Sarah Rees Brennan

{{short description|Irish writer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Sarah Rees Brennan

| image = Sarah_Rees_Brennan_2018.jpg

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|09|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Ireland

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| occupation = Writer

| nationality = Irish

| period = 21st century

| genre = fantasy, young adult fiction

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| alma_mater = Kingston University London

| notableworks = {{plainlist}}

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| website = {{URL|sarahreesbrennan.com}}

}}

Sarah Rees Brennan (born 21 September 1983){{Cite web |title=sarahtales - Profile |url=https://sarahtales.livejournal.com/profile |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=LiveJournal |language=en-us |archive-date=6 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106001645/https://sarahtales.livejournal.com/profile |url-status=live }} is an Irish fantasy novelist. Her books are bestsellers in both the UK and USA.{{cite web |title=Weekly Bestsellers, 9 September 2024 |url=https://locusmag.com/2024/09/weekly-bestsellers-9-september-2024/ |website=Locus Online |date=9 September 2024}}

Rees Brennan's first novel, The Demon's Lexicon (2009), was longlisted for the 2010 Carnegie Medal.{{Cite web|url=http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_nom_car_2010.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107030950/http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_nom_car_2010.html|title=The CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominations for 2010|archive-date=2010-01-07|accessdate=April 30, 2025}} Her fantasy novel In Other Lands was a finalist for the 2017 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2018-hugo-awards/|title=2018 Hugo Awards|date=19 August 2018|accessdate=April 30, 2025}} Her adult fantasy novel Long Live Evil debuted on the USA Today's best seller list and became a #1 Sunday Times bestseller on release in the UK,{{cite web |title=Long Live Evil |url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/sarah-rees-brennan/long-live-evil/9780356522494/ |date=17 January 2024}} and appeared on both The New York Times 2024 Best of Fantasy list and The New York Times Best of Romance list.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/books/review/best-science-fiction-fantasy-books-2024.html|title=New York Times The Best Science Fiction Novels of 2024|date=6 December 2024|accessdate=April 30, 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/books/review/best-romance-books-2024.html|title=New York Times The Best Romance Fiction Novels of 2024|date=5 December 2024|accessdate=April 30, 2025}} Rees Brennan's work was listed twice in the 2024 Locus Recommended Reading List - her Hansel and Gretel retelling "Happily Ever After Comes Round" was recommended in the Short Stories category and Long Live Evil was recommended in Novels - Fantasy.{{Cite web|url=https://locusmag.com/2025/02/2024-recommended-reading-list/|title=Locus 2024 Recommended Reading List |date=1 February 2025|accessdate=April 30, 2025}}

Life and career

Rees Brennan was born in Ireland. She obtained a Creative Writing MA from Kingston University in London[https://www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate-course/creative-writing-ma/after-you-graduate.html Sarah Rees Brennan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207195206/https://www.kingston.ac.uk/postgraduate-course/creative-writing-ma/after-you-graduate.html |date=7 December 2019 }} - After you Graduate, Kingston University London. and worked as a librarian in Surrey, England{{Cite web |url=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/sarah-rees-brennan/ |title=Sarah Rees Brennan |access-date=6 February 2009 |archive-date=14 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214091922/http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/sarah-rees-brennan/ |url-status=live }} before moving to Dublin where she currently lives.

Rees Brennan has been writing since the age of five.[Back of first novel, Interview with Sarah Rees Brennan, author of The Demon's Lexicon] {{full citation needed|date=February 2014}} She has a blog on LiveJournal which has over 4000 subscribers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/sarahrsquos-magic-touch-lands-the-writer-a-threebook-deal-1334941.html |title=Sarah's magic touch lands the writer a three-book deal |access-date=4 February 2009 |archive-date=2 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102212622/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/sarahrsquos-magic-touch-lands-the-writer-a-threebook-deal-1334941.html |url-status=live }}

She wrote her first novel, The Demon's Lexicon, while studying for her Creative Writing MA. The publishing house Simon & Schuster obtained a three-book contract deal with her which involved an undisclosed six-figure sum. Since then she has written and collaborated on many bestselling and award-nominated works including In Other Lands and her tie-in work with Netflix.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} Rees Brennan's most recent novel is Long Live Evil which debuted on the USA Today's best seller list and was a number one best seller on the Sunday Times in the UK.{{cite web |title=Long Live Evil |url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/sarah-rees-brennan/long-live-evil/9780356522494/ |date=17 January 2024}}

