Who’s ready to dive into a stunning fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica? The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta is a gripping debut that introduces a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed. If you love books by Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir, this one should be at the very top of your TBR pile. But if you need some extra incentive to pick this one up, be sure to check out this interview with the author! What makes Indir and Saya fierce? Indir and Saya each have a resilience that is borne out of instinct they can’t fully understand. They move in bravery, even when they’re scared and confused. If you could give Indir and Saya one piece of advice, what would it be? I would tell Indir and Saya to trust the story they’re living, even when they cannot understand it. Each of us is part of a larger story, we are all part of countless, endless stories that are interconnected and stories have drama, tension, moments of joy and grief; it is what makes us human, what allows us to grow and thrive. What's the most interesting thing you learned while researching The Lost Dreamer? I didn’t do too much research while writing this book and instead trusted my subconscious and all it has gathered over a lifetime. I am fascinated by the human brain and have done a ton of reading on the subconscious mind. I made a choice to put that research into practice and trust that my subconscious knows way more than I do and I surrendered to it while writing. If you'd met Indir and Saya as a teen, would you have been friends with them? We would have definitely been friends, the kind who sit in the corner and quietly talk, observing the world around us, exchanging looks that say everything. What's one fun fact most people don't know about you? I used to play violin in a mariachi band in high school! I didn’t play music for years and years but when the pandemic started I bought a ukulele and spent hours teaching myself how to play. What's your favorite part of being an author? I love when I enter a flow state of creativity. It’s like entering a warm sea that carries me while I ride the waves of story. The writing comes with ease and joy. Nothing, absolutely nothing compares to that feeling. It doesn’t come easily but when it does, I am ecstatic. What's the most challenging part of being an author? I was a writer my whole life, being an author has so many more details and admin work. My to-do list is constantly in a dance-off with my creative work, and that can be frustrating. And, I’m grateful to be in this place in my career and while the details can be distracting, I know they’re serving the creative work too. What 3 words would you use to describe The Lost Dreamer? Vibrant. Mystical. Healing. ABOUT THE BOOK A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir. Indir is a Dreamer, descended from a long line of seers; able to see beyond reality, she carries the rare gift of Dreaming truth. But when the beloved king dies, his son has no respect for this time-honored tradition. King Alcan wants an opportunity to bring the Dreamers to a permanent end—an opportunity Indir will give him if he discovers the two secrets she is struggling to keep. As violent change shakes Indir’s world to its core, she is forced to make an impossible choice: fight for her home or fight to survive. Saya is a seer, but not a Dreamer—she has never been formally trained. Her mother exploits her daughter’s gift, passing it off as her own as they travel from village to village, never staying in one place too long. Almost as if they’re running from something. Almost as if they’re being hunted. When Saya loses the necklace she’s worn since birth, she discovers that seeing isn’t her only gift—and begins to suspect that everything she knows about her life has been a carefully-constructed lie. As she comes to distrust the only family she’s ever known, Saya will do what she’s never done before, go where she’s never been, and risk it all in the search of answers. With a detailed, supernaturally-charged setting and topical themes of patriarchal power and female strength, Lizz Huerta's The Lost Dreamer brings an ancient world to life, mirroring the challenges of our modern one.