As you know (if you’ve been following our blog for awhile), I’m a big fan of middle grade books. So I’m really excited about my tour stop for New Dragon City hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I had the honor of interviewing the author. So if you want to know more about this book and author, keep on reading!
New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publishing Date: October 4, 2022
Set off on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure in this story about friendship, survival, and fighting for ones you love, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and How to Train Your Dragon.
No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a make-shift society and defending their shelter… with any means available. At least for the few months the dragons are hibernating, until it’s no longer safe aboveground.
Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to dragons: It’s kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon forces him to question everything he thought he knew. With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family too. If Noah and his father can’t see eye to eye, can he really get humans and dragons to?
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Interview
What inspired you to write New Dragon City?
I had written another dragon apocalypse series, Scorched, which was sort of like a “Terminator but with dragons kind of series:—where in the future there was a dragon apocalypse and they came back to present time to try to stop it. During the writing, there were several “flash forward” scenes about actually being in the dragon apocalypse and they were so fun to write. So I thought it’d be interesting to create a new series that actually took place during the apocalypse so we got a first-hand look of what it was like in the early days.
What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
I’ve been publishing since 2005—so almost 20 years now. I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go, authors rise and fall. But the readers are the ones who keep me going—even through the tough times. Their enthusiasm and excitement over books is the fuel to my creative fires. I couldn’t do this without them.
If you were a character in New Dragon City, what kind of character would you be?
I think I’d want to be part of the pro-dragon team at Columbia University who are trying to understand and make peace with the dragons. And I’d completely volunteer for their dragon bonding program. Maybe I could even become a dragon rider someday!
What is your favorite quote from New Dragon City?
No one expected the dragon apocalypse. It was originally the first line of the book, though in the final version it starts the second chapter. But it’s definitely the line that gave me the inspiration to start writing the book!
Could you give us 5 random facts about New Dragon City (think the story, writing, publishing, anything that comes to mind)?
- I used to live in NYC so a lot of the places mentioned in the book are real.
- I wrote the book during the pandemic and would read chapters to my daughter at lunch every day when she took a break from online school. It kept both of us going during a very tough time.
- This is actually my fourth dragon apocalypse book.
- Dragons are my favorite mythical creatures.
- I had to research lab-grown meat for this book and it’s a real thing. Fun fact: it’s actually real animal flesh, not artificial. (Kind of gross, but dragons love it!)
Tour Schedule
During the tour there are quite a few amazing bloggers and bookstagrammers participating with all kinds of posts. Click here for the full tour schedule to follow along.
About the Author
Mari Mancusi is a former Emmy award winning TV producer and author of more than two dozen sci-fi/fantasy books for kids, teens and adults including Gamer Girl, the Scorched series, The Blood Coven Vampires, and her newest series, The Camelot Code: The Once and Future Geek, published by Disney Books.
Her bestselling series have been chosen as featured selections in the Scholastic Book Fairs and clubs and have been selected by the American Library Association as “Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers” and “Popular Paperbacks.” In addition to writing, Mari is an avid cosplayer, horror aficionado, and MMORPG gamer. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and their young daughter. She can be found online at http://www.marimancusi.com.
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Dragons have always been creatures I love reading about, so New Dragon City sounds like just the adventure I’m looking for. And look at that stunning cover!