Photo Series: Academia Draconia by Mae McKinnon
In a bid to further showcase projects I’ve worked on as an editor, I’ve started an Instagram photo series. I thought I’d follow up on my blog with a more in-depth look at the book and my composition choices.
Of course, I had to start with one of Mae McKinnon’s books. She’s honoured me with an early look at almost all her work. I’m always delighted when another one crosses my desk, but Academia Draconia was the first of the Seven of Stars series. Before Academia Draconia, most of my editing was focused on academic journals, essays, and dissertations from a roster of professors and students (that’s how I started editing way back in university). So, this science fantasy novel was not only a welcome change of pace but absolutely eye-opening.
I’ve always loved to read fantasy, science fiction, and horror; but I never considered editing those beloved genres. I thought the only route was to stick with academia (the title now striking me as a bit ironic, ha)…but I’m so glad I took the plunge. I enrolled in the publishing program at Ryerson, built an indie-friendly editing brand with Scribe Cat, and here we are!
And all because of Mae’s epic adventure about Gaile who’s terrified of heights and joins an academy…to learn to ride dragons. You know, the giant mythical beasts that fly—very high up, Gaile might add.
[Beware: Minor spoilers ahead for some scenes in the books.]
Mae has an incredible way of writing relatable characters even in fantastical worlds. One of the most intense scenes for me was Gaile falling from a great height ( I won’t say how or what happened next). I felt her fear. Following Gaile through this coming-of-age adventure, I want to see her succeed and that’s in no small part thanks to Mae’s writing. Her descriptions hit home the hardest though when she describes Gaile’s phobia. I think that’s why I was so drawn to using those blankets in the photos. I wrap myself in blankets when I read after a stressful day; but they were also inspired by another scene.
An action-packed scene that sticks out in my mind from Academia Draconia sees our characters trying to out-fly a collapsing canyon—which inspired how I laid out the “rocky” canvas as the base for these images. The mountain in the book has more snow and ice (and the lake is frozen, probably not such a deep blue, ha), but this background stuck in my mind. The section of the book that brings us to this harrowing scene is also—without further spoilers—where you see the most depth in Mae’s world. I’m not sure how she does it, but there are layers of history and worldbuilding that seep into every environment in the book.
The dragon figures are gifts Mae sent me some years back now; I thought they were right at home, re-enacting the perilous scene! The silver dragon bracelet hanging from the height of the book was also a gift. Unfortunately, I didn’t pose it very well against the background—lesson learned! Academia Draconia is set in a rather technologically advanced but frontier world, so you might think the quill and scroll are out of place at first. But Mae has a wonderful way of weaving history—ancient history—into her worlds, making every location full of curiosities. Even the series itself jumps in time by great lengths, but always with Mae’s witty (and often sarcastic) charm…and dragons, at least a hint of dragons.
I started imagining the scroll as Gaile’s acceptance letter. That all-important piece of parchment that gets her through those doors and on the first step of her journey. While she uses a more tablet-like device and “quill” in her studies, there’s a sense of old worldliness to the story. Again, this may be a frontier world with a (comparatively) freshly built school, but it exists because of a long history of studying dragons. A history they’re still discovering on this new planet.
If you’re looking for a new young adult read that heavily features dragons (as I always am), I highly recommend Academia Draconia and its newly released sequel, Silberwings.