I write YA fantasy novels with my sister, Liz. A Throne of Swans (our fourth book) is the first in a duology which features two fierce, shape-shifting queens. Since we both studied history at university, we’re particularly drawn to fantasy settings with a historical element, whether that’s a royal court or tall ships from the age of sail. In real history, queens wielding power tend to be rare or at least overlooked; Catherine of Aragon’s divorce is common knowledge, her wartime regency of England less so. Writing about and reading about powerful queens in fantasy novels is, I think, one small way of redressing the balance.
When her father dies just before her birthday, seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother - ripped apart by hawks that have supposedly been extinct since the long-ago War of the Raptors.
Aderyn is at the mercy of her brutal uncle, the King, and his royal court. She must venture into the malevolent heart of the Citadel in order to seek the truth about the attack that nearly destroyed her, to fight for the only home she has ever known and for the land she has vowed to protect.
This book, the first in a duology, combines Rumpelstiltskin with the folk myths of the Wild Hunt and the Erlking. I fell in love with the impulsive but brave main character, Serilda. A miller’s daughter who has the gift of spinning extremely tall tales, Serilda becomes a queen at the end of the book – you’ll have to read it to find out whether this is a good outcome. I was entranced by the icy, northern setting, by Serilda’s relationship with charming poltergeist Gild – who saves her skin by spinning gold from straw – and by the way the three different elements forming the story were so skillfully woven together. I’m also a sucker for a really evil villain, and the Erlking definitely delivers.
All magic comes at a price, but love was never part of the bargain . . .
The look he was giving her. Serilda had never been looked at like that before . . . The intensity. The heat. The raw astonishment. He was going to kiss her.
Cursed by the god of lies, a miller's daughter has developed a talent for storytelling - but are all of her tales as false as they appear?
When one of Serilda's stories draws the attention of the devastating Erlking, she finds herself swept away into a world of enchantment, where ghouls prowl…
This is the third book in the awesome Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy. The hero, Marianne, is not only a queen and a mage but an amazing, kick-ass pirate. That means a lot of the adventure takes place on what for us are historic sailing ships – which I love – as well as in and around the various wonderfully described islands. Marianne’s moral struggles also fascinate me, particularly in Vulture. How easy is it to draw the line between fighting back for the right reasons and taking revenge simply for the pleasure of it? It’s a dilemma we’ve touched on in our own books, and an area of ambiguity that makes Marianne a particularly satisfying character to travel with.
Power, politics and pirates collide in Vulture, the finale of the epic YA fantasy series The Isles of Storm and Sorrow, perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean.
We are all one misstep away from being the villain...
Marianne has passed the ultimate test required to be a Mage. She is finally powerful enough to reunite the Twelve Isles.
But having exposed herself to the darker side of magic, Marianne is struggling. The magic within her is nearly impossible to control, and she becomes cruel and violent, mercilessly pursuing those who have harmed her in the past, ignoring the…
This book is the third in the Iron Fey series, following the adventures of half-fae/half-human Meghan Chase in the various realms of the Fae. One of the things I love about this series, which is particularly brought out in this installment, is the subtle environmental message. The Iron Fey that threaten the complete destruction of the other fairy realms are the result of humanity’s obsession with technological progress; it’s not hard to make the association with the similar threat now posed to our own world by the relentless exploitation of resources. Our hero, Meghan, finally grows into her power – both fae and human – in this book, becoming the Iron Queen of the title. Also, this series has one of my favourite love triangles ever. Puck, or Ash? An impossible choice!
In less than twenty-four hours I'll be seventeen. Although, technically, I won't actually be turning seventeen. I've been in the Nevernever too long.
When you're in Faery, you don't age. So while a year has passed in the real world, agewise I'm probably only a few days older than when I went in. In real life, I've changed so much I don't even recognize myself. MY NAME IS MEGHAN CHASE. I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm…
Queens can be good, or evil, or anywhere between. The Magician’s Nephew introduced me (many years ago now) to one of my favourite evil queens – Jadis, later known as the White Witch who plunges Narnia into eternal winter. Unlike some other fictional queens, Jadis is not someone I would either aspire to be or want to hang out with, but her bloody-minded determination is not something any reader is going to forget in a hurry. Unable to defeat her sister, she casts a spell that destroys her entire world rather than lose. The kind of behaviour that definitely ought to be confined to the pages of a fantasy novel.
A beautiful paperback edition of The Magician's Nephew, book one in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition is complete with cover and interior art by the original illustrator, Pauline Baynes.
On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.
The Magician's Nephew is the first book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy…
I love this book because it shows a character who starts off as a bit of a wallflower transforming into a warrior queen, and, as someone who isn’t as fierce as she’d like to be, I can definitely relate. In this installment of the brilliant Discworld series, ex-witch Magrat Garlick is engaged to King Verence, and finds the big dresses and court etiquette a bit of a bore. But when the kingdom is attacked by evil elves she comes into her own, channeling the Discworld equivalent of Boudicca (sort of) and rocking a pointy breastplate to successfully defend her fiancé and her home.
A laugh-out-loud and incredibly Discworld take on A Midsummer Night's Dream, featuring everyone's favourite witches, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax
'The Discworld novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies' Independent
The fairies are back - but this time they don't just want your teeth.
It's Midsummer Night - no time for dreaming. Because sometimes, when there's more than one reality at play, too much dreaming can make the walls between them come tumbling down. And there's usually a damned good reason for there being walls between them in the first…
Burne’s been hiding out in the forest since deserting the King’s Guard. Each time he tries to return to the village, he begins to panic. And then one day, he encounters a handsome stranger picking flowers and hides behind a tree instead of talking.
He wants to be braver—and he’s about to get another chance. Because the stranger is Gray, a fairy and master of illusions who’s now following Burne home. And Gray’s got more on his mind than talking. Would a fairy that beautiful ever want someone like him? Stranger things have happened.
Burne hid behind a tree. He wanted to talk to the handsome man picking flowers at the edge of the forest, but he'd only flub it if he tried-he'd stumble over his words and blush bright red. And now the man is gone.
He tries to continue on to the village, but the same thing happens as always: his hands start shaking and panic wells up inside him. What if he runs into the bullies who tormented him in the King's Guard last spring? Ever since he deserted, he has hidden out in the…
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