've always been fascinated by the sister bond. In a way, I feel like Beatrice feels in the book - despite the obvious bond between us, I was always the odd one out. I was intrigued by the idea that all of the dynamics could be amplified for identical siblings - how each sister has to work hard to define how she is different, yet yearns to stay connected.
Q: The romance in the story is focused around the other main character, the prince of Scarossa, Livio, and events soon take over the focus of the story. Why did you decide romance wouldn't be a more central part of We Are Bound By Stars?
A: Of the two novels, We Are Bound by Stars has a stronger romantic subplot, but I was keen to play with expectations. I think we've come to expect romance in YA fantasy so a lot of people, on reading the blurb and title, might assume that Beatrice and Livio end up together ... but friendship, family and especially the characters' self-understanding play a much more central role in the end. That's an important message, too.
Q: One of the big themes of the story is inheritance, and how the characters respond to the expectations of their family and society. Why did you want to explore this idea, and is it something that you had to grapple with as a teenager?
A: I think we all have to grapple with inheritance in one way or another - and yes, this often happens when we are young adults. When I was in my late teens, I found out that my dad wasn't genetically my father and, for a while, that completely shattered my sense of identity.
It amplified the sense that all teenagers have of trying to figure out who they are, of looking in the mirror and feeling that they don't yet know the person staring back. And this ties in to all the big decisions you have to make as a teenager - what path do I follow? The one my parents want me to follow? The one I'm expected to follow? Or something else? What do I want? Will I be able to achieve my dreams? All of this was in my mind as I wrote the novel.
Q: The magic in this world is captured in special masks, which can bring the wearer enhanced powers. Have masks always caught your imagination, or did something else spark this idea?
A: I wrote a short story a long time ago about a young, female mask-maker living an oppressive existence - it was historical, set during the Jacobean era when masques were popular and masks were used in courtly morality plays, representing virtues and vices. There is a magnetism to this idea that drew me back - but this time in a fantasy context.
Q: Will you be returning to the world of Valorian?
A: At the moment, I've no plans to return to Valorian - the two novels feel like they complete what I wanted to say about this fantasy setting. So I'm working on something totally different at the moment, again for YA readers. I can't say too much as it's early days, but it sits somewhere in the horror and murder mystery genres ... with a hint of science fiction ...
Q: What are you writing now and has lockdown helped or hindered your writing time?
A: In the Beforetimes I would write in cafes, first thing in the morning. Lockdown has completely disrupted my routine! For three months I wrote absolutely nothing, but in the last week or two I've started to slowly find some motivation. I have a little office (a folding table and chair) in my bedroom and that's where I work - I write there whenever I can.
Q: What have you been doing to escape from work, and what are you most looking forward to doing once it's over?
A: I've started running! You won't understand how totally crazy this is for me. I hate running and exercise generally. But as it's one of the few ways to be outside during lockdown, I've started to enjoy it... who even am I?!
Once all this is over, I can't wait to go out for a meal, or even for a coffee, and listen to the hum of other people's conversations, the hustle and bustle, feel the sense of the world moving on around me... I miss that. And author events, of course!
Q: Are there any upcoming YA books you could recommend to our members?
A: I've been terrible at reading during lockdown - it's been really hard to focus. One book I can certainly recommend, though, is Kat Dunn's Dangerous Remedy (Head of Zeus). It's a marvelous historical fantasy adventure set during the French revolution - you can get hold of the ebook now, but the hardcover will be publishing on 6 August. I'm also hugely excited to read The Guilded Ones by Namina Forna (Usborne) - out in April 2021 - it sounds totally amazing and should definitely be on your radar!
WE ARE BLOOD AND THUNDER
BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN'S BOOKS
APRIL 2019
WE ARE BLOOD AND THUNDER by KESIA LUPO is an epic fantasy story that pits magic against traditions, and revenge against love.
Lena grows up in the crypts of Duke's Forest, where she is expected to live the rest of her life, caring for the city's 'Ancestors' in their afterlife.
Accused of using magic - which is banned - she escapes to the City of Kings where magic is welcomed. But a brush with Constance, heir of Duke's Forest, and a lingering spell, will affect her future more than she can begin to imagine...
We asked author KESIA LUPO to tell us more about WE ARE BLOOD AND THUNDER:
Q: What took you into writing, and how did you balance writing We Are Blood and Thunder with your day job as an editor?
A: I loved reading as a child and I started writing stories when I was about 10 or 11, so I guess it's always felt natural to me. I'm a big daydreamer and have an overactive imagination, and writing is sort of my way of getting rid of that energy and staying sane!
Balancing writing with a day job is challenging but I have a sacred routine: one hour of writing every day before work.
Q: We Are Blood and Thunder is a sweeping tale of revenge and magic - did you always know you would write this kind of story, is that what you enjoyed as a teen reader?
A: This is exactly the kind of thing I enjoyed as a teen - I was obsessed with fantasy and would read anything from Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings and everything in between. When I first started writing, fantasy was what came most naturally to me - but when I started to take my writing seriously, enrolling on a Creative Writing MA, I felt I had to write more 'serious' literary stuff. Finding my way back to fantasy has been a real joy.
