SEEKERS OF THE WILD REALM: LEGEND OF THE REALM by Alexandra Ott

I first featured Alexandra Ott’s RULES OF THIEVES series, and it was so enjoyable I also featured the first book in her current series, SEEKERS OF THE WILD REALM. (I also nabbed it immediately when I saw it at my local Barnes and Noble). The sequel, LEGEND OF THE REALM, came out on June 15, 2021:

Twelve-year-old Bryn has always dreamed of becoming a Seeker, just like her dad. Only the Seekers are allowed to journey from their small village into the fantastical, untamed wilderness of their island known as the Wild Realm. Once there, they obtain magical items for the village and use magic to protect and heal the incredible creatures native to the Realm.

When one of the elderly Seekers retires, leaving a vacant position, Bryn knows this may be her chance. There’s just one problem: Only boys have ever been Seekers. And the training master makes it clear he will not be training a girl.

But then Bryn’s biggest rival for the Seeker position, a boy named Ari, shows up at her door. He reveals the baby dragon he’s been hiding, and the two strike a deal—if Bryn helps care for the dragon, Ari will share all his training with her.

Even as the two bond over their love of magical animals and their secret trips into the Wild Realm, Bryn doesn’t completely trust Ari’s motives. Especially as she suspects Ari may know more than he’s letting on about the enemy clan stirring up unrest in their village.

When all these secrets come to a head and the stakes are at their highest, Bryn realizes it’s up to her to save her family…and the Realm.

Now that Bryn and Ari are official Seekers, they are excited to help the rest of the council in keeping the Realm, and the magical creatures who live there, safe. During a routine check with their beloved magical dragon, Lijla, Bryn and Ari discover a baby gyrpuff with mysterious dark eyes. It’s clearly unwell, and after explaining to the rest of the elder council, they fear that a massive plague that crippled the Realm years prior has somehow returned.

Though Bryn and Ari manage to save the gyrpuff (named Little Puff) from near death, it is now up to Bryn, Ari, and the rest of the Seekers to find out how exactly this plague has returned—and whether or not human forces were at work in bringing it back.

In our last interview, you mentioned you had a new puppy named Ellie. How old is Ellie now, and how is she doing?

Ellie just turned two years old, and she’s doing great! She enjoys staring out the office window while I’m writing so that she can bark at passersby. 🙂

Cute! In LEGEND OF THE REALM, Bryn, Ari, and the rest of the Seekers have to figure out how a plague has returned to the Realm. In what ways, if any, did the occurrences in 2020 affect the way this story was told?

Most of LEGEND OF THE REALM was written prior to March 2020, so its similarity to current events is a coincidence. However, I did revise some of the book during 2020, and it was a very surreal experience to see so much of what I was writing about reflected in real life!

I’ll bet! In your experience, how have virtual release events differed from in-person events? What has surprised you?

I’ve quite enjoyed doing virtual events! They can be a really great opportunity to chat with readers who live in locations I wouldn’t otherwise get to visit. Virtual events do present some challenges, though. It’s hard not to be able to have a direct connection with the audience, especially since I often can’t see them. But I was surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed doing virtual Q&As with readers. I’ve had some really great conversations during virtual visits and hope to have more!

I hope to attend some more virtual events too! What are some of your current projects?

I’m in the early stages of several different projects right now, so I can’t share too many details! But I’m working on a couple of things that I think SEEKERS readers will really enjoy, and I hope I can share more soon. 🙂

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