SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Lady’s Knight
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://amiekaufman.com/
CITY: Melbourne
STATE:
COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 405
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Australia; married.
EDUCATION:Earned undergraduate degree, J.D., M.A.; Ph.D. candidate (creative writing).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Worked as a mediator for seven years; NASA, former storytelling consultant.
AVOCATIONS:Travel, sailing, music.
AWARDS:Gold Inky Award shortlist and Aurealis Award for Best Young-Adult Novel, both 2013, both for These Broken Stars; Kirkus Reviews and Booklist Best Young-Adult Books selections and RT Book Reviews Gold Award, all 2015, and YALSA Best Fiction selection, American Library Association, 2016, all for Illuminae; Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and for Best Young Adult Novel, 2019, for Aurora Rising.
WRITINGS
Author’s work has been translated into several languages, including French, Germany, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Taiwanese, Thai, and Turkish.
These Broken Stars was optioned for television by the Grid Entertainment/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The “Illuminae Files” series is being adapted for film by Plan B Entertainment.
SIDELIGHTS
Amie Kaufman is an Australian writer of young-adult novels who has met with global success coauthoring series including “Starbound” and the “Illuminae Files.” Her “Elementals” middle-grade series is her first solo effort. Growing up, she lived just a block from the local library, and she and her sister often acted out the stories of books by camping in their backyard, climbing tress, stepping through magic doors, and so on. After being raised in both Australia and Ireland, she earned several degrees before starting to write. She met her “Starbound” coauthor, Meagan Spooner, online and another, Jay Kristoff, as part of the local writers’ community in Melbourne.
Kaufman and Kristoff’s “Illuminae Files” series starts with Illuminae, in which teenage colonists Kady and Ezra embark on unexpected adventure in the year 2575 when their consortium’s rogue mining colony is attacked by rival BeiTech. Caught up in a race against an enemy dreadnought, Ezra becomes a fighter pilot, while Kady hacks the consortium’s systems and learns that there is more at stake than either of them realized, in the form of artificial intelligence run amok and a horrifying virus. The story is told through a variety of texts, including memos, instant messages, diaries, and interview transcripts, compiled for a retrospective dossier on the teens’ role in the intrigue. A Kirkus Reviews writer noted, “The design’s creative visuals take advantage of the nontraditional format, which gracefully juggles document types.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer called Illuminae “a stylistically mesmerizing tale, where story and art are interchangeable, and words act as pictures.” The Kirkus Reviews writer noted that “the story ambushes readers with surprises” toward the end, leading into the sequels, and lauded the novel as “ambitious, heartbreaking, and out-of-this-world awesome.”
Obsidio, the third novel in the “Illuminae Files” series, finds a faction of colonists holding out on Kerenza IV under the thumb of BeiTech, while the survivors from the first two books race to rescue them before BeiTech “liquidates” them. Kady’s cousin Asha is in the resistance, but her love interest, Rhys, works for BeiTech—which is problematic but eventually opens the door for sabotage from within. A Kirkus Reviews writer called Obsidio “an adrenaline-pumping action story with timely themes and lasting resonance thanks to the focus on the characters’ humanity.” In Booklist, Cindy Welch observed that Kaufman and Kristoff here offer “the same combination of unlikely heroes, star-crossed lovers, space opera tropes, and arresting illustrations that have fueled the series’ stratospheric popularity.” She praised Obsidio as “compelling, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat reading” that concludes the trilogy with “an out-of-this-world finale.”
Kaufman started her paranormal “Elementals” trilogy with Ice Wolves. Twelve-year-old twins Anders and Rayna have survived as street thieves in the village of Holbard, but when their shapeshifting abilities manifest—Anders becomes an ice wolf, Rayna a scorch dragon—they are swept up in the two species’ animosity and forces beyond their control. Rayna is abducted by other dragons, while Anders is sent to an academy to learn how to help defend against dragon attacks, but all Anders wants to do is save his sister. Meanwhile, he starts to figure out the mystery behind the magical powers of fire and ice and the wolves’ failing artifacts.
In Booklist, Cindy Welch hailed Ice Wolves as “a rousing middle-school adventure speaking to family (both born and made), trust, friendship, and determination.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer observed that Kaufman “conjures an intriguing world with memorable, diverse characters”—the twins have brown skin and dark curly hair—while offering “an enticing blend of magic, action, and excitement.” A Kirkus Reviews writer affirmed that “this engaging page-turner honestly earns its forthcoming sequel.”
Kaufman and Spooner start the new “Unearthed” series with Unearthed, in which a message of hope from aliens may spell disaster. An alien race called the Undying sent Earth a message, promising advanced technology to clean up Earth’s environmental damage. Scientists like Jules Addison and scavengers like Mia Radcliff, both teenagers, flock to the Undying’s planet Gaia looking for treasures and knowledge. But as Jules and Mia visit the abandoned temples seeking answers, they find the unexpected as their romance blossoms. “While the story drags slightly in the middle, interesting discoveries keep the plot moving forward in exciting, unpredictable ways,” declared Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser in School Library Journal.
