What happens when a first-born bargain goes wrong?
Princess Gisele has spent her life preparing for an evil fae sorcerer to claim her. That was the bargain her mother was tricked into: one royal first-born in exchange for spinning straw into gold.
But it’s been decades, and he still hasn’t shown up.
The unfulfilled fairytale-debt, however, is refusing to lie quietly. When its chaotic magic reaches unbearable levels, Gisele takes matters into her own hands. Terrifying fae sorcerer or not, she’ll hunt him down and force him to stop ruining her life.
But instead of an evil mastermind, she finds the scholarly, nameless lord of a magical house. He wants nothing to do with the angry knife-wielding spinster on his doorstep. Unfortunately, the fairytale-debt has other ideas.
Now magically bound to her lifelong nemesis, the only way to break the magic between them is to work together to find the nameless fae’s lost name. Assuming they don’t strangle each other first.
HOW TO FIND A NAMELESS FAE is a cozy fantasy romance retelling of Rumplestiltskin with spice, featuring a middle-aged heroine, a buttoned-up hero, and an interfering sentient house.
Advanced Praise for How to Find a Nameless Fae
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Imagine Rumpelstiltskin but in a cottagecore, fantasy, romantic comedy kind of way.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Lancaster truly has a way with making lovable and a little unhinged characters that you will be rooting for from beginning to end.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I fell into the world of faerie and never wanted to leave."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“At its heart, this story explores loneliness, how it affects all kinds of people, the doubts it plants, and the yearning it brings. But it’s also about finding your people, and I think it’s safe to say that Gisele and Mal finally found theirs 💕”
I originally wrote this story for a fairytale anthology under a strict wordcount constraint. For this re-edited and re-released version, I let it breathe a bit more, bringing scenes on-page that had to be truncated or only alluded to in the original, which ended up making it about twice as long (about 20k words total)! I consider this one the ‘true’ version as a result.
For New Version, I have New Cover! This amazingly beautiful art is by the talented Amira Naval.
What if Cinderella’s step-family were fae? As a lowly human, Cinders has never been good enough for her noble fae family–but she can’t escape them. Every dawn, the magic binding her to their manor calls her back. When the fae king announces he’ll choose a bride at the Thrice-Held Ball, Cinders is of course forbidden to attend. Even if the dancing doesn’t go past dawn, her family would never allow her to be seen with them.
But after she receives a pair of enchanted shoes that alter her appearance, she can’t resist the chance to become someone else for a night. She’ll dance in disguise for the three nights of the ball and enjoy her small stolen freedom.
She never expected to catch the fae king’s eye, or for her act of rebellion to turn into something far more dangerous. Everyone wants to know who the mysterious masked lady is, and they won’t rest until they find out. King Tāwhiri sees her as no one ever has before, but how can she trust it’s more than just enchantment at work? Can she make it home by dawn? And does she even want to marry a winged king, anyway?
So, how do you get your hands on this novella? Because I know a lot of my fans have already read the original version, I am offering this new edition as a pre-order reward for my novel set in the same world, How to Find a Nameless Fae. Fill out this form with proof of your pre-order, and you can get Winged King for free.
I’m excited to announce that I’m part of an anthology of fantasy romance fairytale retellings releasing later this year. This is my first time writing a short piece and participating in such a group project, and I had a ball (heehee) of a time doing it. More details on my own story to come.
There are a huge number of talented authors taking part, showcasing the breadth of this subgenre. I’m so excited to read them all!
When it comes to true love, rules are meant to be broken …
Dark forests and locked doors, poisoned apples and forbidden lovers … Bold heroines and swoon-worthy heroes break all the rules in this enchanting anthology of the fairy tales you thought you knew.
Once Upon A Forbidden Desire features 20 enticing fairy tale retellings by a diverse selection of fantasy romance authors. From sweet true love’s kisses to sizzling passion, from the streets of Seattle to enchanted forests, and from poor scullery maids to a winged Prince Charming …
If you enjoy spellbinding romance, enthralling new worlds, and stories with a taste of the forbidden, these happily ever afters will leave you spellbound. Give in to temptation and grab your copy of Once Upon a Forbidden Desire now.
With a foreword by Grace Draven and Jeffe Kennedy, this limited edition anthology celebrates the variety of the fantasy romance genre. It contains stories ranging from sweet to steamy and is recommended for an adult audience.
