Power without a price feels like cheating—and in fantasy, magic that costs nothing tends to mean nothing. Whether it’s burning memories, painful transformations, or the slow hollowing of a hero, the best magic systems leave a mark. Let’s talk about why magic should hurt—and what that says about the stories we can’t stop reading.
The Price of Power: Why Magic Should Hurt Read More »
The Rings of Power has always been a show that rewards patience — and, frankly, rewatching. The source material Amazon is allowed to adapt is more historical chronicle than narrative, yet the series has managed to turn Tolkien’s footnotes and timelines into emotionally grounded drama that gets better each time you revisit it. With a freshly overhauled writers’ room and Season 3 diving into the forging of the One Ring, now feels like the moment the show might step fully into its potential.
Why I’m (Still) Watching The Rings of Power — And Why Season 3 Might Be the Best Yet Read More »
Tired of feeling locked into a single ebook platform? Now is the perfect time to start building a digital library that’s truly yours. Learn how to take control of your ebook collection, manage it with Calibre, and free your books from retailer restrictions.
Breaking Free: How to Build a Truly Independent eBook Library Read More »
Dark fantasy might be having a moment, but it’s not one I’m celebrating. I don’t write sweetness and light — but I do believe in redemption, earned endings, and characters who grow. Here’s why stories full of “losers losing” just don’t do it for me.
Why I Don’t Do Dark Fantasy (And What I Think It’s Actually About) Read More »
Towns don’t just pop into existence because a hero needs a tavern. They grow around water, trade routes, resources—and they carry the scars of their own history. As a writer (and a lifelong map nerd), I can’t help studying fantasy town maps like archaeological sites. If the layout doesn’t tell me why the town exists, where it started, or how it grew, then something’s missing. Let’s talk about crooked streets, suspicious bridges, and why Hobbiton is pretty but perplexing.
Pretty But Wrong: The Problem With Fantasy Town Maps Read More »
I’ve been obsessed with maps since before I knew what fantasy was. The kind you unfold like treasure, with winding rivers, tiny illegible place names, and the promise of ancient secrets hidden in the margins. In my own stories, the map comes first—and sometimes refuses to budge. Which is probably why I have strong feelings about Tolkien’s very tidy mountain problem. Let’s talk about the beauty, the lies, and the suspicious tectonics of fantasy cartography.
Beautiful Lies: The Problem With Fantasy Maps (And Why I Still Love Them) Read More »
Two original stories from Taylen Carver—Roots of the Storm and Sylvalight—are eligible for the 2026 Hugo, Nebula, Aurora, and Dragon Awards. If you’re nominating this year, here are the details.
Stories That Linger: Award-Eligible Titles for 2026 Read More »
Wales has been haunting my stories for years — not literally (though that would be on-brand), but mythically. From the Mabinogion to my Welsh grandfather’s voice, the land and legend of Cymru have steeped themselves into my writing. If you’ve read Magorian & Jones, you’ve heard the echoes. And no, I don’t plan to stop.
Rain, Ruins, and Red Dragons: Why I’ll Always Write with a Bit of Wales in My Blood Read More »
With rumors swirling about The Rings of Power’s potential cancellation, I’m wondering if it’s not a quality issue—but a saturation one. Are lush, expensive fantasy series struggling simply because there’s too much content and too little attention to go around?
Are We All Just Too Burned Out to Appreciate Big, Lush Fantasy on Screen? Read More »
This weekend, the four hobbits of Lord of the Rings fame are reuniting at Edmonton EXPO, and while thousands are lining up for a few seconds of face time, I’m staying home with the extended editions and some decent takeout. In a world of high-speed, low-contact fandom, is the convention experience still worth it?
Four Hobbits Walk Into Edmonton… And I Stayed Home Read More »