In the conclusion of the series, Undying, Jules and Mia have discovered that the Undying are not a dead race and actually have plans to infect humans with a toxin that regresses them back to Neanderthals to facilitate their invasion. Jules and Mia travel back to Earth to warn the scientists but no one believes them. Traveling from Catalonia to Prague, Jules reunites with his disgraced scientist father to save Earth. While Booklist reviewer Julia Smith declared: “revelations about the Undying provide a layer of complexity to an otherwise light sf adventure,” a writer in Kirkus Reviews pointed out the story’s plot holes, aliens that inexplicably look like human teenagers, and abandoned plot elements, commenting: “A hopeless muddle depressingly light on credible elements or nuanced characters.”
Kaufman and Jay Kristoff begin the “Aurora Cycle” science fiction series with Aurora’s Rising. In the year 2380, the new graduates of Aurora Academy are ready to be picked for their squads. Alpha leader Tyler Jones could have his pick of the best of the best, but he’s away rescuing a young woman, known as Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley “Auri”, trapped in cryo-sleep for two hundred years on a previously missing ship. Tyler is now stuck with the dregs of the academy for his squad—a cocky diplomat, a scientist who shoots people for fun, a smart aleck tech whiz kid, and an alien with anger issues. Tyler, his misfit Squad 312, his twin sister, best friend Cat, and Auri set out on a mission that inadvertently uncovers government secrets that could affect the whole galaxy. Maggie Reagan in Booklist praised the details of this future world and “Rotating perspectives and never-flagging energy propel this narrative forward.” In Voice of Youth Advocates, Lynne Stover remarked: “Well plotted and excellently written, the fresh concepts in this science fiction book should appeal to readers who are fans of adventure tales.”
In an interview with Frances Atkinson online at Sydney Morning Herald, Kristoff explained the idea that sparked the “Aurora Cycle” series for him and Kaufman: “One of the things we both loved was the ‘character out of time and place’ idea. Auri is a character who doesn’t know where she is or why. On a structural level, it’s great to have this character that can explain the world to readers. She’s our Arthur Dent or Ellen Ripley,” says Kristoff. “Aurora Rising is also about found family, finding your squad and what it feels like to be an outsider,” wrote Atkinson.
In book two of the series, Aurora Burning, Tyler Jones and his ragtag Squad 312 are on the run, having gained the enmity of the galaxy when they thought they solved Auri’s 200-year-old-mystery, but instead they awakened an ancient evil, the Ra’haam, bent on destruction. The squad encounters member Kal’s long-lost sister, are attacked by the Syldrathi army, and deal with Auri learning to master her powers. A galaxy-wide battle stops at Earth’s doorstep. “A positively explosive cliff-hanger end will have readers on the hook for book three,” declared Booklist critic Maggie Reagan.
In book three of the series, Aurora’s End, an intergalactic battle is raging and the Ra’haam’s ancient superweapon is poised to destroy Earth. The Squad must work together to find and repair the weapon that can save the galaxy but has been flung into the future. Meanwhile, some members of the squad go back in time to learn how to defeat the Ra’haam. “This volume is the most action-packed of the trilogy, with nonstop plot twists, battles, and revelations at every turn,” according to a Kirkus Reviews critic.
Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, who collaborated on the “Starbound Trilogy,” join again for the “The Other Side of the Sky” duology beginning with The Other Side of the Sky. There are two worlds: the archipelago Alciel that floats in the sky using fantastic engines and is ruled by Prince North, and the Surface where Nimh is the living goddess who protects her people. Alciel thought the Surface people were all dead, and the Surface has forgotten about Alciel. When North’s glider crashes to the Surface, Nimh rescues him, which starts the tenuous relationship between their peoples and possibly fulfills an ancient prophecy. The book is a “propulsive, tender-hearted duology opener, which juxtaposes the fallibility of religion with the power of faith,” according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, while Maggie Reagan commented in Booklist said it was a “richly drawn, tantalizingly romantic sf series starter” with “an especially action-packed back half.”
The second book, Beyond the End of the World, finds Nimh trapped in the clouds on Alciel with no memory of her past and an imposter taking over her identity, and North trapped on the Surface desperately trying to get home and people convincing him to take Nimh’s place as the living god. Alciel’s engines are faltering and threatening the island to fall, while North and Nimh confront their attraction for each other.
Magic, romance, and the clash of gods define Kaufman’s The Isles of the Gods where Selly is bored on her father’s merchant ship, so she looks for adventure stowing away on another ship heading north. On this ship, the spoiled Prince Leander of Alinor is sailing to the Isle of the Gods where he needs to perform a sacrifice to gain a god’s favor and prevent a world war. Selly and Leander join forces when Laskia, tired of being wronged by her sister, tries to stop Leander and overtake his ship. Reviewer Elizabeth Kahn noted in School Library Journal: “Kaufman is a master worldbuilder and has created a new series where the sea plays almost as important a role as her characters do.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 15, 2015, Cindy Welch, review of Illuminae, p. 64; November 1, 2017, Cindy Welch, review of Ice Wolves, p. 54; April 1, 2018, Cindy Welch, review of Obsidio, p. 73; December 15, 2018, Julia Smith, review of Undying, p. 96; May 1, 2019, Maggie Reagan, review of Aurora Rising, p. 82; May 1, 2020, Maggie Reagan, review of Aurora Burning, p. 56; August 1, 2020, Maggie Reagan, review of The Other Side of the Sky, p. 67.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2015, review of Illuminae; December 15, 2017, review of Ice Wolves; April 1, 2018, review of Obsidio; December 1, 2018, review of Undying; September 15, 2021, review of Aurora’s End; April 15, 2023, review of The Isles of the Gods.