I’ve been calling my own books ‘gaslamp fantasy’ since I published them, but more recently, I’ve started calling them by another term as well: fantasy of manners.
What is fantasy of manners?
Fantasy-of-manners is a subgenre of fantasy where the societal setting lends itself to intimate, complicated social interactions and (you guessed it) manners. Think ballrooms and manor houses rather than battlefields. The name draws from ‘comedy of manners’, and while fantasy-of-manners books aren’t always humorous, they often do have a whimsical / tongue-in-cheek tone.
Wait, how is fantasy-of-manners different from gaslamp fantasy?
I’ve been musing on this (I do love musing on subgenres). I think there is naturally a lot of overlap between gaslamp fantasy and fantasy of manners and that many books (including mine) are both. Gaslamp fantasy describes the world’s technology level / historical time-period feel, and fantasy of manners describes the society and focus of the story’s conflicts.
Why is fantasy of manners so great?
Ridiculous rules and constraints create massive potential for delicious interpersonal drama and / or humorous situations.
Aesthetics. There’s just something about balls and men in waistcoats, isn’t there?
Intimate focus. Politics, rumours, and clever conversations rather than battles and action sequences.
The fun of seeing how something as wild as magic fits into a world of rigid societal rules.
So what are some examples of fantasy-of-manners books?
I’m so glad you asked! Here is a list of fantasy-of-manners books I have read and enjoyed. These are all books with strong romantic elements, because that’s how I roll. Please do recommend more in the comments – I love this subgenre, so I’m always happy to find more.
15 (Romantic) Fantasy-of-Manners Books
(in no particular order)
The Lord of Stariel by AJ Lancaster
Yes, I know. Tacky. But I have to add my own books to this listicle for SEO purposes, and technically I have read and enjoyed them! Marketing shmarketing and the hustle of the self-published author and all that. Anyway, if you like large-extended-family antics, melodramatic fae, and magical sentient estates, you might like my books.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: Not in this book, but some later in the series.
The Lady Jewel Diviner by Rosalie Oaks
These books have the spirit of cosy mystery novels combined with Regencies. Plus vampires and selkies. It works wonderfully, I promise. The main character can magically sense gemstones.
What I particularly adore about this series is how joyful it is. Very much not taking itself too seriously, and I absolutely cackled my way through especially the climax in this book. There’s a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance with the high-handed (but well-meaning) Earl of Beresford.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: No
Subversive by Colleen Cowley
Oof, this trilogy was so addictive I read all three in a row. They have an almost thriller vibe to them with lots of politics and secrets. I loved the enemies-to-lovers romance and the fascinating exploration of all the ways that magical oaths might go wrong.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: Yes
The Midnight Bargain by CL Polk
My favourite thing about this book is the magic – magicians make bargains with spirits to do their bidding. I choose to imagine them as demonic pokemon.
Self-published: No Steamy scenes: No
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
A whimsical Regency fantasy romance (with capricious fairies) that manages to touch on darker issues whilst remaining overall light in tone.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: No
Tea & Sympathetic Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts
What impresses me most about these cosy novellas is how satisfying they are. Each contains a mystery, furthers the romantic arc, and includes a cast of entertaining secondary characters. I have no idea how Tansy fits so much in to such a short length.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: No
Sorcerer to the crown by Zen Cho
This book is so good I can’t actually encapsulate its goodness with words (ironically). Zacharias, the titular Sorcerer to the Crown, is my favourite and I just want an endless amount of nice things for him.
Self-published: No Steamy scenes: No
Empath’s Lure by Jen Lynning
A hero who can manipulate emotions (but not sense them) meets a heroine who can sense emotions (but not manipulate them) on opposite sides of the treaty negotiation talks between two nations. Full of courtly intrigue and political shenanigans as well as the burgeoning romance between these enemies-turned-eventual-allies.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: Yes
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
The magic system fascinated me in this one – magicians cast using hand motions based on the cat’s cradle game. I also loved how many scenes are set in libraries and just how much William Morris wallpaper features.
Self-published: No Steamy scenes: Yes
Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis
A magical manor-house mystery set in a kind of gender-bent version of Regency England (with added trolls and fae). It’s a novella, and I read it in one go and regret nothing.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: No
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles
This m/m romance has a real gothic feel with the terrifying curse afflicting one of the heroes and the ominous magpie imagery.
