In addition, during the pandemic, I found myself reaching for shorter but still impactful books as a way to escape. And since fairy tales are traditionally on the shorter side, the novella format worked really well. I actually started the series because I wanted smaller projects to work on in between full-length novels. Nope, they’re actually novellas! Each book is 30-35,000 words in length.

The Rose and the Claw will be covering “Beauty and the Beast.” You’ll be able to find out about the second fairy tale (and read the first chapter) in the back of The Rose and the Claw.Īre these full-length novels like The Red and Black series? What type of fairy tales will you be covering? This will send her straight into enemy territory, and more than a little magical peril. I mention the fact that they’re adult fantasy because most fairy tale retellings focus on fresh-faced teenagers, and all of my characters are adults who have already experienced quite a lot of life, and the scars that come with it.įor example, the heroine of The Rose and the Claw is a practically minded tough-as-nails war widow who’s currently on a quest to set her late husband’s spirit to rest. I have nothing against (and often read) books like that, but I’ve kept things pretty PG-13. And when I say adult fantasy, I don’t mean that they’re filled with graphic content. It’s also worth mentioning that The Twin Kingdoms is an adult fantasy series. Each book focuses on the experiences of one couple coming together, but in a full-fledged fantasy setting. The Twin Kingdoms also fall under the umbrella of fantasy romance. Having previously enjoyed book series that used fairy tales as a way to build out an original fantasy world (such as Jim Hines’s Princess books), I’ve always known that it’s something I wanted to try out. Superheroes are not my only love and (like many!) I’ve been a fan of fairy tales since before I could even read. The Twin Kingdoms is a series of fairy tale retellings.

What is The Twin Kingdoms? Is it superhero fiction, like the Red and Black series? But given that The Twin Kingdoms is a little different from my Red and Black series, I’d thought I’d write up a quick introduction. In case you missed it, last Wednesday, I posted the cover reveal and preorder for The Rose and the Claw, the first book in my Twin Kingdoms series.

The Rose and the Claw by Nancy O'Toole