Publishers Weekly, July 20, 2015, review of Illuminae, p. 195; January 22, 2018, review of Ice Wolves, p. 85; August 10, 2020, review of The Other Side of the Sky, p. 53; November 30, 2020, review of The World Between Blinks, p. 57.
School Library Journal, June, 2015, Paige Rowse, review of Illuminae, p. 112; December, 2017, Elizabeth Speer, review of Ice Wolves, p. 97; January 2018, Kelsey, Johnson-Kaiser, review of Unearthed, p. 88; November 2020, Jessica Caron, review of The World Between Blinks, p. 58; August 2023, Elizabeth Kahn, review of The Isles of the Gods, p. 94.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2015, Suanne B. Roush, review of Illuminae, p. 79; June 2019, Lynne Stover, review of Aurura Rising, p. 72.
ONLINE
Amie Kaufman website, http://amiekaufman.com (October 19, 2023).
Happy Ever After, https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/ (March 13, 2018), Jessie Potts, interview with Kaufman and Kristoff.
LitJoy, https://litjoycrate.com/ (April 29, 2018), Robin King, “LitJoy Live: Interview with Amie Kaufman, Author of Ice Wolves & Illuminae.”
Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/ (May 10, 2019), Frances Atkinson, “Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: Bestselling Authors and Best Friends.”*
Bio
Amie new headshot
Credit: Christopher Tovo
Short:
Amie Kaufman is a NYT and internationally bestselling author, whose multi-award winning work is published in nearly thirty languages. Her latest books are The Isles of the Gods and Lady’s Knight.
Long:
Amie Kaufman is a New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy. Her multi-award winning work has been translated into nearly thirty languages, and is in development for film and TV.
Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution, and is currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. She’s the host of podcasts Amie Kaufman on Writing, and Pub Dates.
Amie writes a monthly newsletter that keeps readers up to date on what she’s working on, any new releases, giveaways or events near them. You can sign up at amiekaufman.com.
Amie lives by the sea in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and an extremely large personal library. Her latest books are The Isles of the Gods and Lady’s Knight.
FAQ
When will Amie’s next books come out?
Amie’s 2020 releases were Aurora Burning (book two in the Aurora Cycle), followed by Battle Born (book three in the Elementals trilogy), and then The Other Side of the Sky, the first in a new duology. In 2021, Amie released The World Between Blinks in January, and will publish Aurora’s End (book three in the Aurora Cycle) in November.To see what else Amie already has out, check her books page.
Where can I get an autographed copy of Amie’s books?
If you’re in Australia, Amie’s local bookshop is Beaumaris Books — you can order over the phone and they’ll ask her to drop by and sign for you. If you’re overseas, check out Amie’s events page — you can place an order for a personalised book at bookstores she’ll be visiting soon, and places she’s been recently may have signed stock available.
How did you meet your co-authors and come to write with them?
I met Meg online, and we wrote together for many years just for fun. We actually played around with the characters from These Broken Stars for a full year before we realised they’d make a good book! I met Jay here in Melbourne when I asked for advice on US tax forms, as they were completely baffling, and I knew he’d done them before. One catch up turned into many, and eventually we started tossing around ideas for a story we might write. I met Ryan when our first books came out during the same year — we’ve been friends ever since! We started writing together when our literary agent mentioned a story she’d heard about a disappearing island. It didn’t take long for the pair of us to start scheming.
What’s your favourite book?
Oh, I could give you a list! I’ll stick to my absolute favourite, though — it’s The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. My school librarian, Mrs. Amiet, recommended it to me when I was in grade six as her ‘desert island book’, and I used my very first ever gift card to buy it at my local bookshop. It’s my desert island book too, and I re-read it every Christmas.
How do I get an agent?
Once your novel is as ready as it can possibly be, you’ll want to write a query letter. I learned to write a pitch from Elana Johnson’s From The Query To The Call. I also found a bunch of helpful resources on Nathan Bransford’s website. There are heaps of online resources to help you research agents in your chosen genre, and another option is to check out the acknowledgements of books like yours to see who represents the writer. Agencies have submission guidelines set out on their websites — make sure you follow them!
Who is your agent?
My agent is Tracey Adams of Adams Literary, though I do a lot of work with the equally awesome Josh Adams as well, as he represents my co-authors Meagan Spooner and Jay Kristoff. Tracey is an actual black belt who also feeds me salted caramel brownies and lets me cuddle with her dogs. She is the very best.
Will you introduce me to your agent?