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: Yes
Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis
Regency romance with pet dragons! The moment I heard about this book, I knew I must read it, and I was right. I inhaled this delightful confection in a single sitting (seems to be something of a trend for me with Stephanie Burgis’ books).
Self-published: Yes Steamy scenes: No
Witchmark by CL Polk
m/m and includes fae and magical soulbonds!
Self-published: No Steamy scenes: Fade to black
Soulless by Gail Carriger
My heart will always hold a huge soft spot for Lord Maccon, gruff but well-meaning werewolf alpha.
Self-published: No Steamy scenes: Yes
Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
This was the first fantasy-of-manners book I ever read, many years ago and before I knew the term for the subgenre. It’s told as letters back and forth between two friends as they each get embroiled in their respective mysteries / shenanigans, and it is pure delight. Maybe time for a re-read, in fact.
Fantasy is my first and truest love, but romance is a close second (a shocker, I know, if you’ve read my books 😉). So it was with great excitement that I headed off to Christchurch last weekend for my first-ever Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ) conference.
Hagley Park, Christchurch
Years ago, when I was a university student, I spent a lot of time in Christchurch Airport, waiting for connecting flights as part of my journey home. I’m not sure this really counts as having visited the city. I can’t say I’ve now remedied this, since I spent last weekend largely within the four walls of the conference hotel.
However, I can say that the few bits of Christchurch I did see were both lovely and curiously English in aesthetic (and, coming from hilly Wellington, disconcertingly flat). The hotel abutted the large and picturesque Hagley Park, where the first signs of spring were juuust beginning, cherry blossoms and daffodils and a hint of warmth.
“The trees are coming into leaf. Like something almost being said—Philip Larkin
(I thought of this quote a lot during spring when I was overseas in Oxford, and Hagley Park had that same quality to it).
On Friday morning, I turned up to the registration desk and received my name badge and conference pack. A heart sticker adorned my badge, marking me as a first-time attendee.
The name badges were an absolute godsend. Some people say they remember faces but not names; I frequently remember neither. If only name badges were fashionable in more situations!
I was quite nervous that first morning, as the only person I knew wasn’t turning up until the Saturday. However, my nerves were completely unwarranted; everyone was extremely friendly (thanks to the aforementioned heart-sticker), and luckily we all had one ginormous thing in common that made it easy to start conversations!
“So, what do you write?” was the #1 conversation opener, for the very first time in my life.
I refined my answer to this over time and eventually settled on: “Think fantasy Downton Abbey.”
(I feel I must make an admission here; I’ve never actually watched Downton Abbey, but it’s a comparison that multiple reviewers have used and it’s a more comprehensible shorthand than “Er…secondary world early twentieth centuryish inspired fantasy-of-manners with fae and romance?”. Hopefully, when I do get around to watching it, I won’t discover that I’ve been merrily giving everyone an entirely false idea of what to expect!)
Onto the workshops!
There aren’t a lot of local professional development opportunities for genre writers in New Zealand. I’d heard through the grapevine that RWNZ conferences offer fantastic craft workshops that would be of benefit to any writer, not only those writing pure romance.
Well, I’m here to tell you that the grapevine was absolutely right.
My uncharacteristically organised note-taking.
Over the three days, I made fifty pages of notes. FIFTY. Beginnings, tension, characterisation through narration, and conflict were just some of the topics covered. I think I’ll write up a few of the sessions that particularly resonated with me in separate blog posts, but needless to say that by the end of the weekend, my brain was stuffed full of information and ideas.
Let no one tell you that writing romance is easy. These guys take their craft seriously. The whole conference was infused with a determination to learn, share ideas, and ultimately bring readers joy. But more than that, everyone there practically glowed with the love of writing. The enthusiasm was infectious and left me buzzing with renewed motivation to finish my work in progress.
Plus, as it turns out, romance authors and editors have great senses of humour.
One group’s ‘guesses’ at missing titles
If every duke featured in a regency romance actually existed, they’d outnumber the sheep in New Zealand*” —May Chen, Avon editor.
*Current NZ sheep numbers = 27.3 million, which by my calculation means every New Zealander gets ~5.6 dukes of their very own!
