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WORK TITLE: Spellbinders
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.andrewauseon.com/
CITY: Washington
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 405
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1976, in Columbus, OH; married Sarah Zogby; children: Samara Ruth, one other daughter.
EDUCATION:Ohio University, B.A. (creative writing); Vermont College, M.F.A. (creative writing for children and young adults).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. PhotoAssist, Inc., photo editor, 1999-2003; The History Factory, senior researcher, 2002-04; Words & Numbers, Baltimore, MD, editor and staff writer; writer and developer of numerous video games, c. 2006-.
AVOCATIONS:Travel.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
WRITINGS
Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot was adapted for film.
SIDELIGHTS
In addition to designing video games, Andrew Auseon also writes quirkily titled novels for teens that include Funny Little Monkey, Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, and Freak Magnet. His middle-grade novel Alienated, in which preteen journalists Gene and Vince discover that a group of space aliens are living quietly under the radar in a Southern California suburb, was a collaboration with David O. Russell. In his novels, Auseon is inspired by the books that captured his imagination as a child, great stories that “conjured magic,” as he noted on his home page. “This kind of enchantment is what I’m constantly trying to replicate when I write novels,” he added. “I hope to one day capture that magic in one of my own books, create a story that would have made a younger version of me happy.”
Described by a Publishers Weekly reviewer as a “darkly comic debut,” Funny Little Monkey introduces readers to mild-mannered Arty Moore. Arty is a mere shadow in contrast to his much-larger and quite intimidating twin brother Kurt. Raised by a single mother, and with a father who serves as a poor role model due to his career as a bank robber, the boys have always found themselves at odds. Now, as a freshman at Millard Fillmore High, Arty’s luck seems to be changing when he makes two new friends: the beautiful, wealthy overachiever Leslie Dermott and Kerouac, the ringleader of a rebellious group of kids. With his friends’ help, Arty is able to finally put his bullying brother in his place, while at the same time adjusting to life in high school. The Publishers Weekly critic wrote that in Funny Little Monkey Auseon “taps into the painful experience of high school, leavened with healthy doses of hyperbole, hope and wry humor,” while Susan W. Hunter noted in School Library Journal that Arty “steps up and uses an outrageous fabrication to resolve the final crisis in this offbeat coming-of-age story.”
Seventeen-year-old Jo-Jo Dyas, the main character in Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, is feeling pretty hopeless in the wake of his girlfriend Violet’s terrible death and so he decides to end it all. Hiking to a remote area of Baltimore with a gun in hand, Jo-Jo stumbles upon the body of a dead girl lying in a drainage culvert. Oddly, the girl wakes up, introduces herself as Max, and explains that she lives in a colorless limbo known as the Afterlife, where she works as the drummer for a punk band called the Fiendish Lot. When Jo-Jo accidentally kills himself, he joins Max and her band, hoping to locate Violet in the afterlife. In the process, he finds the opportunity to correct some of the missteps that haunted him in life. In School Library Journal, Joyce Adams Burner called Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot “outrageously inventive” and “darkly humorous,” and Daniel Kraus concluded in Booklist that “music-obsessed teens will respond to Auseon’s firm grasp of the transformative … power of a kick-ass rock show.”
Also geared for teens, Freak Magnet focuses on the living: in particular, on high-school graduate Charlie and his current crush, Gloria. Charlie is working at the local café, and it is love at first sight when Gloria walks through the door. Although the two at first seem too different—Charlie is uninhibited in his opinions while Gloria keeps her thoughts to herself—their friendship grows as the weeks go by. Featuring details “original enough to amuse and move readers,” Freak Magnet was recommended as a “predictable but undeniably pleasurable” read by Booklist critic Daniel Kraus.
