A conversation with author Melissa Olthoff about Tempered by Fire, the second book in her Griffin Corps series.
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About Tempered by Fire
You can do everything right . . . and still lose.
Harper Tavros always dreamed of being a dragon rider. But after a prank went horribly wrong—or right—she ended up bonded to an utterly ridiculous and insanely brave griffin instead. A bond that can only be broken in death. Together, Harper and Felix graduated the Tennessan Bonded Training Academy and proved themselves during their first six months on active duty even as the war with Savinia heated up.
Now, every mission is more dangerous than the last.
Griffin riders are the eyes and ears of the Tennessan military, an advantage unmatched ever since their enemy’s griffin riders vanished from the battlefield years ago. So when a dying Savinian griffin shows up at a Tennessan fort, Harper and Felix are dispatched to retrieve the message she carries—a plea for help from Savinia’s last griffin riders.
A plea Tennessan can’t afford to ignore.
Harper and Felix are assigned to the team tasked with unraveling the mystery of Savinia’s griffins. Their mission will take them deep behind enemy lines and into the dreaded Southern Smoke Mountains. After everything goes wrong, Harper and Felix will be pushed to their limits.
When every choice leads into the fire, their only option is to burn . . . and let the flames temper them into something stronger.
Praise for Rise from Ruin, the first book in the Griffin Corps series
“Melissa Olthoff is a fantasy master like no other. Rise from Ruin is a fun-filled tour de force and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Dragons have never been so fun!” —Sherrilyn Kenyon, author of the New York Times best-selling Dark-Hunters series.
“In Rise from Ruin, Melissa Olthoff brings a new twist to dragonrider tales. Olthoff creates not only a believable and immersive world, but populates it with people whom you can respect, understand, care for, and sometimes want to punch in the face. I love the camaraderie between the dragon and griffin corps.” —Jody Lynn Nye, New York Times best-selling author
“[V]ery reminiscent of Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern and Mercedes Lackey’s The Black Gryphon, in all the best ways. . . . a fast-paced book, with elements of romance, coming-of-age, military, fantasy, and even bits of SciFi. . . . a fun read . . .” —Kal Spriggs
“Fourth Wing meets Dragonriders of Pern.” —Edie Skye
About Kathleen Schwab
Melissa Olthoff spent her youth daydreaming about riding dragons and slaying monsters. After joining the United States Air Force, she might not have gotten to ride a dragon or slay any monsters, but she had plenty of real-world adventures over the years—including flying the T-6, becoming a certified Air Traffic Controller, and her personal favorite, somehow surviving the shenanigans of her airmen.
Eventually, she rejoined the civilian workforce as a responsible adult. Sort of. She now works as an accountant (seriously) and is back to daydreaming of adventure. Sometimes those daydreams even make good stories.
Melissa currently resides in Tennessee with her husband, two children, and two dogs.