Q: Was there any one moment that sparked the idea for this story - and had you already written others?
A: We Are Blood and Thunder is the third complete novel I've written. One I wrote when I was at uni - I think I would consider it an older middle-grade steampunk adventure, now, though it's extremely rough! Then I wrote an adult historical fiction novel on my MA which is a lot more literary.
The idea for We Are Blood and Thunder arrived in a single scene, much later, when I was working my first job in publishing. I was gripped by the image of a young woman running through dense cloud, chased by a pack of hounds. I felt driven to discover her story...
Q: The novel follows two main characters, Lena and Constance, who are each caught up in the spell that ravages their homeland, Duke's Forest. Why did you decide to tell the story from these two points of view?
A: Although the story has always been a dual narrative with Lena as one of the two points of view, Constance wasn't always the other.
The idea for this came from an editor who read the novel when it was on submission to adult publishers - she didn't end up going for it but it was a really inspired idea. They are such contrasting characters and together they are able to tell this story in, I think, a really compelling way.
Q: Through Lena and Constance, we learn about the damage that a particular spell is inflicting on Duke's Forest. The two women are very different characters, but which one did you enjoy writing the most?
A: Constance was definitely my favourite character to write. Lena is a classic YA hero - a girl searching for her identity and her place in the world. We can all relate to that! But Constance is grown up already: she knows who she is and what she wants, and she is holding her cards very close to her chest. So fun to write!
Q: When you're writing fantasy, does it take as long to create the setting and its rules as it does to plan the plot?
A: Yes! Particularly when you're not big on the plot planning, like me. I spent a lot more energy early on thinking about the world, the magic, the gods, and the government system... everything really. I have reams of notes about all of this!
Q: The reader is given a map of the kingdom - was creating the map an important part of being able to visualise this world?
A: Absolutely - for me this was a huge part of the world-building. I drew early versions of these maps before the story was even told and it is absolutely magical to see them brought to life by an artist.
Q: Magic is forbidden in the Duke's Forest, but welcomed and harnessed in another part of the kingdom, the City of Kings, where magic is used as an everyday tool. Why did you want to create a world that would be the opposite of the Duke's Forest?
A: So many reasons! For one, I think as a reader you probably need narrative relief from the claustrophobic world of Duke's Forest. Equally, it felt natural to me that magic would be approached in different ways by different groups in this world, and interesting to show those differences of approach in the story.
Also, I wanted Lena to have a real journey of discovery - in journeying out of her closed life in Duke's Forest and into the City of Kings, she finds out so much about herself, her background, and who she wants to be.
Q: In either world, characters like Lena, Constance and Emris who have magical abilities feel as if they are outsiders - and anyone who is different in the Duke's Forest is sent to work in its crypts. Why did you decide to introduce that idea of difference and why did you want to explore it in these ways in this novel?
A: I'm glad you picked up on that. I guess on some level this was me trying to explore the concept of 'foreignness' in my own fantastical way.
This isn't a world with the same divisions and prejudices as ours, but it is still divided and prejudiced, and I wanted to show how these different characters dealt with that.
I think the sense of being different is also something that (ironically) a lot of us share, especially when we are teenagers, figuring out where we fit in - and whether we need to fit in at all.
Q: If you could visit the world you have created, where would you go?
A: I would love to visit the crypts in Duke's Forest - is that weird?! There's so much history down there, and so many secrets to discover... I'm a huge fan of horror and would genuinely enjoy being totally creeped out by all the Ancestors!
Q: And if you could have a touch of the magic from We Are Blood and Thunder, what would you use it for?
A: I love Lord Chatham's Emporium Of Mechanical Delights - and I would definitely be up for purchasing one of his magic-powered mechanical cats and bringing it to life with my own magic. Adorable, helpful in a fight and rental-friendly!
Q: There are questions left at the end of the novel, including Lena's background and role. Are you planning to revisit the world of We are Blood and Thunder?
A: Definitely! My second novel is set in the same world, just after the end of We Are Blood and Thunder. However, if you're looking for answers about Lena, you won't find them!
This novel has a completely new cast of characters and a standalone story, all about masks and mask-making. It's set in a different part of the world, too, an island loosely based on Sicily... I can't wait to share it with everyone!
Q: Where and when are your favourite writing times?
A: As I mentioned above, I write every day before work - so my favourite writing time is definitely first thing in the morning. I tend to camp out in a cafe with a cup of coffee - bliss.
Q: Describe your perfect 'writer's shed'?
A: Skylights, rugs, a record player, a wood-burner, a standing-to-sitting desk and a comfy chair... and tea-making facilities!
Q: What are your favourite escapes from writing and work?
A: I've recently started to play baseball which is both bizarre for me (I am NOT a sporty person!) and surprisingly fun... not to mention great exercise!
Other interests include vintage clothes, old movies (especially Cary Grant) and finding/listening to records (especially Bruce Springsteen!).
We Are Bound by Stars
We Are Blood And Thunder
