Interview with Nandi Taylor for Given
Given
by Nandi TaylorPublisher: Wattpad Books
Release Date: January 21st 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis:
A subversive fantasy-romance steeped in West-African and Caribbean traditions.
Yenni has never been this far from home. With only her wits, her strength and her sacred runelore, the fierce Yirba warrior princess is alone in the Empire of Cresh. It’s a land filled with strange magics and even stranger people—many of whom mistrust anyone who’s different. But Yenni will prove herself, and find a cure for her father’s wasting illness. She will not fail.
No one warned her about the dragons. Especially not about him.
Yes, there is something powerful and compelling about the violet-black dragon known as Weysh. In human form he’s muscular, beautiful—and completely infuriating. What kind of arrogant creature claims a stranger as his Given; as his destined mate? Yenni is no man’s—or dragon’s—plaything. But other magics must be at work here, because Weysh might just be her best hope at finding the answers she seeks.
Only now Yenni can’t tell if she’s fighting her attraction to a dragon…or fighting fate itself.
Can you briefly describe GIVEN and its characters?
Given is the story of Yenni, a princess of the Yirba tribe and her journey abroad to find a cure for her ailing father. She travels to the northern Empire of Cresh to enroll in their top magic Academy in the hope of learning something that will save him. While in Cresh she encounters culture shock, prejudice, and a brash, shape-shifting dragon named Weysh who claims they are “Given” or destined soul mates.
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Aside from the main characters, Weysh and Yenni, I love Yenni’s closest friend Diedre and Weysh’s best friend Harth. Diedre is another student who is from the Island colonies of Cresh, and I love the supportive sisterly relationship that develops between her and Yenni. Harth is the snarky voice of reason for Weysh. He reigns in Weysh’s more insufferable tendencies and contributes greatly to Weysh’s character development.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
This book is a mish-mash of many things that happened in my life, but mostly it was a way of working through some difficult things that were happening at the time I was writing it. I was living in Tokyo, which was amazing but also came with its share of microaggressions, which show up in the book through Yenni’s experiences as a foreigner abroad. I also heavily interrogate my frustration and annoyance around cultural appropriation.
And while working on the first draft I had just come out of a bad relationship, and I was processing what led me to put up with less than stellar behavior, what my problematic beliefs about love and romance were and where I’d learned them. I came to the conclusion that I’d made missteps based on the media I was taking in, and resolved to challenge some of romance’s most problematic tropes through writing of my own. It wasn’t easy, and I found myself accidentally reinforcing those tropes in early drafts. But with the help of my readers and editor I feel like I finally got it right.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
Simmer by Mahalia and Burna Boy
If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?
If you’re looking for accurate visual representations, I’d say Jason Momoa (without the beard) is a good approximation for Weysh. For Yenni I’ve often said Yaya Dacosta, or maybe Aja Naomi King.
What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
Sparkling wine and a cliff overlooking the city lights.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish GIVEN?
There are so many wonderful books that center protagonists and fantasy worlds rooted in African traditions that have come out recently! There’s Tomi Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone” of course, and “Kingdom of Souls” by Rena Barron. And while not set in an African-inspired world, The Belle’s by Dhonielle Clayton is a gorgeous fantasy set in the fictional world of Orleans, which reminds me of Cresh.
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Staying focused and writing every day. Sometimes life gets in the way and makes that tough.
What’s next for you?
Finishing book two!
Nandi Taylor is a Canadian writer of Caribbean descent based in Toronto. She’s a two-time Watty award winner, and her Wattpad story Given has garnered over one million reads and earned the 2018 Worldbuilders Watty award.
Nandi grew up devouring sci-fi and fantasy novels, and from a young age wrote books of her own. Her books are an expression of what she always wanted more of growing up—diverse protagonists in speculative settings. Common themes she writes about are growth, courage, and finding one’s place in the world.
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