Writer for Young Adults
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 two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll… Continue reading Book Talk: The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
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 very existence defies the laws of nature. All he's ever wanted was to explore history… Continue reading Book Review: Invictus by Ryan Graudin
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 transition from one place to another, across space and time. In one devastating night, violin… Continue reading Book Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
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 historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines. Criss-cross America — on… Continue reading Book Review: A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood
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 century. Vengeance Road is a straight-up western, chockfull of strong characters and fast-paced action. When… Continue reading Golden Girls
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 1920s, set my expectations high for her new series. Luckily, Lair of Dreams delivers, delving into fascinating… Continue reading Lair of Dreams and the American Dream (Spoilers)
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 the dead come back to life. I've touched on a few YA historical fantasies in my… Continue reading (Some of) My Favorite Books: YA 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 intriguing world and compelling plot. But the book's attempt to integrate colonial American history within… Continue reading Responsibility in Writing Historical Fantasy
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 I like in my history. Today I'm going to share some books that travel down… Continue reading Mentor Texts: Steampunk and Alternate History
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 for the book. This means luxuriating in historical fantasy, paranormal, and steampunk novels to my… Continue reading Mentor Texts: Historical Fantasy
Abby Murphy 