Naomi Novik

Author

Naomi Novik is an American author whose inventive, genre-blending fantasy novels have earned her critical acclaim, major awards, and a devoted readership. Her work ranges from Napoleonic-era dragon warfare to dark fairy tale retellings to academy fantasy, and she is one of the most versatile and talented writers in contemporary... fantasy. Born in New York City in 1973 to Polish immigrant parents, Novik studied English Literature at Brown University and Computer Science at Columbia University. She worked in the tech industry, including on the development of the video game Neverwinter Nights, before turning to writing. The Temeraire series (2006-2016), beginning with His Majesty's Dragon, reimagines the Napoleonic Wars in a world where dragons are real, intelligent, and serve as an aerial corps. The nine-book series follows Captain William Laurence and his dragon Temeraire through wars, diplomacy, and adventures spanning the globe. The series was praised for its inventive premise, its rich historical detail, and its exploration of themes including abolition, colonialism, and the rights of non-human beings. The film rights were optioned by Peter Jackson. Uprooted (2015) was a standalone dark fairy tale that won the Nebula Award — a story of a young woman taken by a mysterious wizard to serve in his tower, set against the backdrop of a malevolent enchanted forest. Spinning Silver (2018) reimagined the Rumpelstiltskin story in a world inspired by Eastern European Jewish life. The Scholomance trilogy — A Deadly Education (2020), The Last Graduate (2021), and The Golden Enclaves (2022) — reinvented the magical school genre with a school that actively tries to kill its students, combining dark humour with incisive social commentary. The audiobook editions of Novik's novels are outstanding, with narrators perfectly matching the tone of each very different series. Her books and audiobooks are essential for fantasy readers who value intelligence, originality, and a writer who never repeats herself. Read more Show less