Unfortunately I can’t recommend a book to Tracey unless I’m familiar with you or your writing — and she does check with me when somebody mentions my name. You definitely don’t need an introduction, though, and the vast majority of writers find their agents through a query letter.
Will you critique my manuscript?
I’m sorry, I can’t! I’m super busy with writing, and I simply don’t have the time. Sometimes I’ll offer up a query or chapter critique in a charity auction, but otherwise I’ve got established critique partners I work with already.
Where do you live?
I live in Melbourne, Australia, right near the beach. If you drive in one direction you hit the city, which is amazing. Melbourne’s full of wonderful street art, food, music, bookshops and culture. If you drive in the other direction from our house you reach beautiful wineries along the coast. It’s a pretty awesome place to live.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I eat a lot (my husband is a ridiculously good cook, and I’m a dedicated taste tester), I try to go for a lot of walks (because of the eating), I nap, I read, I play with my dog and see my friends. I love boardgames, and video gaming as well. And as often as I can, I pack a suitcase and go explore a new country!
Did you study writing at school or university?
I did not. I majored in Irish history and wrote a thesis on the amazing Irish women who migrated to the US, New Zealand and Australia in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They were kickass and unique, and if you buy me a hot chocolate I’ll tell you all about them. I also majored in English literature, and wrote essays about Shakespeare and Bond girls and Johnson and Boswell. Then I did a law degree, and wrote about human rights law and a lawsuit involving a stampeding elephant, as wrote my thesis on expert evidence. Finally I did a Masters in Conflict Resolution, and learned about different styles of mediation and communication, which I then went on to practice and teach before I became a full time writer. Right now I’m undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing.
What’s your writing routine like?
I’m a big fan of Cal Newport’s book Deep Work, so I aim to write around four hours a day in one long block, taking only quick breaks. I like to write in the morning when I can, before my brain gets too busy for the day, but I’ll write whenever and wherever I have to. I’m just as likely to be writing on a plane while I’m on tour, or in a cafe before I meet a friend. Sometimes I deliberately head out to find a new place to write, if I need an injection of energy. My advice to aspiring writers is to worry less about your routine — because it doesn’t really matter what it is — and more about finding time to write whenever and however you can. If you wait for a perfect stretch of several hours, your peppermint tea by your side and your scented candle burning, you may never get there! My first books were written in fifteen minute increments, on the train to and from work, at the laundromat, wherever I could! Never underestimate what you can do if you just work whenever you can.
I want to write a book! Do you have any advice for me?
READ. I can’t say it enough. Read the genre you want to write, read genres you don’t want to write. Read high up and low down, because you’re building your writing muscles every time you do it. Other people suggest you write every day — I don’t, but I do think about what I’m working on every day, and I write consistently. Writing a book is a huge thing to do, and it involves making some hard choices — turning down that TV show you love, sitting down at your desk when you’d rather be doing something else. Of course, make sure you get outside, too — you have to live life to write about it!
Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction including the Illuminae Files, the Starbound trilogy, the Aurora Cycle and the Other Side of the Sky duology. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30 countries, and has been described as “a game-changer” (Shelf Awareness), “stylistically mesmerising” (Publishers Weekly) and “out-of-this-world awesome” (Kirkus). Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution, and is currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter and rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library.
To learn about her latest releases or be notified about events and signings in your area, you can sign up for her newsletter at www.amiekaufman.com.
Instagram: @amiekaufmanauthor
Facebook: @amiekaufmanauthor
Twitter: @amiekaufman
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amie Kaufman
Born
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation Author
Genre Science fiction, fantasy, young adult fiction
Years active 2013–present
Notable awards Aurealis Award, Australian Book Industry Award, Gold Inky Award
Website
amiekaufman.com
Amie Kaufman is an Australian author. She has authored New York Times bestselling and internationally bestselling science fiction and fantasy for young adults. She is known for the Starbound Trilogy and Unearthed, which she co-authored with Meagan Spooner; for her series The Illuminae Files, co-authored with Jay Kristoff; and for her solo series, Elementals. Her books have been published in over 35 countries.[1]
Biography
Kaufman grew up in both Ireland and Melbourne, Australia. She earned undergraduate degrees, with honours, in law, history and literature. Later, she earned a Master's Degree in conflict resolution, and worked for seven years as a mediator before becoming a full-time author.[2] She is as of May 2018 a PhD candidate in Creative Writing.[3] She lives in Melbourne, Australia[4] with her husband and dog.