A bit of preface: I wrote most of this blog post aaaaages ago but never got around to finishing it. However, this week I discovered a new FB reader group called Romantic Fantasy Shelf, which has been set up by a bunch of indie authors and is focused on secondary-world Romantic Fantasy / Fantasy Romance / Reverse Harem fantasy and it (a) seemed right up my alley (go join if it’s up your alley too; they’re running a whole bunch of giveaways this month to celebrate the launch of the group) and (b) reminded me of this half-written blog post.
Now for the actual blog post:
Because I am me and like organising things into their Correct Places, I have spent a lot of time pondering genre nuances. And because my current project (the Stariel series) contains both fantasy and romance, this specific genre nuance (fantasy romance vs romantic fantasy) interests me particularly. Are they actually different subgenres or just different names for the same thing? Is there any real difference between the two subgenres in terms of reader expectations?
From a purely technical standpoint, fantasy romance is a subgenre of ROMANCE whereas romantic fantasy is a subgenre of FANTASY. In other words, you’d expect the dominant element to be the parent genre.
But if a book has both romance and fantasy, how do you tell which is the ‘dominant’ genre? And what if it’s an equal mixture of both?
I’ve been told that one simple way to figure out if you’re dealing with a book that has romance as its dominant genre is to ask yourself: ‘does the plot still pretty much work if I take out the romance?’ and if the answer is ‘no’, well, there you go; it’s a romance. It works for some books where the balance is clearly tipped more one way than the other.
For example, Tamora Pierce’s Alanna books still work if you take out the romance (though why would you do that!?) since the major plotline is the heroine training to be a knight.
By comparison, Robin McKinley’s Beauty doesn’t work if you take out the romance, since the main plot is about Beauty and the Beast’s relationship.
However, I have found this question of ‘does it still work if you take out the romance’ overly simplistic for a lot of books. If you take the romance out of C.L. Wilson’s Lord of the Fading Lands, you’ve still got fantasy worldbuilding and conflicts but you lose most of the character motivations.
Also, this cover is INSANE. Go, giant fire-breathing panther head, go!
Similarly with Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart. You can take out the romance and still have intricate politics, sexy courtesans, and war between nations, but, again, you lose major character motivations and some very big subplots.
For my own series, which falls into the Romantic Fantasy rather than Fantasy Romance camp, the answers to the question ‘does the plot work if you take out the romance?’ are:
Book 4: The King of Faerie – Well, it would be a totally different series by now without the romance elements so hard to say
Basically, it gets silly very quickly trying to figure out whether a book still works without half its ingredients. And, really, who wants half a cake? Er, book.
I thought another way to slice this might be to look at Amazon’s categories. Fantasy has a subcategory for “Romantic” and Romance has a subcategory for “Fantasy”. So what’s filed under each one?
A lot of the same books, as it turns out.
There are slightly more sexy man-chest covers under Romance>Fantasy and slightly more women-with-glowy-magic-hands covers under Fantasy>Romantic.
I think the main difference (if any) is that Fantasy Romance series are likely to feature a different couple in each book, whereas Romantic Fantasy series focus on the same characters over multiple books.
However, my main conclusion after looking at a bunch of books that mix romance and fantasy is that this quest has not helped my To-Be-Read list get any smaller.
It will release 1 November and I am COUNTING DAYS GUYS OMG. I am both incredibly excited to show it to the world and nervous for precisely the same reason!
I think of books as a long, time-delayed conversation between authors and readers. You can keep your writing in the back of the wardrobe and never show it to another living soul. This has the advantage of keeping it safe from criticism, but it’s also a lot like talking to yourself. It also means the book is never truly finished, because there’s nothing to stop you fiddling with your wardrobe-book forever.
It’s been a long journey, getting this series ready for release, and part of me still can’t quite believe that book one is really truly actually going to be published IN LESS THAN A MONTH.
Where will the book be available to buy when it releases?
Ebook
In the long run, I plan to make my books available on all ebookseller platforms, but in the short run they will only be available on Amazon. This is due to Amazon’s exclusivity requirements for its subscription programme, Kindle Unlimited, which I plan to enrol my books in initially.
Print
You’ll be able to order books from your preferred bookseller of choice (I can recommend Book Depository for free international shipping). I’ll let you know when and where they’re available.
A sneak peek
I’ve also put the prologue and the first chapter up on the website. You can read it here. I plan to put a few more chapters up before release date, to psych myself up for it!
