Marie Parks is joining us today to talk about her novel, Flightless. Here’s the publisher’s description:
Riff is a disgraced, low-class thief. All of his hopes hinge on Ascension, so he can rejoin the elite, upper-class thieves guild he belonged to as a youth. When he’s offered a rare, lucrative job to steal an artifact and prove himself to the guild, there’s no question he’ll take it. But his crewmates grow skittish, and one of his usuals refuses to join the operation, making Riff wonder what they know that he doesn’t.
As his crew prepares, they face sabotage and betrayal. The only way out is forward, because the artifact is their sole bargaining chip. Riff must discover how far he’s willing to go to improve his station and confront his ambitions. This job has the potential to fulfill all his dreams… or end his career.
What’s Marie’s favorite bit?
Flightless is a fantasy heist set in a world where those with wings have all the power. As for Riff, he’s flightless. He sets out on the most challenging heist of his career, and this time, the stakes are personal.
But I don’t want to talk about Riff today. Don’t get me wrong, I love the scrappy hero of this story. He’s fallible but earnest, and that endears him to me.
And yet, a heist isn’t a heist without a crew. And a world isn’t a world without people to populate it.
So let’s talk about them.
First, I want to gush about Riff’s parents, who perfectly fit the grump/sunshine trope. They’re only present for one chapter, but their importance in Riff’s life looms large. When we finally meet them through Riff’s best friend, Darrigan, their interplay makes me giggle.
Myana put a hand on Farrina’s tensed arm and drew her back into the house. “It’s alright, Riff’s mentioned Darrigan.” She had the soothing voice one would use with a snapping dog.
“Do we trust that this is actually him?” Her eyes skewered Darrigan. “Where is our son?”
He held up both hands, palms out. “In Quilia. He’s working, but he asked me to give you something.”
Farrina pointed to the doorstep. “Leave it there.”
“Nonsense, he’s our guest.” Myana brushed past her and tugged the door all the way open. “Come in, Darrigan.”
Farrina stalked to the hearth to aggressively stir the pot hanging over the dying fire. “If he murders us, it’s your fault.”
Darrigan stepped inside. The only word he could muster to describe the inside was adorable. Sure, he could see the stars through a hole in the thatching, but there were so many bunches of garlic, rosemary, and thyme hanging from the ceiling, one less attuned to details would hardly notice.
I want to go to there. I want to be friends with these perfectly mismatched women. I want to breathe in their herb-decorated cottage and join them for dinner.
Flightless is a stressful story, in many ways. So, it felt important to inject some levity and love through the people who surround Riff.
If sarcastic humor is your jam, may I introduce Rasaria? This is her first conversation with our protagonist since a not-yet-cleared-up miscommunication where, previously, she had invited him on a dinner date. He, being asexual (like I am), aromantic, and oblivious, failed to pick up what she was putting down. And now he needs information from her.
Riff reached the front of the queue and gave the herbalist a tentative smile.
“Well, there’s a face I didn’t anticipate seeing again.” She returned his expression with false brightness. She blinked rapidly as she took in his tattered boots, threadbare
breeches, and fraying poncho. “Looks like you’re doing… well.”
He winced. Their dinner had taken place before he’d reached his current state of unwash. “I’m here on business, just looking for your brother.”
“I thought you were here for some mint.” She sniffed. “Or something strong. Riff, don’t stand too close. You’re making my eyes water.”
Vex it all. It’s not like he was a glooming onion. “Do you know where I can find him?”
Of course, she smelled of strawberry flowers and honey, but her voice was all thorns. “You’re not dragging that lout into another fool’s errand, are you?”
“A bit rude to call your brother names.”
“On the contrary; it’s a sister’s solemn duty.”
I want to go to there, too. I want a sassy friend who makes literal tea blends while spilling the figurative tea.
For our third and final foray into Side Character Land, let’s peek at the domestic life of Sal. He’s just gotten home from a stressful day, and he’s greeted by his husband and their gaggle of kids.
From the children’s room deeper in the home, Vic emerged. He was holding a toy boat in one hand and a pot of glue in the other, a paintbrush gripped between his teeth.
“Edi broke The Red Lady again!” Lena said.
“Well, that’s because he likes to see how far he can sail her. And by sail her, I mean throw her.”
As Sal approached Vic, his frustrations melted away, replaced with a low, familiar futtering in his chest. They’d been married eighteen years and adopting street orphans for fourteen, and still he felt breathless every time he laid eyes on his husband. He was impossibly tall, nearly seven feet, and built like a rail with deliciously well-fitted clothes. His skin was a deep brown, with eyes to match and smile lines radiating out toward his graying temples. They’d worked together on a job once and been inseparable ever since.
Sal plucked the brush from Vic’s teeth and planted a kiss on his lips. Before stepping back, he murmured, “I’ll take over boat repair duty. I’m the dexterous one.”
I actually don’t want to go to there because there are four rambunctious kids running around and two partners who would very much enjoy some alone time. But I do like the glimpse into their world.
Flightless is full of both family and found family. Giving them their own homes and lives and relationships helped me feel like I could inhabit this world. Linger in it. Make friends. Want to return.
I hope you feel invited in.
LINKS:
BIO:
Marie Parks (she/her) is an award-winning LGBTQIA+ fantasy author and founder of Sandia Starforgers writing retreats for speculative fiction writers. She coauthored The Grigori Cycle with Jes Honard, including Unrelenting (April 2022) and Undeniable (October 2025) from Not a Pipe Publishing. Unrelenting won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards for best LGBTQ book and was a finalist in the categories of Fiction: Sci-Fi/Fantasy and First Book NM. Marie was a finalist for the Futurescapes Award for Most Promising New Author for her fantasy heist, Flightless (Shadow Dragon Press, 2026). Additionally, she is a New Mexico Writers Annual Grant recipient and was a finalist for the Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest – Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Marie lives in New Mexico with her dogs, where she loves to camp, hike, and eat green chile.
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Thank you so much for hosting me for this conversation, Mary Robinette! And thank you for the generous blurb.