Cozy fantasy has been launched into unexpected popularity recently, arguably first by the success of the TikTok viral Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, and a following spate of popular titles (such as The House in the Cerulean Sea, A Coup of Tea, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, That Time I Got Drunk & Saved … Continue reading What is cozy fantasy?
The nobility of medieval Europe is often confusing, especially when trying to decipher a thousand years of change and competing systems that sometimes changed rapidly and in other places had contradictory rules depending on who you were. It can be a headache to decipher and sometimes as a writer I just want a simple answer. … Continue reading A guide to the noble titles of medieval Europe for writers
High fantasy tends to feature a lot of nobles. More often than not, authors pull inspiration from the feudal and courtly nobility of medieval Europe. However, honestly, it can be confusing to research with so many conflicting traditions, not to mention how they changed over time too. As a result, fantasy sometimes leans on not … Continue reading A guide to nobility, for fantasy writers
Do you know what "Colophon" means? If you love books and words, you might enjoy learning these 25 rare bookish words.
Fantasy has a fascinating array of alternative words for wand. Interestingly, many of the words are used in different way to their dictionary definitions and I've found it hard to find much information. So I put together my own list of definitions I've learned from years of reading fantasy and mythology. There aren't as many … Continue reading Alternative Words for Wand
In pop culture, the concept of a crossroads demon has sprung up in recent years, perhaps particularly inspired by Supernatural, where they are explicitly named as a special type of demon. The concept has always fascinated me, so I wanted to delve into answering the question “what are crossroads demons?” and explore the history of … Continue reading What are crossroads demons?
Fairies have a lot of names and there a lot of ways just to spell the word. When it comes down to Fairy versus Faerie, what is the difference? Fairy comes ultimately from the Latin fata, “the fates” - the group of Roman goddesses who decided the fate of mortals. The Roman goddesses multiplied in … Continue reading Fairy versus Faerie, and other names for the Fae
Fairy lore has become one of my favourite things to research, and I have also been enjoying the breadth of portrayals of Faeries / Fairies in pop culture. It made me come back to an old topic that most people in the English speaking world (and many beyond it) probably know, to ask a question. … Continue reading Why does iron hurt fairies?
I love creating pantheons. I've made enough of them over time, and when worldbuilding, it is near the top of my list of worldbuilding essentials. Right after magic systems. But I've sat there scratching my head more than once, questioning what different types of gods are absolutely essential for a pantheon. There are certain types … Continue reading 11 Different Types of Gods in Mythology
I'd like to say I'm an expert on Greek mythology gifts. After all, I basically just have to write down my own list to Santa and we're there! Mythology is one of my real passions in life. Greek mythology is a personal favourite, ever since I picked up my first storybook. Disney's Hercules fanned those … Continue reading 10 Greek Mythology Gifts for Geeks