The Dinosaur Knights

Author: Victor Milán
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre(s): Fantasy, Alternate History, DINOSAURS!
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Last year we brought you news about The Dinosaur Lords – one of the year’s most exciting new fantasy releases. Now we’re back again to talk to you guys about the sequel, The Dinosaur Knights. Describes as Jurassic Park meets Game of Thrones by George RR Martin himself, the series has quickly made a name for itself – and not just because of the dinosaurs!

Of course, the dinosaurs are pretty awesome.

The Dinosaur Knights continues Victor Milán’s sweeping epic and the adventures of Karyl Bogomirsky. Filled with all the adventure, intrigue, dramatic world building, and (of course) dinosaurs you could want, The Dinosaur Knights is poised to be a must read fantasy novel for this summer.

In honor of the release of The Dinosaur Knights on Tuesday, we sat down with Victor Milán to talk a bit about the series as part of a book tour sponsored by Tor Books. We talked a bit about dinosaurs (obviously) and what goes into coming up with such a vibrant world as the one he’s given us in this awesome series.

Read the full interview below!

Victor, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions!

So tell us, which came first: the idea to create a world with dinosaurs or the general plot and characters in your story?

The idea came first. The book I most wanted to read in the whole world – therefore, the book I wanted to write next – turned out to involve knights riding dinosaurs. Things went from there.

How much research did you do to create your world? Did you have to do a lot of research on dinosaurs and early European history or were you already familiar with the subject areas?

I knew a healthy amount about both the relevant history and dinosaurs going in. And I did – and continue to do – bunches of research into both subjects. Since I’ve pretty much always been a) a dinosaur nut; and b) a history nut, that process is not exactly unpleasant.

What was your favorite dinosaur growing up? Did it change as you got older or as you researched The Dinosaur Lords and The Dinosaur Knights?

Triceratops. First, now, and always!

My very logo is a Blue Triceratops Head. (His name is Ol’ Horny.)

Was it difficult choosing which dinosaurs to feature in your books? 

Not terribly. Since Paradise is an entire world, with a variety of ecosystems (and cultures) the pressure to include all the cool ones at once was much relieved. I reckon I’ll get to a lot more of them in time, if I’m spared, and readers continue to want more tales from the world. I had a few cool dinosaurs I wanted to include – Triceratops, of course; T. rex; Allosaurus – and others got added as they seemed necessary to the local ecological niche, the local economy, or the story.

For instance, in Nuevaropa, the empire in which The Dinosaur Lords and The Dinosaur Knights takes place, the most common heavy-draft animals are relatives of Triceratops called “nosehorns” – Centrosaurus apertus. Herds of wild ones also roam in certain regions. I started with the need for prime movers for construction and commerce, and built the rest on that.

Was it difficult figuring out how different dinosaurs would interact with and/or be used by humans?

It was certainly demanding, but I wouldn’t say “difficult” so much as “fun.” I enjoy worldbuilding, and obviously this was a big part of it for this project. It’s basically a challenge.

What can you tell us about The Dinosaur Knights and where the series is going from here?

The Dinosaur Lords sets the stage and builds the situation. The Dinosaur Knights resolves it, at increasingly breakneck speed. Characters are sorely tried. Some triumph, some fail, some die. All get scars.

But [things are] not completely [resolved] – Book III, tentatively titled The Dinosaur Princess, adds a new level of threat and complication. The whole cycle is plotted at six books, so things will continue to escalate. And our characters will face new opportunities to fall from grace – and win redemption.

Or die. That’s always an option. But at least death can sometimes be redeeming….

(Admission: I like happy endings. But not all endings are happy. And the happy ones aren’t always what you think they’ll be.)

That sounds really exciting. I know The Dinosaur Knights just came about but now we can’t wait for the third book! 

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us!

The Dinosaur Knights is out now from Tor Books! I definitely recommend you check it out – and pick up the first book it you haven’t yet, too! The Dinosaur Lords is available in paperback now, too, and is the perfect summer read for hardcore fantasy fans (especially those desperately looking forward to a Jurassic World sequel).

Read more about the series on the Tor Books website or on Victor Milán’s own website. You can also follow Victor on Twitter!

And check out these other stops on The Dinosaur Knights book tour:

Fantasy Book Critic – Guest Post by Victor Milán
A Reading Machine – Giveaway
Suvudu – Guest Post by Victor Milán
JADBB – Q&A w/ Victor Milán
Mighty Thor Jrs. – Book Excerpt