Liz Flanagan introduces her Wildsmith series

Magical Mountain Rescue: The Wildsmith #4

About Author

Liz Flanagan introduce her latest and final book in the Wildsmith series, Magical Mountain Rescue, and tells ReadingZone what inspired the books and what she would do with Wildsmith powers! Liz also writes the Legends of the Sky series.

As well as being a writer, Liz teaches writing. She previously worked in publishing and ran Arvon Centre's Lumb Bank centre, a writers' retreat.

Interview

Liz Flanagan introduces her magical Wildsmith series (UCLan Publishing)

Magical Mountain Rescue (October 2024)

Into the Dark Forest, the first Wildsmith book, has become a favourite read-aloud in homes and schools, with its fast-paced advenures, descriptive writing and environmental messages keeping children gripped and keen to read the other books in the series.

Here, author Liz Flanagan tells ReadingZone about the latest, and possibly last, Wildsmith adventure, Magical Mountain Rescue.

Q&A with Liz Flanagan

"If I were a wildsmith, I'd love to have a chat with my pets and persuade my anxious dog that
the world isn't quite as dangerous as she fears…"

1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone! Can you tell us what inspired the Wildsmith books? Which creature would you love to be able to communicate with, like wildsmiths do?

Thanks for these questions! The idea for this series arrived in that first lockdown in the summer of 2020 - maybe that's what gave me the idea for Rowan's life changing all of a sudden. In those months I had a fresh realisation of how much walking in woodland helps my mental health, and this is definitely linked to the idea of the Dark Forest being a beautiful place of safety.

Rowan fosters magical animals, because I'd been fostering a series of cats and kittens. I used to wish I could tell the foster kittens not to be scared when they arrived with me. And sometimes I had to give them medicine, which could be very messy. So imagining a wildsmith with the magic abilities of healing animals and talking to them was basic wish fulfilment for me! If I were a wildsmith, I'd love to have a chat with my pets and persuade my anxious dog that the world isn't quite as dangerous as she fears…

2. What can readers expect in the Wildsmith series?

In Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest, a war breaks out and Rowan's life changes completely - she and her mother go and live with the grandfather Rowan never even knew about. In the safety of the Dark Forest, she lives with Grandpa and his white wolf Arto, and learns that he is a wildsmith: a person who can heal and speak to animals. Rowan rescues some baby dragons from poachers and starts to wonder if she could be a wildsmith, too. She and her new friends must work together to save the creatures of the forest.

In book two, City of Secrets, Rowan has been missing her father and her home. When Dad arrives in the middle of the night with a pegasus foal, she must foster a new magical creature. But the poachers have discovered where they are, and Rowan must flee yet again, escaping with the young pegasus to the only safe place she can think of - her home back in the city. But it has changed and there's new danger to be faced.

Book three, The Hidden Sea, begins with Rowan, her father and the pegasus Mouse all living together on a remote island. Soon news arrives which changes everything. After returning Mouse safely to his herd, Rowan finds herself in great danger. This time she is the one who needs rescuing - by friends new and old. The mythical character in this book is one of my all-time favourites: the selkie, a magical creature of transformation and fluidity.

3. What happens in the latest Wildsmith book, Magical Mountain Rescue

In book four, Magical Mountain Rescue, Rowan is safely reunited with both parents and her grandfather, when terrible news arrives: the prince has been kidnapped! Can Rowan and her father find the prince, stop another war, and rescue another magical animal? I've drawn on a Yorkshire myth of a huge dog, and combined it with my experience living with a very anxious pup!

4. Why does the first Wildsmith book, Into the Dark Forest, work well as a read-aloud, and what kinds of discussion points are there to explore through the story?

Teachers have told me that this series is perfect for that KS2 age group because it has an exciting plot and engaging characters, combined with short chapters and accessible but rich language.

There are background themes of conflict and displacement, but these are largely 'off-stage' and the fantasy setting can be a safe place to explore these ideas. Rowan's emotions and friendships are highlighted throughout the series, too.

5. Can you tell us how you raise environmental issues in the books, and what is your focus here?

Environmental issues are present, including poaching and deforestation. However, they are woven into the plot rather than being focal points. I believe that fantasy literature can be a wonderful way to think about real-life problems - not least because fictional solutions can be found. However, my focus is on celebrating the natural world in all its incredible beauty, and on the life-changing relationships that humans can have with other living creatures. I think this connection to nature is essential, for so many different reasons.

6. How do you go about developing the settings for these stories? How do you bring them to life? Do you draw on places you know?

I have to imagine the settings in visual detail, as if I'm seeing a film in my imagination. Some settings are definitely shaped by places I know - including the beautiful woodland around my home town of Hebden Bridge.

A Scottish island I've visited in the past helped me picture the setting of The Hidden Sea. For Grandpa's house, and some of the characters, I began by searching for images on Pinterest - I found some magical photographs that really ignited those early stages of drafting the stories.

7. These are fast-paced adventure stories - how do you get the level of action and peril right for this age range? What techniques do you use to keep children turning the pages?

I definitely wanted the stories to be full of action. I was remembering my own experience of being a young reader and how hungry I was for magic and adventure as soon as I could read independently. I deliberately kept chapters very short, and worked to create moments of tension or emotion at the close of each.

I also did lots of work with my editor Tilda Johnson on this area. As a result of our chats, sometimes I added action, and sometimes I took some peril or danger out, trying to walk that line in an age-appropriate way.

Leaf the young dragon, fostered by Rowan; later we see Leaf as a grown-up dragon

8. What do you feel the illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton bring to the books? Which of the characters are closest to how you imagined them?

Oh my goodness, I LOVE Joe's illustrations! They are pure magic to me. I don't know how he manages to create such atmosphere and emotion in each picture. My favourites are those of Rowan focusing hard on one of the magical animals she loves - especially at the bittersweet moments where she has to say goodbye to one of her foster animals, or when they make a surprise return to her life.

9. In this story, we learn more about heart-animals. What would your own (real or fantasy) heart-animal be, and why?

I decided that wildsmiths like Rowan have a particular bond with a certain animal - this becomes their heart-animal. It's no coincidence that Rowan's heart animal is a kind of magical dog. My border collie would be my heart animal - she's so wonderful and has taught me so much.

10. Do you have more Wildsmith stories planned? Where do you most enjoy writing your books?

At the moment, the series is complete with four books - one for each season. I'm not currently planning any more, but I'm not ruling it out, either. Instead, I'm writing two new projects that will hopefully appeal to readers of this series. One has a similar fantasy setting, and the other is realistic, with just a touch of magic.

I used to think I needed space and quiet to write, but I've learned I can actually write anywhere - on trains and in cafes - but my favourite place is probably sitting where I am right now, at the desk in my room. Or in my bed with a notebook balanced on my knees…

Thanks so much!

Discover The Legends of the Sky series by Liz Flanagan (UCLan Publishing)

Discover a world of dragons, magic and pirates in the latest and final Legends of the Sky story from Liz Flanagan, The Pirate's Dragon! Find out how a chicken helped inspire the Legends of the Sky series, where children bond with baby dragons, and what kind of dragon she might have if she lived on the island of Arcosi. Read a chapter from The Pirate's Dragon

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