The Elements of Dystopian Fiction

I’ve been a fan of dystopian novels ever since I read The Handmaid’s Tale as a teenager. That was over twenty years ago. Back then, reading dystopian meant picking up the old classics like 1984 and Brave New World. But in recent times, books like The Hunger Games have sparked …

My 2018 Reading Challenge

This post should really be titled, “Books I intend to prioritise reading in 2018 but probably won’t get through more than half of, if I’m lucky.” But that’s not a very catchy title! As I was making this list, more and more things I wanted to read kept catching my …

What is Young Adult Fantasy? 

What is Young Adult Fantasy? Young Adult (YA) Fantasy is a subset of fantasy fiction aimed at a teenage audience. Fantasy is a wide genre and includes stories about made-up worlds, mythical creatures, and magic. Not all these elements have to be present to make a book fantasy, but a …

Top Arabian Fantasy Books! 

My young adult fantasy book, Where Carpets Fly, is influenced by some Arabian and Middle-Eastern elements: flying carpets, Persian architecture, and Mediterranean food and climate. I’ve been looking for other fantasy books that use similar themes and created a Goodreads list and bookshelf for Arabian-style fantasy, and also a Facebook …

The Magic Behind Where Carpets Fly

I love looking at different magic systems and learning about how they work. I’ve even written a blog post or two about developing magic systems. When it came to writing my own fantasy novel, the worldbuilding was one of my favourite parts. So, today, I’m going to share a few …