Maelan Holladay

Hi! I'm Maelan Holladay, and I write dark, morally complex fantasy that probably shouldn't keep you up at night... but absolutely will. (Sorry not sorry about those eye bags, bestie.)

Let me tell you, I never expected to become a fantasy author who specializes in making readers question their own moral compass. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by misty forests and rain-soaked mountains, I was that weird kid who spent more time creating elaborate worlds in my head than paying attention in math class. My teachers would probably tell you I was either furiously scribbling stories in my notebooks or staring out the window looking suspiciously like I was plotting something. They weren't wrong.

I've always been drawn to the stories that make you uncomfortable in the best possible way—the ones that force you to examine the gray areas between right and wrong, good and evil, love and power. You know, those delicious moments where you find yourself rooting for someone who probably belongs in therapy (or prison), and you're not quite sure what that says about you. Welcome to my world!

My debut novel, "The Shadow Rises," is basically what happens when you take three morally questionable women, give them earth-shattering power, and then watch them either save their world or burn it to the ground. (Spoiler alert: sometimes salvation and destruction look surprisingly similar.) I wanted to write the kind of fantasy that doesn't just push boundaries—it takes those boundaries out for coffee, charms them thoroughly, and then sets them on fire while maintaining eye contact.

When I'm not writing characters who make questionable life choices, you can find me hiking through those same misty forests that inspired my worldbuilding, usually with a thermos of tea that's way too hot and a notebook full of ideas that would probably concern my therapist. I also have an extremely judgmental cat named Professor Whiskers who likes to sit on my keyboard and delete entire chapters. (He's my harshest critic, honestly.)

Here's what you can expect from my books: - Women who are powerful, complex, and sometimes terrifying (in the best way) - Magic systems that will make you question reality - Political intrigue that's messier than my first draft folders - Romance that burns slow but hot (very hot) - Plot twists that have been known to cause actual gasping - Moral dilemmas that will keep you up debating with yourself at 3 AM

I believe fantasy should do more than just entertain—it should challenge us, change us, and maybe make us a little uncomfortable with how much we relate to the "villains." My characters don't fit into neat boxes of good and evil. They're messy, complicated, and real. Sometimes they make terrible decisions for the right reasons, or right decisions for the wrong reasons. Just like us. (Though hopefully with less world-ending consequences.)

To my readers: thank you for joining me on this journey into the shadows. Your messages about staying up all night reading, your passionate debates about characters' choices, and your occasional threats about what you'll do to me if I hurt your favorite character—they all make this wild ride worth it. (Though maybe ease up on the death threats? My cat gets nervous.)

I'm currently working on my next book, which I can promise will be even more morally ambiguous and addictive than the first. If you enjoy questioning your own moral compass while getting lost in rich fantasy worlds, you're in the right place. Let's explore these shadows together.

Oh, and if you want to connect, you can find me on Instagram and Twitter where I post writing updates, behind-the-scenes peeks at my worldbuilding process, and occasional photos of Professor Whiskers judging my life choices. Fair warning: I'm terrible at social media but I try my best!

Remember, in my worlds, the line between hero and villain is about as straight as I am (which is to say, not at all), and that's exactly how I like it.

Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies. And morally gray characters. Mostly morally gray characters.