Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a fantasy author and an obsessive world builder (my World of Vindor has 12 diverse nations developed over 20 years), and I love cinematic fantasy that places realistic people in exotic settings. To me, the best fantasy is beautiful in its own right—not merely allegory—but asks deep questions and influences the way we approach real life. I choose to write clean fantasy (without graphic violence, sexual situations, or profanity) to keep my work accessible to readers of all ages and sensitivity levels. The likewise clean fantasy books below have all moved me in some way, helping me see the world around me in a wondrous new light. 


I wrote

Escape to Vindor

By Emily Golus,

Book cover of Escape to Vindor

What is my book about?

There’s only one place where teenager Megan Bradshaw feels confident: in her own fantasy world of Vindor. There, by her…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Last Unicorn

Emily Golus Why did I love this book?

This deceptively simple tale is the most beautiful book I’ve ever read, hands down. Somewhere in a lilac wood lives a unicorn—an immortal creature of goodness and light, indifferent to the struggles of men. While on a dangerous journey to learn why all others of her kind have vanished, the unicorn meets a bungling wizard who accidentally transforms her into a human woman. Hiding in plain sight of the evil king who hunts her, she falls in love with a prince and begins to forget her immortal identity. Readers are left to struggle with the question of whether it’s better to shine through the ages in endless light, or live a single lifetime capable of love. The story gives me goosebumps every time. 

By Peter S. Beagle,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Last Unicorn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INCLUDES A NEW INTRODUCTION BY PATRICK ROTHFUSS

Experience one of the most enduring classics of the twentieth century and the book that The Atlantic has called “one of the best fantasy novels ever.”

The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone...

...so she ventured out from the safety of the enchanted forest on a quest for others of her kind. Joined along the way by the bumbling magician Schmendrick and the indomitable Molly Grue, the unicorn learns all about the joys and sorrows of life and love before meeting her destiny in the castle of a…


Book cover of Phantastes

Emily Golus Why did I love this book?

When I was in my early 20s, this beautiful but strange book fully captured my imagination. Anodos, a young idealist, wanders through Fairy Land and is dismayed to find that his interactions leave the mystical world worse off than he found it. Written in 1858, Phantastes is considered the first-ever fantasy novel for adults. The narrative is a series of vivid scenes—an awakened statue, a city of winged women, a sentient shadow—loosely strung together, like jewels on a necklace. Each episode touches on larger mysteries and gives the meandering story a haunting quality. “It arouses in us sensations we have never had before,” C.S. Lewis writes in the book’s introduction, “troubles oldest certainties till all questions are reopened.”

By George MacDonald,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Phantastes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of the Original Fairy Tale Classics of Western Literature

“Alas, how easily things go wrong! / A sigh too much, a kiss too long / And there follows a mist and a weeping rain / And life is never the same again” - George MacDonald, Phantastes

Imagine turning 21 and being dragged into a fantasy world full of perils and creatures that want to kill you. Imagine overcoming these dangers, going from villain to hero and beyond, loving and being deceived, helping and being helpless. Imagine waking up and everybody saying you’re gone for 21 days, though it felt…


Book cover of The Neverending Story

Emily Golus Why did I love this book?

If this title sounds familiar, it’s because it was made into a famous 1980s fantasy film. Shy Bastian Bux skips school to read a mysterious book, only to find himself being pulled into the world it describes. Once he enters Fantastica, Bastian has unlimited wishes that will help rebuild everything destroyed by the devastating Nothing. But this seemingly happy ending has a dark side: with every wish Bastian makes in Fantastica, he loses a memory of his life from the real world. Forgetting his origins as a kind underdog, Bastian grows power-hungry and selfish, and runs the risk of trapping his shrinking soul in Fantastica forever.  

By Michael Ende, Ralph Manheim (translator),

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Neverending Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Read the book that inspired the classic coming-of-age film! From award-winning German author Michael Ende, The Neverending Story is a classic tale of one boy and the book that magically comes to life.

When Bastian happens upon an old book called The Neverending Story, he's swept into the magical world of Fantastica--so much that he finds he has actually become a character in the story! And when he realizes that this mysteriously enchanted world is in great danger, he also discovers that he is the one chosen to save it. Can Bastian overcome the barrier between reality and his imagination…


Book cover of The Light Between Worlds

Emily Golus Why did I love this book?

One night, during a Blitzkrieg attack on London, the Hapwell siblings are whisked away to the fantastical Woodlands. There they spend the next several years helping the great stag Cervus defend Palace Beautiful. But it’s when the siblings return to their own world that their real troubles begin. Pining for the Woodlands debilitates Evelyn, the youngest Hapwell, and she can no longer navigate life at boarding school or maintain relationships. Can her older sister Philippa stop Evelyn from falling to pieces, all while battling her own demons? This beautiful narrative takes us deep into the complexity of grief and guilt, and explores the heartbreak of trying to rescue a loved one who doesn’t want help.

By Laura E. Weymouth,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Light Between Worlds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

What happens when you return to the real world after
living in a fantasy one? Perfect for fans of Holly Black and Brigid
Kemmerer.
'I loved this beautiful book!' Melissa Albert,
New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

'Transfixing and unforgettable.' Sara Holland,
New York Times bestselling author of Everless

'Doesn't let go until the last, stunning sentence.' Amy
Ewing, author of The Jewel

Six years ago, sisters Evie and Philippa were swept away to a
strange and beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived
for years. Now, returned to the real world, they must come to…


Book cover of The Mermaid's Sister

Emily Golus Why did I love this book?

Clara knows two things about her adopted sister: one, she’s the best friend Clara has ever had and, two, once she turns into a mermaid, she’ll rejoin her birth family in the sea and be gone forever. Nothing Clara does can stop the process, and once Maren is fully transformed, longing for the sea begins to kill her. But it’s a dangerous journey from the hills of Pennsylvania to the Atlantic—especially when there are nefarious characters who would love to get their hands on a real mermaid. Personally, as a mother of two sons, the theme of choosing to help someone you love fulfill their own destiny rather than keeping them back to complete your own happiness is a bittersweet one to ponder. 

By Carrie Anne Noble,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mermaid's Sister as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winner for Young Adult Fiction, 2014

Realm Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction of the Year, 2016There is no cure for being who you truly are....In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie's healing potions. By night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara's favorite story tells of three orphan infants-Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O'Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.One…


Explore my book 😀

Escape to Vindor

By Emily Golus,

Book cover of Escape to Vindor

What is my book about?

There’s only one place where teenager Megan Bradshaw feels confident: in her own fantasy world of Vindor. There, by her wits and charm alone, she wards off the monsters that threaten the centaurs, merfolk, samurai, and other imaginary nations under her protection.

But when Megan finds herself transported to a very real and physical Vindor—with flesh-and-blood versions of the characters she’s invented—the rules of the game change. Stripped of her alter-ego’s graces and no longer in control of the storyline, Megan must defeat the Shadow—a creature of ice and nightmares that Megan definitely did not create. Can a shy and anxious teen save the world she loves, or will the Shadow destroy her first?

Book cover of The Last Unicorn
Book cover of Phantastes
Book cover of The Neverending Story

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Book cover of Snow on Magnolias

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Why am I passionate about this?

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What is my book about?

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Snow on Magnolias

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What is this book about?

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Award-winning author of historical fiction presents a new novel of love and lies, secrets and sensuality, and the hands of fate weaving it all together.

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