Just finished your book and I loved it. I've read thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels and you have created a wonderful, unique new world with a new twist on magic. I hope to fill my shelves with your works over the years! My question is that w

Okay, this is fascinating. I love Le Guin, but haven’t read her since I was a kid. Still… I can tell you that it didn’t start out as a sparrowhawk nest. It was originally a cor bird (something I made up) and my editor asked me to change it to a known species. (Totally legit since the other fauna in the world are—with very rare exception—existing creatures.) I fretted over a bunch of choices, but sparrowhawk won out. Maybe because of Earthsea resonances?

Anyway, thank you for the kind words and the great question. So glad you enjoyed Shadow and Bone!