Literary career
Kaufman's debut, These Broken Stars, was co-authored with Meagan Spooner. The book was a New York Times bestseller[5] and won an Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult novel of the year.[6] The book was also shortlisted for a Golden Inky in the Australian Inky Awards and was named the Huffington Post Best YA Novel of 2013,[7] The series was in development for TV in 2016, with Freeform in the US and Sky UK, with MGM the studio and Eric Balfour and Warren Littlefield producing.[8][9] The sequel, This Shattered World was a nominee for the Aurealis Award for best science fiction novel.[10][citation needed]
Kaufman's Illuminae, co-authored with Jay Kristoff, was acquired by Random House in a preempt in 2013.[11] The first book in the series was published in late October 2015. It debuted at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller List Young Adult Hardcover list,[12] and eventually reached the #2 spot.[13] In November 2015, it was announced that Brad Pitt and his production company, Plan B Entertainment, had acquired the film rights to Illuminae.[14][15][16] Illuminae was nominated for the 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award,[17] won the 2015 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction novel,[18] the 2016 Gold Inky Award for best teen fiction,[19] and the 2016 Australian Book Industry Award Book of the Year for Older Children.[20] The sequel Gemina, debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list[21] and won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction novel.[22] The third book in the series, Obsidio, debuted at #6 on the New York Times children's series list,[23] as the #1 young adult bestseller in Australia,[24] and as a USA Today bestseller.[25]
Kaufman's next series with Spooner began with Unearthed in January 2018. In June 2017, ahead of the book's publication, it was announced that film rights had been acquired by Columbia Pictures, with Doug Liman as director and producer alongside Cross Creek Productions. Screenwriters were Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth.[26][27]
Kaufman's first solo series and first series for younger readers, Elementals, began with Ice Wolves in March 2018. The book was a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick,[28] and earned a starred review from Kirkus.[29]
List of works
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2022)
Novels
Starbound trilogy
The Starbound trilogy, co-authored with Meagan Spooner, consists of the following novels: These Broken Stars (2013), This Shattered World (2014), and Their Fractured Light (2015).[citation needed]
These Broken Stars received a starred review from Booklist,[30] as well as the following accolades:
Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2013)[citation needed]
Inky Awards Nominee for Gold Inky (2014)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2014)[31]
The Inky Awards Shortlist for Gold Inky (2014)[citation needed]
This Shattered World was an Aurealis Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel and for Best Science Fiction Novel (Shortlist) (2014)[citation needed]
Their Fractured Light was an Aurealis Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction Novel (2015)[citation needed]
On May 2, 2016, the trilogy was acquired by MGM Television to be adapted into a television series for Freeform and Sky UK.[32]
Unearthed series
The Unearthed series, co-authored with Meagan Spooner, consists of the following novels: Unearthed (2017) and Undying (2018).[citation needed]
The Illuminae Files series
The Illuminae Files series, co-authored with Jay Kristoff, consists of the following novels: Illuminae (2015), Gemina (2016), Obsidio (2018), and the novella, Memento (2020).[citation needed]
Illuminae was a New York Times Bestseller.[33] It received a starred review from Booklist[34] and Kirkus,[33] as well as the following accolades:
Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2015[33]
Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) for Older Children (ages 8–14) (2015)[35]
Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2015)[citation needed]
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015)[36]
American Library Association's (ALA) Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top Ten (2016)[37]
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2016)[38]
ALA Teens' Top Ten (2016)[39]
The Inky Awards Shortlist for Gold Inky (2016)[citation needed]
Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2016)[citation needed]
Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance (2016)[citation needed]
The Inky Awards for Gold Inky (2016)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2017)[citation needed]
Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee (2018)[citation needed]
Lincoln Award Nominee (2019)[citation needed]
Gemina received the following accolades:
Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (2016)[citation needed]
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)[40]
American Library Association Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top Ten (2017)[41]
Obsidio received starred reviews from Kirkus[42] and Booklist,[43] as well as the following accolades:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2018)[44]
American Library Association's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults (2019)[45]
Elementals trilogy
The Elementals trilogy consists of the following novels: Ice Wolves (2018), Scorch Dragons (2019), and Battle Born (2020).[citation needed]
Ice Wolves received a starred review from Kirkus.[46]
Aurora Cycle trilogy
The Aurora Cycle trilogy, co-authored with Jay Kristoff, consists of the following novels: Aurora Rising (2019), Aurora Burning (2020), and Aurora’s End (2021).[citation needed]
Aurora Rising received starred reviews from Kirkus[47] and Booklist,[48][49] as well as the following accolades:
Booklist Editors' Choice: Youth Audio (2019)[50]
Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and for Best Young Adult Novel (2019)[citation needed]
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2019)[51]
American Library Association's (ALA) Teens' Top Ten (2020)[52]
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2020)[53]
Aurora Burning was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2020)[54] and Australian Independent Booksellers' Indie Book Award Nominee for Young Adult (2020).[55]
The Other Side of the Sky series
Kaufman, Amie & Meagan Spooner (2020). The Other Side of the Sky. HarperTeen.
Beyond the End of the World: The Other Side of the Sky 2, co-authored with Meagan Spooner, was published 18 January 2022 by Allen & Unwin.[56]
The World Between Blinks
The World Between Blinks, co-authored with Ryan Graudin, was published on 5 January 2021 by Quill Tree Books. The book received a starred review from Booklist.[57]
The Isles of the Gods Series
The Isles of the Gods was published on 2 May 2023 by Random House Children's Books.[58]
The Heart of the World was published on 19 September 2024 by Rock The Boat.[59]
Short fiction
"One Small Step..." in Begin, End, Begin, edited by Danielle Binks (2017)[citation needed]
"I Swear This Part Is True" in Where The Shoreline Used To Be, edited by Susan La Marca and Pam Macintyre (2016)[citation needed]
Critical studies and reviews of Kaufman's work
The Other Side of the Sky
Chandler, Benjamin (January–February 2021). "The End of the World: Three New Young Adult Novels". Australian Book Review. 428: 47–48.
mie Kaufman is a New York Times, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy. Her multi-award winning work has been translated into nearly thirty languages, and is in development for film and TV.
Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution, and is currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. She’s the host of podcasts Amie Kaufman on Writing, and Pub Dates.
Amie writes a monthly newsletter that keeps readers up to date on what she’s working on, any new releases, giveaways or events near them. You can sign up at amiekaufman.com.
Amie lives by the sea in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and an extremely large personal library. Her latest books are The Isles of the Gods and Lady’s Knight.
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner chat Lady’s Knight and female friendships
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner chat their newest collab, Lady's Knight, and the female friendships and queer representation in the book.
By Tacye Last updated Jun 3, 2025
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We last interviewed Amie Kaufman on her solo work, The Isles of Gods, but we are certain that you must also know her as part of a writing duo with Meagan Spooner. Lady’s Knight is their latest work, and it’s a fun read inspired by A Knight’s Tale, celebrates female friendships, and features a sapphic romance. What’s not to love? We are honoured to have Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner here today to chat about their new book.
What is it like working together again? Is it any different from your previous collaborations with each other?
We have actually never stopped working together since our first book, which came out in 2013 – and, actually, we were writing together for many years before that. We’ve always got at least one project together in the works, either in the drafting phase or in the editing/publishing phase. For us, working together is just a natural part of life – we’re always checking in via email and chat, both about our lives and about our work. As far as this project goes, the only thing that’s different is that we really focused on making this project joyful – not just the finished book, but the process of writing it, too. From the very beginning, we knew we wanted this one to be full of fun and love from day one.
Actually, please tell us how Lady’s Knight came to existence! Did you watch A Knight’s Tale together?
We did! It was in the middle of the pandemic, and because we live on opposites sides of the world, we had to get creative to find ways to feel like we were spending time together. Movie night was one of those! But we were so bummed that while A Knight’s Tale was still fun and funny, there were almost no female characters in it, and the ones that were were pretty two-dimensional. We decided right then and there that not only were we going to do a version with real, fantastic female characters driving the story, we were going to make it funnier and even more joyful than the original film.
Lady’s Knight is such a fun read and we love how the dialogue is anachronistic. Why did you decide to use contemporary language?
The film inspiration was a big initial part of it – who can forget that scene of the jousting spectators singing “We Will Rock You?” – but mostly, as we were writing, we knew that we wanted our jokes to really sing and resonate with modern audiences. We are all so familiar with medieval fantasy tropes, and a way to highlight those tropes in a loving but teasing way is to bring them into a modern light with modern language and perspective.
In fact, how did you ensure the medieval setting still feels authentic despite the playfulness, such as our characters’ love for cheesecake on a stick?
There’s actually a surprising amount of research that went into this book. We really had to know the historically accurate elements well, because that was the only way to throw out or subvert the elements we wanted to while still creating a believable world. So even though it feels totally irreverent of history, it actually shows our deep love of that subject!
We love how the female friendships in Lady’s Knight are very wholesome and supportive, which is rare in a court setting. Why did you choose to depict these friendships this way?
We love that you picked up on this! It was a very conscious and deliberate decision on our part. As you mention, it’s really common to see a lot of backstabbing and betrayal in books about court intrigue, because that’s a really easy way to inject drama into a situation. But we also knew from the very beginning that this was a book about female friendship as well as queer women-who-love-women romance. If we had a ton of mean girl backstabby friends around our two lovers, it wouldn’t really be sending the message we had in mind. It does take a bit more effort that way, because you can’t just do the soap opera thing of “ah, but what if they’re all lying to each other!” thing to create tension and drama; you have to do that in other ways. But we felt it was worth it.
We also love how queerness is not that controversial in Gwen and Isobelle’s world. Why is it important to have a normalised sapphic relationship in this fantasy novel?
We had a LOT of conversations about this as we planned and wrote this book. Can you really have a story about characters fighting the patriarchy and misogyny without also having them fighting homophobia? And the truth is, in our world, no – those two things are pretty interdependent. But above all, we wanted joy and humor to dominate in this story, and we simply didn’t want bigotry to be a barrier for Gwen and Isobelle in that way. There are hints of it, of course: Isobelle’s lack of queer models and representation are a big part of why she doesn’t figure out she’s attracted to Gwen right away, and there are a lot of complications introduced by the fact that she doesn’t get access to her dowry unless and until she’s married to a man. But deep down, we simply didn’t want to write a book about them being hated because of who they love.
Finally, please tell us a fun fact that you two researched for Lady’s Knight but couldn’t include in the book.