In an interview on the Stuck in Fiction website, Auseon stated, “Like all fun fantasy role-playing stories, the “Spellbinders” series is all about a party of adventurers, which in this case is comprised of four young characters who are searching for their place in the world. I give each of them their own chapters to build out their points-of-view, and hopefully this will endear them to readers.” Auseon released the first “Spellbinders” book, Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One, in 2023. Ben is a seventh grader who loves to play the classic role-playing adventure game Dungeons & Dragons. He spends much of his time scheming up new adventures for his group of friends to undertake. Ben is left feeling isolated after his mother moves him to a new place following a divorce. While attending a games convention, Ben is stuck waiting for his friends who never materialize. While there, Niara, a costumed purple-haired girl “discovers” Ben. Niara, it seems, is on a quest of her own to find the Chosen One. Assuming Niara is one player in a broad live-action role playing game, Ben plays along and follows her to Lux, a fantastical place embroiled in conflict between the Elders and the king. At first, he revels in the opportunity to role play, but eventually Ben figures out that things are more real than they seem. A Kirkus Reviews contributor stated that Spellbinders is “a love letter to escapism and writing one’s own destiny.” A writer in Publishers Weekly concluded, “Through subversions of familiar fantasy tropes and a thoroughly engaging plot, Auseon conjures an idiosyncratic realm replete with endearing characters, madcap humor, and hijinks-filled adventure.”
[OPEN NEW]
The “Spellbinder” series continued with Break the Game. In this installment, Ben is back to an ordinary life, which he does not like at all, but then the arrival of frog-men from a different dimension give him the chance to fight again and be a hero. He teams up with Drake and Niara, a mercenary and assassin, respectively, along with new friend Agnes and a nonbinary shapeshifter called Merv. Together, they have to save the Spellbinder’s books. “Ideal for fantasy nerds, gamers, and writers,” wrote a contributor in Kirkus Reviews. They particularly liked how “the metafictive story structure counters predictability with a self-awareness” that will please “imaginative readers.”
[CLOSE NEW]
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2005, Jennifer Hubert, review of Funny Little Monkey, p. 1447; January 1, 2009, Daniel Kraus, review of Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, p. 70; November 15, 2009, Kimberly Garnick, review of Alienated, p. 39.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, December, 2009, Kate Quealy-Gainer, review of Alienated, p. 168; April 15, 2010, Daniel Kraus, review of Freak Magnet, p. 40.
Columbus Dispatch, November 6, 2005, Nancy Gilson, “Novel Explores Sophomoric Cruelty of High School.”
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2005, review of Funny Little Monkey, p. 632; February 1, 2009, review of Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot; September 15, 2009, review of Alienated; April 15, 2023, review of Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One; May 15, 2024, review of Break the Game.
Publishers Weekly, July 11, 2005, review of Funny Little Monkey, p. 94; October 26, 2009, review of Alienated, p. 58; April 24, 2023, review of Spellbinders, p. 68.
School Library Journal, June, 2005, Susan W. Hunter, review of Funny Little Monkey, p. 147; June, 2009, Joyce Adams Burner, review of Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, p. 115; January, 2010, James K. Irwin, review of Alienated, p. 112.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2005, Jazmine Nazek, review of Funny Little Monkey, p. 133; June, 2009, Catherine Gilmore-Clough, review of Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, p. 146.
ONLINE
Andrew Auseon website, http://www.andrewauseon.com (November 5, 2025).
Stuck in Fiction, https://stuckinfiction.com/ (June 10, 2023), author interview.*
YA Books Central, https://yabookscentral.com/ (June 26, 2024), Cherokee Crum, author interview.
Andrew Auseon is a writer and game developer with years of experience building worlds and creating memorable characters. An author of acclaimed novels for young people, his works have been chosen for lists of distinguished literature and nominated for numerous awards. He's worked in video game development for 19 years and written and produced bestselling and award-winning games in many genres for many platforms. In his free time, he plays board games and teaches interactive narrative and digital storytelling. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Auseon is represented by Aevitas Creative Management
Andrew Auseon is an author of acclaimed novels for young people, including: Funny Little Monkey, Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot, Alienated (w/ David O. Russell) and Freak Magnet, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. His books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults, the Cybils, and state book awards.
