Myths, Legends & Historical Fantasy
From time travel to Arthurian legend, you'll find a wealth of stories that cater your every need.
Sebastien de Castell
Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.
Sebastien's acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy. the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut, the Prix Imaginales for Best Foreign Work, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and is published in more than a dozen languages.
Sebastien lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats.
Angus Watson
In his twenties, Angus Watson's jobs ranged from forklift truck driver to investment banker. He spent his thirties on various assignments as a freelance writer, such as searching for Bigfoot in the USA for the Telegraph, diving on the scuppered German fleet at Scapa Flow for the Financial Times and swimming with sea lions off the Galapagos Islands for the Times.
Now entering his forties, Angus lives in London with his wife Nicola and baby son Charlie. As a fan of both historical fiction and epic fantasy, he came up with the idea of writing a fantasy set in the Iron Age when exploring British hillforts for the Telegraph, and developed the story while walking Britain's ancient paths for further articles.
Myke Cole
As a security contractor, government civilian and military officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Counterterrorism to Cyber Warfare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fuelled writing. He writes historical fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and historical non-fiction.
Susan Stokes-Chapman
It's the age-old tale, isn't it? Insular, bookish, 'fell into writing'. It's cliché, but that was me down to a tee. As a child I could very happily - and often would - lose myself in a book, and was caught many times by teachers looking out a window daydreaming, feeling far more at home in my imagination than anywhere else. Inevitable, then, I turned out to be a writer in later life! I grew up in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield (where my love of the era began) before moving on to spend four years in the coastal town of Aberystwyth, graduating with a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing.
My debut novel Pandora was published in January 2022, and became an instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller. A loose reinterpretation of the Greek myth Pandora's Box, it tells the story of aspiring jewellery artist Dora Blake and her encounter with an ancient vase that her tyrannical uncle is desperately keen to keep a secret. The novel was previously shortlisted for the 2020 Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and longlisted for the Bath Novel Award that same year.
I currently live in North Wales, endlessly pestered by a pair of very beautiful (and often very naughty) British Shorthair cats named Byron and Brontë while I work on my next novel.
Jeannette Ng
Jeannette Ng is originally from Hong Kong but now lives in Durham, UK. Her MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies fed into an interest in medieval and missionary theology, which in turn spawned her love for writing gothic fantasy with a theological twist. She used to sell costumes out of her garage. She runs live roleplay games, performs hair wizardry and sometimes has opinions on the internet, including in Foreign Policy.
She has won the Astounding for Best New Writer in 2019 and the Sydney J Bounds Award (Best Newcomer) in the British Fantasy Awards 2018. Her book, Under the Pendulum Sun was The Guardian’s “The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year”. She also achieved Winner of the John W. Campbell Award, “Best New Writer”.
Mark Knowles
Archaeologist specialising in Roman and Greek Classical Periods, first class cricketer, semi-professional rugby player, Formula 3 racing car driver, adventurer/ explorer and writer ... are all things I wish, at various times, I had been.
Sadly, the truth is a little different (except the last). I am an unashamed Ancient History and languages nerd and took degrees in Classics and then Management Studies at Downing College, Cambridge. Following various short-lived careers in legal publishing, as a head-hunter, sports writer, prep school teacher and fitness coach, I joined the Metropolitan Police Service, retiring as an acting Inspector after a decade to take up a post as Head of Classics at Ashville College in Harrogate.
The basic premise for 'The Consul's Daughter' was first conceived whilst I was in The Met and is based closely upon real events and characters in AD 205, whilst being embroidered with my own experiences as a front-line officer. I am a very big fan of immersive history and reconstructive archaeology and get very excited about the resurgence of interest in the ancient past that began in this country, as I like to see it, with Channel 4's 'Time Team' nearly 25 years ago.
I rowed on the reconstructed ancient Greek trireme 'Olympias' in sea trials in and around the island of Poros in 1994 and look forwards to the day when another project like that reaches fruition, and only hope I'm not too creaky by then to ply an oar. I have since subjected my students to trialling a mock-up cross-section of the trireme (needed work) as well as tasting some authentic Spartan 'black broth' (tasty but bad heartburn afterwards) in lectures aimed at bringing the ancient past to life.
Mark also has a book set during Roman times
Daniel Kelly
Irish Author. Born in Donegal on the northern edge of the wild Atlantic way, I highly recommend that you visit and you will see exactly why I love history. Great teachers and a love of good historical fiction authors broadened my love of ancient history to a worldwide level.
Mary Anne Yarde
Mary Anne Yarde is the multi award-winning author of the International Bestselling series -- The Du Lac Chronicles. Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology.
Glastonbury -- the fabled Isle of Avalon -- was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood. Mary Anne is also the founder of The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Dan Davis