We went into suuuch a deep dive about the origin of the word “cocktails,” because in Lady’s Knight there’s a bar whose female owner basically “invents” cocktails, at least as far as their existence in England goes. So we did soooo much research about that, where the word came from and when they were invented, but, of course, we couldn’t just stop the book for a three-page aside about pretty boozy drinks! Maybe for the sequel? 😉
Author Guest Post: “Co-Authoring a Novel” by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Authors of Lady’s Knight
August 31, 2025 by Kellee
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“Co-Authoring a Novel”
The number one question that we get asked when we do book events is: how do you co-author a novel?
Even now, over a decade since our first co-authored novel hit the shelves, we find ourselves a little baffled by the ubiquitousness of that question. We get asked it at every event, in every interview, whether we’re talking about a co-authored book or one we’ve written solo. For us, writing together comes so naturally that we find the fascination with the process a bit confusing. At first, we even struggled to answer reader questions on that front because we couldn’t quite figure out why people kept asking us that question.
“But what happens when you disagree?” asked one reader, insistent. “Which one of you has the final say?”
We just eyed each other across the signing table, realizing that we had no answer for that. We never disagree.
To those of you now reading on with some skepticism: yeah, you’re not wrong. Of course we disagree, but the point is we never disagree in ways that put us on opposite sides of an issue. We actually learned very early on in writing our first book together that if we disagreed about what should happen next in our story, or what a character would say, or how the relationship arc would go, what was actually happening was that we were both wrong. Or, rather, we were both right—but going about listening to our instincts the wrong way. Amie thinks it has to be A, Meg thinks it’s obvious that it should be B – what’s really going on is that we’ve both missed the fact that the right answer is really the hidden, secret option C.
For instance, Amie might think the next scene ought to be full of action, but Meg thinks it ought to be a romantic scene. It’s not because one of us is wrong and one of us is right, it’s because actually what we’re picking up on is that neither of us has the perfect next scene. So we talk about why Amie feels the need for a fight scene—we need to see the characters showing off their strengths, perhaps—and why Meg feels more pulled toward romance—because we need to see the characters becoming closer, and cementing their bond. And it turns out that the perfect scene for both those things is actually a scene where they confront an obstacle together in a way that binds them and shows them being good at what they do.
Writing with a partner in a full, 50/50 split of the responsibilities requires the ability to set aside ego in favor of the book. It took us many years to figure out why this seemed to come naturally when it struck so many others, usually budding artists and young writers themselves, as strange. “I could never do that,” we keep hearing from readers. “Give up control that way!” But the truth is that any good, healthy relationship between friends (or anyone, really) demands that you value the strength of your connection over whatever project you might be embarking upon. From the very beginning, we always said that if writing together ever started threatening our friendship, we would simply stop. The friendship mattered most.
When we began writing Lady’s Knight, Amie suggested that we try a new way of outlining the book. Meg was a bit resistant to it, because that’s not how we’d worked before, and it wasn’t what came naturally to her, but we gave it a go and it turned out to be the perfect way of approaching this book. With the plot largely decided upon in advance, it meant that we could pour ourselves into the joyful anachronistic world-building, witty dialogue, and pretty much every joke we’ve ever wanted to put into a book we were writing.
Each book is a little different in terms of how we go about writing it, but Lady’s Knight was an exercise in joy and healing from the very beginning. Conceived of during the height of the pandemic, when we were all confined to our homes and wondering how many years it would be before we could see our loved ones in person again, this book just became our happy place. We’d call each other from opposite sides of the planet, bursting with ideas and jokes, laughing and writing them down as fast as we could.
We wrote about a girl who dreams of being a knight, and a noblewoman who finds herself put up as the prize for a tournament—and rather than waiting for someone to save her, she decides to engineer her own salvation. Each of the girls learn a lot about themselves, during the adventure that ensues. We learned a lot about ourselves, writing them.
We wrote this book to delight each other—whether it was breakfast on the balcony with plates of delicious pastries, a makeover scene with incredible fashion, a breathless rush through the castle after a falling-out, or the satisfaction of skewering a sexist old man (only verbally, don’t worry), we always came back to what we loved. We told a story from our hearts, and in pursuit of joy.
There’s a beautiful merging of egos, when you write something with someone you deeply trust, and even though this was our eighth book together, there was still a special kind of magic as we watched all our ideas merge into a very special “secret option C.” This book ended up being the best of both of us, and a love letter to our friendship, and it was such fun to write.
Published June 3rd, 2025 by Storytide
About the Book: An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!
Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.
Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.
When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means… well, let’s not go there.
One thing’s for sure: Falling in love was never the plan.
But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.
About the Authors: Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction and the host of the podcast Amie Kaufman on Writing. Her multi-award-winning work is slated for publication in over thirty countries and has been described as “a game-changer” (Shelf Awareness), “stylistically mesmerizing” (Publishers Weekly), and “out-of-this-world awesome” (Kirkus Reviews). Her series include the Illuminae Files, the Aurora Cycle, the Other Side of the Sky duology, the Starbound trilogy, the Unearthed duology, the Elementalstrilogy, and The World Between Blinks. Her work is in development for film and TV and has taken home multiple Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, and a Gold Inky, made multiple best-of lists, and been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law, and conflict resolution and is currently undertaking a PhD in creative writing. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter, rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. Learn more about her and subscribe to her newsletter at amiekaufman.com.
