Best-selling children’s book author Tui T. Sutherland thinks about dragons day and night.
She says that “writing is a bit like therapy.” When she’s stressed about the news, she thinks about how the dragon characters she’s created in her “Wings of Fire” book series would face problems like forces of evil and cruel rulers, and how they would use their own special talents as one little dragon to make their world better.
Sixteen books later, the prolific writer has created a fantastical series featuring dragons with their own personalities and an array of charismatic characters, including queer and transgender dragons. Sutherland celebrated the March 3 release of her latest book in the “Wings of Fire” series, titled, “The Hybrid Prince,” with a sold-out talk, reading and meet-and-greet on March 7 at the Academy of Music in Northampton.
The event was held as part of an ongoing collaboration between Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity and High Five Books to bring author readings and book launches to Northampton.
“I’m so excited to finally talk about it,” Sutherland said of her latest book as the audience of about 800, including many kids dressed in dragon costumes, cheered. “I feel like, oh my god, I’ve been thinking about it for a year, and I just want to tell everyone everything.”
Sutherland said she originally started writing the series thinking it would be capped at five books, but it quickly became clear she wasn’t done.
The series contains many fixtures of a fantasy setting — dragons with magic powers, romance storylines, a mythical planet orbited by three moons with two continents, Pyrrhia and Pantala — but Sutherland said empathy is at the heart of her mission. Each book is written from the perspective of a different dragon, which she said gives readers a chance to learn more about each character and their complexities — for instance, Peril, a dragon who’s sweet but accidentally sets other dragons on fire. And it was clear by the cheers at the mention of certain character names, like Mulberry or Peril, that the audience each had their own favorites.
While the series features classic fantasy elements — magic-wielding dragons, romance and a mythical planet with two continents orbited by three moons — Sutherland said empathy remains the heart of her mission. By writing each book from a different dragon’s perspective, she allows readers to explore the complexities of her characters. For instance, fans can empathize with Peril, a sweet-natured dragon who struggles with the fact that she accidentally sets others on fire. This deep connection was evident in the room, where the mere mention of favorites like Mulberry and Peril drew thunderous cheers from the audience.
“The Hybrid Prince” is set from the point of view of a dragon named Umber, which Sutherland said was the first dragon in the series to be identified as LGBTQ+. Sutherland described the mythical land in her series as a “queertopia.”
“People have asked me why there are queer dragons, and I’m like, why wouldn’t there be queer dragons?” Sutherland said. “It would be kind of boring if they were all straight.”
The series has been important to queer families and kids in the area, said Lexi Walters Wright, owner of High Five Books, who emceed the meet-and greet event at the Academy of Music. And it’s the store’s best-selling series for readers aged 8-12, Wright said.
“High Five Books has only been around for six-and-a-half years, but since then, it is so meaningful that kids get to open a book and see themselves and see their families,” she told the audience.
“Our goal for all High Five Books events is to bring joyful, affirming, inclusive experiences for families, and no series embodies those traits better than ‘Wings of Fire,’” she said in an email after the event. “Author Tui T. Sutherland was so generous to request us as her launch store for this book! We had worked with her three years ago when she visited town for a smaller event. It had been our staff’s dream to bring her back to the Academy of Music so that even more readers could experience her effervescent charm in person.”
High Five Books primarily sells children’s books and hosts kids’ experiences, Wright said, but also has one shelf of adult books in-store and hosts occasional joyful, affirming, inclusive grownup events.
Cassandra Holden, executive director of Bombyx, said Sutherland’s book launch event was a joy.
“I loved hearing 800 kiddos and their adults cheering for each other when their fan artwork popped up on screen,” she wrote in an email after the event, “and I’m deeply grateful to Tui T. Sutherland for graciously making time to connect with every family for photos after the show. The line was over two hours long!”
“I really like the ‘Wings of Fire’ books,” said Rachel Ma, 10, who was smiling after taking a photo with Sutherland. “They’re really exciting and adventurous.”
High Five’s next book launch event is slated for May 9, when author Tracey West of the best-selling Dragon Masters series will visit Bombyx. Tickets are on sale at bombyx.live.