I knew right then that this wondrous image would need a story of its own, a love letter to fireflies and their luminescent magic.

It literally looked like glowing jewels in song. At dusk, the fireflies came out en masse, and as I watched them, holding out as long as I could against the equally numerous mosquito battalion eating me up, all I could do was marvel at their wordless opera. For me, being a writer is a way to share with others the enchantment I see and feel.īut the spark, if you will, was an evening spent in a forest in upstate New York a few years back.

Shveta Thakrar: Thank you so much! This is actually an extremely personal story, because I’ve always believed in and longed for magic and am still-impatiently-waiting for my door to Faerie. What was your starting point for the story, and how did you decide on the rules for magic in this world? Uncanny Magazine: You’ve created a lovely world for this story, with fireflies, faerie gates, and magic that comes at a very personal price. “Heart Shine” is her fifth appearance in Uncanny, a beautiful story of identity and self-acceptance, fireflies and magic. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Star Daughter, is a finalist for the 2021 Andre Norton Nebula Award. Her work has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies including Enchanted Living, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. And as they search for answers, a terrifying truth begins to take shape-one that could turn the nagas’ realm of dreams into a land of waking nightmare.įrom the author of the Indie Next selection and Andre Norton Award finalist Star Daughter, this stand-alone contemporary fantasy, inspired by the nagas and garudas of Hindu mythology, is full of slow-burning romance, haunting intrigue, and shimmering magic.Shveta Thakrar is a part-time nagini and full-time believer in magic. Panicked and confused, she turns to the one mortal in Nagalok who might be able to help: Venkat, the dreamsmith responsible for collecting the dream runners’ wares and shaping them into the kingdom’s most tantalizing commodity.

Seven years ago, Tanvi was spirited away to the subterranean realm of Nagalok, where she joined the ranks of the dream runners: human children freed of all memory and emotion, who collect mortal dreams for the entertainment of the serpentine, immortal naga court.īut when one of Tanvi’s dream harvests goes awry, she begins to remember her life on earth. A lush tapestry of dreams, myth, and magic-perfect for fans of Holly Black, Roshani Chokshi, and Margaret Rogerson.

Shveta thakrar