Q&A: E.K. Johnston, Author of ‘Sky On Fire’

We chat with author E.K. Johnston about Sky On Fire, which is set in the world of Aetherbound and continues to entwine Arthurian myth and the history of North Atlantic fisheries in a clever, character-driven space fantasy.

Hi, E.K.! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

One time I ate a bowl of lentil soup in Egypt and it made me sick, so I missed our scheduled tour of the Valley of the Kings. Fortunately, we had scheduled the following day to go shopping and I didn’t really want to do that, so when the tourguide said I could come by myself if I wanted to, I jumped at the chance. No one else in that second group spoke English, so I spent most of the day chatting with the guide as he drove us around and talked about how much he loved his country. At the end of the tour, we left the van and got in a little boat to cross the Nile. I remember looking down at the water and thinking about how long I’d been dreaming about seeing all the things I’d seen that day, and how excited the guide was to see them every day. I haven’t eaten lentils in 21 years, but it was more than worth it.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I grew up in a house in the country, with several acres and a woodlot. I spent most of the first decade of my life doing what I now know is Live Action Role Play of Star Wars and The Chronicles of Narnia (at the same time) in the trees.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• The one that made you want to become an author: Ash by Malinda Lo
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Your latest novel, Sky on Fire, is out July 22^nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Grad Student Forced Group Project

What can readers expect?

Sky On Fire is the story of a girl with a secret the rebels wants to discover and a discovery the establishment wants to keep secret. Readers can expect an exploration of what it means to mean something for reasons you didn’t choose, and the difference between accepting your fate and running with it.

And a couple of really cool ship-to-magic space battles. Those were fun.

Where did the inspiration for Sky on Fire come from?

I texted my editor Andrew from Corner Brook, Nfld in 2018 to tell him that I’d found some of my books at the mall there, and he asked if it was the most isolated spot I’ve found them, and I think we talked about Grande Prairie, AB as a comparison, and ANYWAY, he texted “I’m sure it’ll show up in a book someday,” and then I had to pull over on the TransCan to write down how it was going to show up in a book: a series of space stations based on islands that the Vikings visited. I already had Aetherbound spinning around in my head, but this finally nailed the story down. Newfoundland was Brannick and Iceland was Katla and Greenland, the ghost station, was Enragon, and I went from one book to, well, The Æther Saga, right there on the side of the road.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I love Morgan so much. She’s the second character I wrote as asexual on purpose, and it was so much fun to throw her into the mix with the Aetherbound characters. It was also really interesting to explore a character who is the FURTHEST from being a rebel getting caught up in a rebellion, and eventually choosing it, not because she’s become a rebel herself, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Also I wanted to put goats on a space station because I thought it would be funny.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Well, we had a global pandemic. Which we didn’t really overcome as much as we let various governments lie to us because they decided that the economy was more important than public health. So that wasn’t fun. I wrote the draft in 2022, but after talking with Andrew, we decided to publish Pretty Furious first. I actually wrote four other books—and published three of them—before we started editing SKY in 2024. Obviously this led to massive burn out which I treated with Dragon Age, fanfiction, and help from my doctor.

What’s next for you?

So there’s some murder. And some hockey. And some light exorcism. You know, author stuff.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I loved The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton, and I’m pretty sure that Emily Skrutskie wrote The Legionnaire’s Guide to Love and Peace for me specifically. I’m also really enjoying The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino. I’m REALLY looking forward to finishing the Star Wars: The High Republic books, and I’m a little bit scared of them, too.

Will you be picking up Sky on Fire? Tell us in the comments below!