Picture a British storyteller who spun an orc priestess into a galaxy-hopping assassin—meet A.K. Larkwood! With her debut novel, The Unspoken Name, she burst onto the fantasy scene, blending high-stakes magic with space opera flair. Her Serpent Gates series has captivated readers with its bold characters and intricate worlds, marking her as a fresh voice in speculative fiction.
Born and raised in a bustling family of four younger siblings, Larkwood’s love for fantasy and sci-fi bloomed early. Now based in Oxford, England, with her wife and a cat, she crafts stories that echo her vibrant imagination and diverse influences, from Ursula K. Le Guin to Ann Leckie.
The Making of A.K. Larkwood
A.K. Larkwood honed her storytelling at St John’s College, Cambridge, where she studied English, diving deep into literature’s power to shape worlds. Her childhood was filled with books about witches and demons, sparking a lifelong passion for speculative fiction. After Cambridge, she explored careers in higher education and media relations before studying law, all while nurturing her writing. Her early attempt at a werewolf novel—complete with a 10,000-word monologue—was a beloved but unpublishable mess, teaching her the art of plotting and perseverance.
Larkwood’s writing process is as lively as her stories. She thrives in noisy coffee shops, often blasting Charli XCX on repeat to fuel dramatic scenes. This blend of discipline and chaos shaped her path from dreamer to published author, with The Unspoken Name hitting shelves in 2020 after years of crafting alongside her day jobs.
A.K. Larkwood’s Unforgettable Stories
Larkwood’s Serpent Gates duology—The Unspoken Name (2020) and The Thousand Eyes (2022)—redefines epic fantasy. The Unspoken Name follows Csorwe, an orc priestess destined for sacrifice, who escapes to become a wizard’s assassin. Navigating the Echo Maze, a trans-dimensional plane, Csorwe grapples with loyalty, love, and fate. The novel’s genre-blending mix of magic, spaceships, and ancient gods draws comparisons to Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth for its queer characters and vivid world-building.
The Thousand Eyes, set 20 years later, dives deeper into the consequences of Csorwe’s choices, introducing new threats and darker stakes. Larkwood’s prose shifts seamlessly from lyrical to brutal, painting worlds like the serpent-haunted Echentyr or the bustling Grey Hook. Her themes of identity, agency, and breaking free from preordained paths resonate deeply, especially in the tender romance between Csorwe and Shuthmili, a mage bound by her own cult.
Influenced by space opera giants like Iain M. Banks and Yoon Ha Lee, Larkwood infuses her fantasy with cosmic grandeur—think ghost ships and looming planets. Her selective world-building, inspired by Saladin Ahmed, keeps the focus on character-driven plots, making her stories both accessible and immersive.
Why A.K. Larkwood Matters
A.K. Larkwood’s impact lies in her ability to weave diverse, relatable characters into expansive, genre-bending narratives. Her inclusive storytelling, featuring queer romances and non-traditional heroes like Csorwe, brings fresh perspectives to fantasy. Critics, including Publishers Weekly, praise her “lyrical, immersive prose” and complex world-building, while fans on Goodreads celebrate her knack for subverting tropes.
Though early in her career, Larkwood’s work signals a shift toward more inclusive, imaginative speculative fiction. Her stories invite readers to question fate and embrace their own paths, making her a vital voice for a new generation of fantasy lovers.
- Born: United Kingdom
- Key Works: The Unspoken Name (2020), The Thousand Eyes (2022)
- Genres: Fantasy, Space Opera, Sci-Fi
- Fun Fact: She writes best in loud coffee shops!
Snag The Unspoken Name and dive into A.K. Larkwood’s thrilling, heart-filled fantasy worlds!