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Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 2nd 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

A teen girl must bring together two broken worlds in order to save her nation in this lush, Filipino-inspired young adult fantasy novel from debut author Elisa A. Bonnin.

“Be dauntless, for the hopes of the People rest in you.”

Seri’s world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.

Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts – a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she’s ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.

“Dauntless captures the best parts of every action-packed fantasy—breathtaking scenes of power and victory that push the limits of human tenacity. This is a triumphant tale of courage and self discovery that will make you believe in your own strength.” —Kyllie Lee Baker, author of The Keeper of Night

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My Publishing Journey

I still remember the day I decided I wanted to be a published author. I was eight years old, and I had just finished writing my first "book" ever. It was about twenty pages long, mostly made up of drawings, and I was written on notebook paper and held together by tape and yarn. It was the story of a fairy princess who had gotten trapped in the human world and was trying to find her way back, and I decided I wanted to publish it.

From that day on, becoming a published author became my dream. I wrote many more stories about Elena, the fairy princess, all through elementary school. In high school, I started trying to write longer works of fantasy. I took every opportunity to write as a child and teenager, and by the time I was seventeen, I was regularly writing 100,000 word drafts of fantasy novels and querying agents. I was determined to become published.

I wish I could say that from that point on, my publishing journey was straightforward, but it actually wasn't. Because although I started writing so early, I didn't get a book deal until I was twenty-eight, two whole decades after that first short story, and more than a decade after I finished my first "polished" novel draft. In that time, I've been rejected hundreds of times, written at least ten manuscripts that I ended up shelving, and just about gave up on the whole thing. I wasn't having any luck getting an agent, and when I submitted Dauntless and Stolen City to Swoon Reads' crowdsourcing platform, I was so used to rejection that I truly didn't expect anything to come of it, and just wanted to take a productive break from querying while I moved to Germany.

Imagine my surprise when those were the two books that ended up getting published.

It's been two years since them, and I couldn't be happier about the way my life has changed. I'm so excited to be able to hold my book in my hands, and I'm excited and terrified to share my work with all of you. But it's been a long and winding road, and if it has taught me anything, it's that you have to find a way to enjoy the process of writing. If I had written my books just to get them published, I probably would have quit a long time ago. But I wrote my books because I enjoyed them, because I enjoyed the act of creating them, and although getting published was still the goal, having this mindset helped me keep writing.

I’ve heard people say that if you write what you enjoy, readers will be able to pick up that enjoyment in your books and I think that’s true. I hope that you enjoy reading Dauntless and Stolen City, and I hope to keep writing many more books to come.

Author Bio

Elisa A. Bonnin was born and raised in the Philippines, after which she moved to the United States to study chemistry and later oceanography. After completing her doctorate, she moved to Germany to work as a postdoctoral scientist. A lifelong learner, Elisa is always convinced that she should “maybe take a class in something” and as a result, has amassed an eclectic collection of hobbies. But writing will always be her true love. Publishing a book has been her dream since she was eight years old, and she is thrilled to finally be able to share her stories. Dauntless is her first novel.