Lorien Briscoe

Hi there! I'm Lorien Briscoe, and I write dark fantasy that explores the messy, complicated spaces between right and wrong, love and hate, staying and running. (Spoiler alert: there are no easy answers in my books, just like in real life.)

Growing up in a tiny Midwest town where everyone knew everyone's business, books were my escape route long before I started writing them. I'd spend hours hidden away in the local library, devouring everything from classic fantasy to contemporary thrillers. But the stories that always grabbed me hardest were the ones that didn't flinch away from difficult truths – the ones that acknowledged sometimes the monsters aren't hiding under our beds, but sitting across from us at the dinner table.

I started writing seriously in my early twenties, though if you dig through my old computer files, you'll find some spectacularly awful vampire fanfiction from my teenage years. (No, I won't share it. Some things are better left buried!) After years of starting and abandoning manuscripts, I finally found my voice writing about the kinds of stories I needed to read when I was younger – stories about survival, about finding strength in impossible situations, and about the complicated bonds between family members when love and fear get tangled together.

My debut novel, "Magic's Escape" (coming in 2025), follows fifteen-year-old Izzie as she faces an impossible choice between protecting her twin brother and saving herself. It's a story about abuse, magic, and the price of survival – definitely not your typical light fantasy fare. Fair warning: I don't write easy stories with neat, happy endings wrapped in pretty bows. My characters fight and struggle and sometimes make terrible choices, because that's what real people do when they're backed into corners.

When I'm not writing, you can usually find me hiking with my rescue dog (a ridiculous husky mix who thinks he's a lap dog), drinking way too much coffee (is there such a thing?), or teaching creative writing at local youth centers. Working with young writers reminds me why stories matter – especially the hard ones that make us uncomfortable but help us feel less alone.

I believe in writing with unflinching honesty about difficult topics, but always with purpose and care. My books aren't dark for shock value; they're dark because sometimes we need to shine lights into shadows to find our way through them. If you're looking for fluffy romance or simple good-versus-evil tales, I'm probably not your author. But if you want stories that dig deep into the complicated mess of human nature, that explore how magic might shape our choices but can't solve our deepest problems, then pull up a chair. We're going to get along just fine.

To my readers: thank you for trusting me with the hard stories. Your messages about how Izzie's journey resonated with your own experiences mean everything to me. This community we're building together, of readers who aren't afraid to face the darkness and find the light within it, is more magical than anything I could write about.

Fair warning: I'm absolutely terrible at social media (seriously, my Instagram is a graveyard of good intentions), but I love connecting with readers through my newsletter and at in-person events. Come say hi! Just don't ask me to dance – that's scarier than any dark fantasy I could write.

So here's to the complicated stories, the messy truths, and the readers brave enough to face them. Welcome to my world – I promise to make the journey worth your while.

(P.S. Yes, Lorien is my real name. No, my parents weren't Lord of the Rings fans – they just liked how it sounded. The irony of ending up a fantasy writer isn't lost on me!)