Naomi Novik

You know, some people might write an essay.

Some people might want to act out something that they've read and loved or something like that.

But for me, when I read something that I love and I want more of it, I want to, I have questions about it.

I sort of write myself, write my way into the story and sort of try and grab hold of the story in that way.

That's always something that I'm looking for as a reader.

I think that's right.

You know, the library is the least terrible place in a terrible place in the scholar minds.

You know, obviously, one of the pleasures, I think, of

the Scalmont's books of a deadly education is that it does that sort of amplification of a shared experience.

Most of the people that I know, most of, certainly most of the nerdy bookish people that I know did not enjoy high school and found themselves, you know, and we're still sort of trying to figure themselves out.

And I don't know anyone who didn't at least have some sort of moments of difficulty in

and tension and struggle in adolescence in that sort of complicated coming of age time.

Of course, when you're living in it, when you're in that moment, everything feels so enormous, right?

It feels like that your life is on the line, even if it actually isn't.

Telling a story where in fact that emotional truth becomes literal truth works because it allows

it allows you as the reader to sort of empathize with Galadriel, with El, because even if you aren't literally being hunted by monsters, you probably do have the experience of feeling like you were hunted by monsters at some point.

Personally, I always like learning new things and I like that process.

I think it's an interesting process to watch from outside.

I think that it's something interesting to experience through somebody else's eyes.

And also, obviously, as a reader, you know, you are having to learn the magic system for any book.