In addition to his writing, Andrew is a producer and designer of video games. He was the first full-time writer ever hired by Big Huge Games, where he worked on The Asian Dynasties expansion for Age of Empires III and the open-world RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning; he was the Lead Narrative Designer on The Legend of Dead Kel expansion and the cancelled Reckoning sequel. As Epic Games’ Impossible Studios, Andrew focused on creative direction, IP cohesion, and ways to integrate narrative and gameplay.
Andrew received his MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College and a BA from Ohio University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Sarah Zogby, and their two daughters. In his spare time, Andrew teaches Interactive Narrative and makes appearances at writing festivals, schools, and game industry events.
“I’ve been continuously impressed by Andrew Auseon. He’s an extremely talented writer and a strong leader, with the skills to either craft new IP from scratch or work wonders with whatever IP he’s given.”
— Ian Frazier, Lead Designer at Bioware Montreal
“Auseon writes with a sardonic tone and an ear for the odd detail reminiscent of M.T. Anderson; the text is peppered with postmodern, thematically resonant weirdness.”
— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
F.A.Q.
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing for almost as long as I can remember. I still have many of the “books” I wrote in grade school, and even earlier. During classroom quiet time I often scribbled in a journal or notebook, writing stories about my classmates. My friends were eager to hear the next installment of my stories because they were often the main characters. I continued writing through junior high and high school, and then went to undergraduate and graduate school for creative writing. I feel very lucky that I have known what I've wanted to do with my life from a very young age.
Why do you write books for young people?
I find that most of the books I reread often are those I read when I was young. There is a particular sensation I get when experiencing these stories. It’s more than nostalgia. It’s simply great storytelling. These books were usually not written to impress people, or to win awards, but they achieve something more enduring. For a short time, I forgot who I was and what I was doing. Those books conjured magic. This kind of enchantment is what I’m constantly trying to replicate when I write novels. I hope to one day capture that magic in one of my own books, create a story that would have made a younger version of me happy. I don’t think I've accomplished this yet, but I keep trying.
Where do you get your ideas?
Some writers start with a great premise. They see an article in the newspaper, or are struck by something a friend or relative says in passing, and they feel drawn to that idea. I usually start with a character, or I think of a pair of characters and wonder what one of their interactions might sound like. I tend to let people pull me along, and if a plot is part of that experience then great. If not, that doesn't bother me.
How is writing video games different than writing books?
Games are about interaction, whether it be with people or an artificial intelligence, namely the game itself. When you read a book you are placing yourself in the hands of the author, who has a specific story to tell. This story does not change depending on the person reading it an any given time. Games are about a player creating a unique story, one that grows organically from the experience of playing. When you write a game, you have to take into consideration that the player will be an active participant in the action, and that they often determine how events unfold. You must learn to surrender control, to remember that the story you’re telling isn't yours, but the player’s. You write in a way that allows them to make the experience their own.
What do you like better, writing books or writing video games?
They are very different. With the exception of working closely with an editor to revise your book, writing novels is a very lonely process. The upside is that you have almost complete ownership of a story. In game development, writers are part of a larger team, and much of the challenge, and the fun, is in working with other talented people. You share the vision for the game, and you must learn to be extremely flexible in order for that collective vision to become a reality.
Andrew is represented by the literary agency of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth.
Interview With Andrew Auseon (Spellbinders: Break the Game)
June 26, 2024No Comments
Written by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer
Posted in Authors, Interviews, News & Updates
Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Andrew Auseon (Spellbinders: Break the Game)!
Meet the Author: Andrew Auseon
Andrew Auseon is the author of several books for children and young adults, and he is the writer of numerous bestselling and award-winning video games. A transplant from the Midwest, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his family and two very naughty cats. He loves breakfast cereal, the sound of the ocean, and the feeling of a brand-new book in his hands.
