historical fantasy

  • Book Talk: The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

    The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee Katherine Tegen Books, October 2018 Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with… Continue reading

    Book Talk: The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
  • Book Review: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

    Invictus by Ryan Graudin Little, Brown, September 2017 Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy (Time Travel) Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time traveler from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in ancient Rome, Far’s… Continue reading

    Book Review: Invictus by Ryan Graudin
  • Book Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

    Passenger by Alexandra Bracken Disney-Hyperion, January 2016 Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy (Time Travel) Passage, n. i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes. ii. A journey by water; a voyage. iii. The… Continue reading

    Book Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
  • Book Review: A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood

    A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & Other Badass Girls edited by Jessica Spotswood Candlewick Press, March 2016 Genre: YA, Historical Fiction (with some Fantasy) From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of… Continue reading

    Book Review: A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood
  • Golden Girls

    Gold is in the air this fall, and not just in the turning leaves. Two new YA westerns, Erin Bowman’s Vengeance Road and Rae Carson’s Walk on Earth a Stranger, send strong young women on the trail for gold in the 19th… Continue reading

    Golden Girls
  • Lair of Dreams and the American Dream (Spoilers)

    Just as I was starting school at the end of August, Libba Bray’s long-awaited Lair of Dreams hit shelves. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of pretty much anything she writes, and The Diviners, a sprawling historical thriller set in the… Continue reading

    Lair of Dreams and the American Dream (Spoilers)
  • (Some of) My Favorite Books: YA Historical Fantasy

    Writing about some of my favorite YA historicals got me thinking about my other favorite genre: historical fantasy. There’s something so freeing and fun about a great fantasy romp through, say, an alternate London, where girls wield formidable magical powers and… Continue reading

    (Some of) My Favorite Books: YA Historical Fantasy
  • Responsibility in Writing Historical Fantasy

    In keeping with my study of historical fantasy, I just finished Brandon Sanderson’s The Rithmatist, on Josh’s suggestion. He’s a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, and this YA novel sounded right up my alley. It was a lot of fun, with an… Continue reading

    Responsibility in Writing Historical Fantasy
  • Mentor Texts: Steampunk and Alternate History

    About a month ago I posted about some of the mentor texts I’ve been reading in preparation for a YA historical fantasy I want to write. I’ve tried to read a wide range of books, as I figure out exactly how much fantasy… Continue reading

    Mentor Texts: Steampunk and Alternate History
  • Mentor Texts: Historical Fantasy

    This fall I’ve been mulling over an idea for a YA historical fantasy and doing some research (my favorite) in between working on my current WIP. I’ve also been reading a bucketload of mentor texts to help me hone my vision… Continue reading

    Mentor Texts: Historical Fantasy