New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, or an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York State with a degree in playwriting. She’s traveled all over the world, to places such as Egypt, Australia, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galápagos Islands, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes. She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there. She’s the author of Hunted and Sherwood and the coauthor of the award-winning Starbound Trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending). In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads. meaganspooner.com
Thank you, Amie & Meagan, for sharing your process!
Kaufman, Amie THE HEART OF THE WORLD Knopf (Teen None) $19.99 9, 17 ISBN: 9780593479322
The last time the gods went to war, they turned a nation to dust.
Now, at "the heart of the world," the gods walk again, and a group of unlikely heroes must find a way to banish them or die trying. Warlike Barrica has been strengthened. Macean, her brother god, is bound in sleep. Selly, meanwhile, doesn't feel much like a hero; her love, Leander, sacrificed himself to become Barrica's Messenger, and even with Selly bound to him as his anchor, it's only a matter of time before the magic raging within him tears them apart. When the gateways holding Barrica and Macean back from the world are blown open, the nations of Alinor and Mellacea find themselves plunging headlong toward war, their people irrevocably caught up in the tide. Only a few remain able to see clearly--will their combined strength and knowledge be enough to prevent the destruction of their world? Although various characters' soul-searching and prevaricating is unduly protracted in places, the plot overall thrums with tension, racing toward a conclusion that never feels foregone. Where this sequel shines in comparison to 2023'sThe Isles of the Gods is in the depths of the intimate relationships among the characters and the ferocity with which they fight for their lives. Kaufman's evocative prose and richly detailed worldbuilding are a treat. Characters' physical traits are minimally described.
An absorbing sequel that satisfyingly ties up loose ends. (map)(Fantasy. 12-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Kaufman, Amie: THE HEART OF THE WORLD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A801499415/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=08e54ddd. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Lady's Knight
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
Storytide, $19.99 (432p)
ISBN 978-0-06-289339-0
Seventeen-year-old blacksmith's daughter Gwen yearns to be a knight. As a peasant and a woman, she's twice barred from trying, but that doesn't stop her from forging her own armor and practicing her swordplay in secret. A chance encounter with Lady Isobelle of Avington, who affects a bubbly exterior to hide her cunning mind, compels Gwen to enter Darkhaven's Tournament of Dragonslayers disguised as Sir Gawain. The two strike a deal: Isobelle will support Gwen in the contest if, upon Gwen's victory, she frees Isobelle from her role as the winner's prize. Meanwhile, Gwen and Isobelle's newfound friendship deepens into mutual attraction. But the further Gwen gets in the tourney and the bigger her popularity grows, the more the white-cued duo stand to lose if their deception is discovered. Set in a vaguely medieval England, this hilariously anachronistic adventure--a contemporary homage to A Knight's Tale--balances slowburning romance alongside serious examinations of privilege and gender. Fourth-wall-breaking asides and sardonic commentary from the novel's omniscient narrator add charm to this freewheeling collaboration by Spooner (Hunted) and Kaufman (The Heart of the World). Ages 13-up. Agents: (for Kaufman) Tracey Adams, Adams Literary; (for Spooner) josh Adams, Adams Literary. (June)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Lady's Knight." Publishers Weekly, vol. 272, no. 15, 14 Apr. 2025, pp. 52+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A836572531/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9f8679d5. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Kaufman, Amie LADY'S KNIGHT Storytide/HarperCollins (Teen None) $19.99 6, 3 ISBN: 9780062893390
Two medieval teens smash the patriarchy.
Gwen only desires to prove herself as a knight. But entering the men's-only Tournament of Dragonslayers as "Sir Gawain" is difficult for a blacksmith's daughter. Meanwhile, blond, blue-eyed Lady Isobelle desires agency, but as the prize for this year's tournament, she knows her future looks grim. A chance encounter between the two young women sparks a scheme: Gwen will stay with Isobelle, posing as Gawain in the tournament and as his sister when she's not disguised by a suit of armor. In exchange for training and funding, pale-skinned Gwen, who has black hair and green eyes, will try to win the tournament and Isobelle's hand, thus rescuing Isobelle from a future with any of the other knights, whose behaviors exhibit textbook toxic masculinity. As their plan gains momentum, the pair soon realize their desire for success is only matched by their desire for each other. But the triple life Gwen leads can last only so long under the scrutiny of the patriarchy. Will she and Isobelle get the chance to be their own heroes? Compelling subplots center their fight against misogyny and classism, and several interludes by an unnamed narrator directly address readers, adding additional depth and intrigue to the worldbuilding. The authors insert abundant intentional anachronisms that successfully inject the story with levity, and Gwen and Isobelle's chemistry is swoonworthy. There's some racial diversity among secondary characters.
A thoroughly enjoyable Sapphic romp.(Historical fantasy. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Kaufman, Amie: LADY'S KNIGHT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A835106581/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=32ae5033. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.