Website * X
About the Book: Spellbinders: Break the Game
After leveling up from basement roleplaying games to saving an entire magical realm, 12-year-old Ben isn’t happy returning to his ordinary life of homework and chores. So when his very un-magical LARP session is crashed by monstrous frog-men from another dimension, he can’t wait to get back into hero mode. Someone is after all the Spellbinder’s books, which grant the users — including Ben — epic reality-shifting powers. Ben, Niara, Merv, Drake, and their new friend Agnes must embark on an epic quest to save the books and their owners. But while hopping across different realms may be Ben’s idea of a totally awesome spring break, it’s tough to be an ordinary kid among extraordinary heroes. Especially when fighting for the fate of the universe seems to consist mostly of finding fun new ways to get them all killed, from zombie rats to pool noodle squids, to a mysterious Big Bad controlling everything from behind the scenes. How do you win the game when someone else is rolling the dice?
~Author Chat~
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Spellbinders: Break the Game introduces a new character, Agnes, to the party of young adventurers, and she was a delight to write. Unlike the other kids, she’s an ordinary Earthling, specifically a thirteen-year-old American girl who studies hard, babysits, and participates in school extracurricular activities. Most of all, she has no interest in games or genre stories, such as high fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc. She’s very practical, very self-assured, very responsible. When Agnes talks, she’s able to cut through the lore and gaming jargon and get to the heart of the matter, something no one else in the party does very well. She’s a fresh voice and I had a blast pairing her with other companions to watch the sparks fly.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
I always knew this book would put Ben and his companions through an emotional wringer, setting them up against an aggressive and unpredictable adversary. A lot of what they learned in the first adventure (Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One) wouldn’t necessarily apply in this new story. This felt like a natural fit in the context of the series’ larger gaming elements. In game design, you expect players to use the same old solutions to try and fix new problems. You count on it, actually. That’s where the fun happens. Only after overcoming their frustration and improving their skills will players succeed and move onto the next level. But that moment of tension is crucial, it’s where we’re forced to deconstruct what we know and try something different.
The phrase “break the game” can mean different things depending on the context. It can mean finding a cheat or hack to exploit a game’s systems, giving the player extraordinary powers, sometimes even the ability to crash the game itself. In video game development, we often, and usually accidentally, “break” the game builds, introducing bugs to a stable environment and rendering it unplayable or unusable. Not to give too much away, but the title is a reference to the challenges we face when we grow too sure of ourselves, too confident of our own invulnerability. Growing up can be a constant state of breaking ourselves down, only to build ourselves back up again stronger.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
This is my first ongoing series, so much of my education has been in the ways of serial storytelling and how to pick up a preexisting narrative and carry it through separate standalone adventures. I’m a lifelong consumer of these kinds of stories in books, TV, and film, but I’ve never written one of my own to completion, so that’s been an exciting experiment. I think it came pretty naturally, but I guess we’ll find out as the series continues.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
There’s so much to love about the Spellbinders covers that’s it’s difficult to narrow it down to specific features. Spellbinders: Break the Game is no exception. The artist, Lisa Weber, who created the interior illustrations as well as the jacket art, has singlehandedly defined the visual style and tone of the series, a combination of bold colors and over-the-top action.
I remember when we received different sketches for this cover, and there was one clear favorite—the shot that ultimately ended up on the finished book: Ben trapped in the jaws of a giant toy shark. Lisa captured that scene perfectly. The way it’s framed, the action just jumps out at you, it’s so dynamic and exciting.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2024?
