Blog – Taylen Carver – Fantasy Fiction

International Cat Day: Why Fantasy Needs Cats

2 Comments / Interesting Bits / August 8, 2026 / 4 minutes of reading

Today is International Cat Day, which seems the perfect excuse to talk about one of fantasy’s most enduring companions: the cat. From mysterious familiars and talking felines to shape-shifters and ghost-watchers, cats have always belonged in fantasy. Join me as I celebrate nineteen-year-old Strider—our gloriously opinionated Norwegian Forest Cat—and explore why cats may have been magical long before fantasy writers ever noticed.

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Surprise! “Sigils in Snow” Is Out Today!

Leave a Comment / Magic, My Books, New Release / July 30, 2026 / 2 minutes of reading

Sometimes publishing throws you a delightful curveball.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that my new fantasy short story, “Sigils in Snow,” had been accepted for the Street Magic IV anthology. I expected to tell you about it later this summer.

Instead…it’s available today!

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Not One, But Two Dark Ages

Leave a Comment / Celtic Myth & Culture, Myth & History, Worldbuilding / July 25, 2026 / 3 minutes of reading

Most people know about the Dark Ages that followed the fall of Rome. Far fewer realise there was another, even earlier collapse that wiped out kingdoms, shattered civilizations, and left historians scratching their heads three thousand years later. Discover how the mysterious Bronze Age Collapse—and the equally mysterious Sea Peoples—inspired the hidden history behind the Magorian & Jones series.

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Do Fantasy Readers Actually Want Simpler Worlds Again?

Leave a Comment / Food for Thought, Worldbuilding / July 18, 2026 / 4 minutes of reading

Fantasy readers often say they want “simpler” worlds, but is that really what they’re asking for? Maybe the problem isn’t complexity at all—it’s the steep learning curve many modern fantasy novels demand before the story can truly begin. A look at why great fantasy invites readers into its world instead of handing them an owner’s manual on page one.

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When a Story Arrives All at Once

Leave a Comment / My Books / July 4, 2026 / 3 minutes of reading

Most stories don’t arrive fully formed. They begin as a name, a setting, or the faintest glimmer of an idea, then grow one decision at a time. But every so often, a story appears almost complete. Rainmaker was one of those rare exceptions. Here’s how it came to life—and why, years later, I finally gave it the cover I’d always imagined.

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When Reality Outdoes Fantasy

Leave a Comment / Worldbuilding / June 27, 2026 / 2 minutes of reading

Some of the most fantastical settings aren’t found in fantasy novels—they’re right here on Earth. A single photograph of Seljalandsfoss in Iceland is a reminder that nature often creates landscapes so extraordinary we’d hesitate to put them in fiction for fear readers wouldn’t believe them. It’s a lesson that Peter Jackson understood when bringing Middle-earth to life on film.

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How Do They Know When the Solstice Is?

Leave a Comment / Celtic Myth & Culture, Myth & History / June 20, 2026 / 3 minutes of reading

How do astronomers know the exact moment of the summer solstice? The answer is both less mystical and more magical than you might think. From ancient stone circles to modern orbital calculations, the solstice marks a precise celestial moment that has inspired myths, festivals, and fantasy stories for thousands of years.

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AFTER THE QUIETING Is Out Today

Leave a Comment / My Books, New Release / June 18, 2026 / 1 minute of reading

The Veilwardens have spent generations maintaining the portals between Terra and Aethryn, certain that the balance between the worlds must be preserved at all costs.

But what if the balance isn’t what they think it is?

In Quieting, old assumptions begin to crack, strange events grow harder to explain, and Riva Thorn finds herself questioning truths she has always accepted.

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What Fantasy Looked Like Before Tolkien Won

Leave a Comment / Reading / June 6, 2026 / 5 minutes of reading

Fantasy readers often trace the genre back to Tolkien, but fantasy’s history is far stranger and more varied than many realize. Long before epic quests and dark lords dominated the shelves, writers such as Lord Dunsany, George MacDonald, H. Rider Haggard, Arthur Machen, and Hope Mirrlees were exploring dream kingdoms, lost worlds, fairy realms, and mysteries lurking just beyond reality. Join me on a journey down the forgotten paths of fantasy and discover what the genre looked like before Tolkien’s road became the main highway.

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Why Do Characters in Fantasy Fiction Keep Trusting the Fae?

Leave a Comment / Book Culture, Fae / May 30, 2026 / 5 minutes of reading

Why do fantasy characters keep trusting the fae when centuries of stories warn them not to? The answer isn’t stupidity—it’s hope. The fae offer solutions when no one else can, promise the impossible, and often appear as beautiful, fascinating beings who seem to understand exactly what a person needs. In this post, we’ll explore the surprisingly human reasons characters continue to trust the fae, despite all the risks.

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