Q&A: Mikayla Bridge, Author of ‘Of Flame and Fury’

We chat with author Mikayla Bridge about Of Flame and Fury, which is an enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy, think Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow!

Hi, Mikayla! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi readers! I’m Mikayla, I’m a fantasy author currently living in Melbourne with my partner. I completed a degree in Political Science and International Relations and intended to pursue a career in politics or embassy work. Then I realised that anyone can pursue authordom, and never looked back. I subsist on caffeine, reader validation and perfectionism. On the days I’m writing, I am little more than five coffee shots in a trench coat. On the days I’m not, I’m likely at the gym, eating good food, going to the local park to sneak dog pats, reading and playing board games with friends.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’m a cliché in that I’ve always had a deep love for stories. I remember clinging to make-believe play for far too long as a kid. When I was five or six I wrote my first story, a picture book about a young koala’s surprise birthday party. Then I transitioned to short fiction, then fanfiction, then novels. I was always far more concerned with finishing manuscripts than doing well in school exams. Writing has always been my go-to way to escape and process things.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: I’m unsure which was first, but I read the Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren and the Tashi series by Anna and Barbara Fienberg obsessively as a kid.
• The one that made you want to become an author: Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy! It was so different to anything I’d ever read and taught me to critically analyse media. Raised in a small town, I don’t think I’d fully grasped that we were allowed to question our surroundings, our beliefs or ourselves. There will probably be a little of that series in everything I write.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Fallen series by Lauren Kate! The first YA romantic fantasy I ever read. The sheer angst in that series was truly formative for pre-teen Mik.

Your debut novel, Of Flame and Fury, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Combustible. Romantic. Fast. Cinematic. Twisty.

What can readers expect?

Giant murder birds. Action-packed drama. Enemies to lovers. Big, loud emotions. Fiery, volatile magic. Plot twists upon plot twists. Found family. Tense banter. Everything I love to read in YA fantasy, I’ve woven into this book.

With a tad more coherence, it’s a YA romantic fantasy about a phoenix tamer and her arrogant rival, who must team up to win dangerous F1 phoenix races while untangling a conspiracy that could burn their world to the ground.

Where did the inspiration for Of Flame and Fury come from?

The idea for Of Flame and Fury first sparked during Melbourne’s 2021-22 pandemic lockdowns. Like so many others, I was isolated and missing my friends and family. I fell into a bit of a hole. Writing felt impossible.

A few months later, I found myself rewatching lots of the franchises I loved as a child: Jurassic Park, Terminator, Fast and Furious. And at some point, I thought, what if I blended the high-octane energy of these blockbusters with fantasy?

As Of Flame and Fury took shape, I realised it also had to be a story of extremes. The phoenix races mirrored the emotional journeys of the characters. The wild action became a smokescreen for what each character was truly grappling with: loss, grief, love. The chaos, danger and magic of it all forced them to confront emotions they’d spent so long avoiding.

There was something so unexpectedly cathartic in thinking I wrote this as a fun distraction and later realising just how much it helped me process a difficult time.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I love writing action scenes (shocker), so Of Flame and Fury’s races were a highlight. There’s a particular scene in a room made from diamond that was also a favourite to write. I love an atmospheric or distinctly visual setting. I see action scenes as the chorus in a piece of music, where everything crescendos and aligns. They aren’t just spectacles; they echo the characters’ emotional arcs, adding pressure to their internal journeys.

Anytime Kel hangs out with her phoenix, Savita, was also so much fun to write. Theirs was such an easy dynamic to pin down. And I love the character Bekn, because he’s probably most similar to myself: tired, in over his head, dry sense of humour, chronic people pleaser.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Of Flame and Fury was such an anomaly. There are always slumps and challenges in the writing process, but because this was the thing I wrote for fun, for pure enjoyment, I didn’t have the usual anxieties or pressures attached to the project. Though there were certainly plot-related challenges. I love writing plot twists, and leaving plenty of breadcrumbs, so the most challenging element was – having read Of Flame and Fury a dozen times – knowing whether the twists were too obvious or not obvious enough. Other than that, I really did just have a blast writing this book.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

In some ways, my road to becoming a published author has been incredibly smooth. It’s been a mix of good timing, good luck and the privilege of being able to take advantage of the momentum when interest came. In other ways, it’s been a long, winding road. I had another literary agent prior to my current one, and the book I wrote while represented by her never took off. We parted ways amicably after a few years, and then I found my amazing now-agent, John Baker, who really championed Of Flame and Fury in ways I’d never hoped for or expected. When an offer to publish Of Flame and Fury came in, after so many years of trying to get published, it felt like a fever dream. It still does.

What’s next for you?

Book 2 is next, which I’m currently working on. It’s set in the same universe as Of Flame and Fury, and is a new standalone with a whole new set of characters.

If Of Flame and Fury is fire and practicality, Book 2 is hidden danger. Think YA fantasy as directed by Baz Luhrmann: loud, lush, chaotic, tragic, romantic. Familiar threads from Of Flame and Fury will appear, as well as new, insidious plots. It contains everything I love to write: romance, banter, plot twists and found family. I can’t wait to talk more about it!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

How much space can I take up? I could write an essay on the books I’ve enjoyed lately. I’m very lucky in that I’ve tricked my favourite authors into friendships, so I’ve had sneak peeks of their upcoming books. My top recent reads would have to be:

Upcoming, I’m excited to read:

Will you be picking up Of Flame and Fury? Tell us in the comments below!