I’ve heard a lot of great things about Jasmine Warga’s A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall, which has the teacher and librarian communities buzzing. I’m a sucker for MG mysteries with spooky settings and starring kids sneaking off to solve mysteries even after adults strictly tell them not to. I’m also excited to read the next installment in the Alex Wise series from Terry Benton-Walker. I loved the first book, and I think it’s unlike any other contemporary MG fantasy series out there right now.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Frances Stenzel series by Refe Tuma. They’re a beautifully written alt-history monster tales with charismatic characters and excellent storytelling. They have a strong cinematic flavor, bringing to mind German expressionist films or stop-motion miniatures. Creepy on the outside, but warm on the inside. I’ve also been reading a lot of horror by Grady Hendrix, who always manages to add twists to familiar tropes.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’m still very much in the Spellbinders headspace. Spellbinders: Break the Game just came out, and I recently delivered the final draft of the third book in the series, so I’ve been living in that wild world for months now. However, finishing a project is always hugely freeing. I’m finally able to consider new ideas floating around in the ether, or all the stories that have been boiling in the back of my mind. It’s an exciting and daunting place to be in. I’ve already started work on a new book, a scary story, and I hope to have a draft of it soon. Stay tuned.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
Spellbinders: Break the Game features two concurrent storylines, one of them focusing on a character who is only briefly mentioned in the first book. Her arc takes place over a long period of time, and she experiences a spectrum of emotions as she grows and changes. Flashing back and forth between this new, somewhat poignant origin story and the ongoing silliness of Ben and his friends was a tough undertaking, but it was necessary to the overarching narrative of the series. I really enjoyed my time in that character’s perspective because it added new nuance and importance to what was happening elsewhere in the story.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
Merv is probably my favorite character. They’re dear to me, like a little slice of my heart walking around on the page, and I’m always trying to protect them. I’ve got big plans for the character in a later installment, but to pull that off requires me to inflict some inevitable losses and realizations upon them. Some of those difficult moments occur in this book. I didn’t want to do it! I swear!
The fact that Spellbinders: Break the Game is a transitional story means Ben and his friends need to confront the aftermath of what happened in the first book, as well as set them up for the next one. I feel the same unease about my role as the writer, a little lost between big emotional beats. Merv was particularly challenging because they’re often relegated to sidekick status, as much of their story feeds off Ben’s role as the protagonist. But Merv’s evolution is key to the series, and their resolution is probably my favorite one of all the characters; but getting them to that point wasn’t easy.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
The prevailing “message” of the Spellbinders series, if there is one, would probably be the importance of the people with whom you share your adventures. Your companions matter more than the exploits themselves. As this series develops, I’ve begun to realize that it’s about the characters and the time they spend together, the things they learn about one another and themselves, more than anything else. The books feature plenty of lore, plot, or epic action sequences, but the core of every quest is the party itself and how it interfaces with the wider world. In the case of Ben and his friends, they’re growing up and struggling to form their identities in preparation for life (and high school!), and their time in Lux and the other realms is simply a way to gain experience before facing reality. I didn’t explicitly set out to tell a story like this one, but it’s no surprise that it’s how we’ve ended up. I’ve always centered characters over plot, and, in my opinion, the best kinds of books are those that end up being a great hang.
Title: Spellbinders: Break the Game
Author: Andrew Auseon
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books/Labyrinth Road
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: 8-12
Auseon, Andrew SPELLBINDERS Labyrinth Road (Children's None) $14.99 6, 18 ISBN: 9780593482759
Adventure calls for Ben and friends when someone starts stealing the Spellbinder's books--and taking those who possessed them.
Following the events of the first book, Ben's only battles are in a LARP game alongside his best friend, nonbinary shape-shifting mimir Merv, and their not-so-effective teammate, Agnes. When toad men from another realm attack the LARPers in their pursuit of Ben and his book, Ben reunites with assassin Niara and mercenary Drake. Frustrated Ben believes his friends consider him too reckless to wield Spellbinder magic. He uses a role-playing manual (think Joseph Campbell's famous hero's journey from The Hero With a Thousand Faces) to structure his own development. Meanwhile, Niara has an introspective journey of figuring out who she is with the Elders she formerly served dethroned. The metafictive story structure counters predictability with a self-awareness that caters to imaginative readers. Interspersed chapters flashback to Julia Profit, Lux's founder and prophet, as she finds her own book, creates a world, learns the true cost of the magic, and interacts with mysterious nonbinary Cash, who seems friendly and knowledgeable about the magic and realms. Julia's story sets the stakes Ben faces if he uses the magic and the realms he travels to showcase danger and excitement. A stinger of an ending promises escalating adventures to come. Game manual profiles include spot art; Ben reads white, and the portraits and some surnames cue some diversity in the supporting cast.
Ideal for fantasy nerds, gamers, and writers. (map) (Fantasy. 8-14)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Auseon, Andrew: SPELLBINDERS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A793537009/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e5951026. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.