Rees Brennan is a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2017.{{Cite news |url=https://www.her.ie/news/people-complimenting-weight-loss-sarah-rees-brennan-battling-cancer-499595 |title='People were complimenting my weight loss' Sarah Rees Brennan on battling cancer |work=Her.ie |author=Press Association |date=16 February 2020 |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025113901/https://www.her.ie/news/people-complimenting-weight-loss-sarah-rees-brennan-battling-cancer-499595 |url-status=live }}

Awards and honors

Three of Brennan's books are Junior Library Guild books: Untold (2014),{{Cite web |title=Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan |url=https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/book/landing/detailedview?itemcode=9780375970429J&name=Untold |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Junior Library Guild}} Unmade (2014),{{Cite web |title=Unmade: The Lynburn Legacy, Book 3 by Sarah Rees Brennan |url=https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/book/landing/detailedview?itemcode=9780375970436J&name=Unmade |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Junior Library Guild}} and In Other Lands (2017).{{Cite web |title=In Other Lands: A Novel by Sarah Rees Brennan |url=https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/book/landing/detailedview?itemcode=9781618731203J&name=In_Other_Lands |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Junior Library Guild }}

The Demon's Lexicon received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews,{{cite web |title=THE DEMON’S LEXICON |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-rees-brennan/the-demons-lexicon/ |publisher=Kirkus Reviews |language=en}} Bulletin,{{cite journal |last1=McDowell |first1=Kate |title=The Demon’s Lexicon (review) |journal=Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books |date=July 2009 |volume=62 |issue=11 |pages=436–436 |doi=10.1353/bcc.0.1058}} and School Library Journal.{{cite web |last1=Rees |first1=Brennan, Sarah |title=The Demon |url=https://www.slj.com/review/the-demons-covenant-[demons-lexicon-trilogy] |website=School Library Journal}}

In 2017, The New York Times included In Other Lands on their list of the fall's best young adult fantasy novels.{{Cite news |date=2017-11-09 |title=Who's a Hero? Who's a Villain? It's Anyone's Guess in This Fall's Best Y.A. Fantasy |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/books/review/bardugo-wonder-woman-meyer-renegades-ness-release-lu-warcross.html |access-date=2023-04-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109031352/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/books/review/bardugo-wonder-woman-meyer-renegades-ness-release-lu-warcross.html |url-status=live }}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

|+Awards for Brennan's writing

!Year

!Title

!Award

!Result

!Ref.

| rowspan="4" |{{Sort|Demon's Lexicon|The Demon's Lexicon}}

|Leeds Book Award

|Finalist

|{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

2009

|Cybils Award for Young Adult Speculative

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |title=2009 Cybils Finalists |url=https://www.cybils.com/cybils-books/2009-cybils-finalists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322033459/https://www.cybils.com/cybils-books/2009-cybils-finalists |archive-date=2023-03-22 |access-date=2023-03-22 |language=en-US}}

rowspan="2" |2010

|ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults

|Top 10

|{{Cite web |date= |title=2010 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults |url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/topten2010.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117034031/http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/topten2010.cfm |archive-date=2011-01-17 |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=American Library Association}}

Carnegie Medal

|Longlisted

|{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

2013

|Unspoken

|ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults

|Selection

|{{Cite web |date=2013-02-04 |title=Unspoken: The Lynburn Legacy {{!}} Awards & Grants |url=https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/unspoken-lynburn-legacy |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=American Library Association |archive-date=21 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821011210/https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/unspoken-lynburn-legacy |url-status=live }}

rowspan="2" |2014

|Team Human

|Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults

|Selection

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2014-01-30 |title=Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2014 |url=https://www.ala.org/yalsa/amazing-audiobooks-young-adults-2014 |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) |language=en |archive-date=1 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001174810/https://www.ala.org/yalsa/amazing-audiobooks-young-adults-2014 |url-status=live }}

Unmade

|Andre Norton Award

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2015-06-07 |title=2014 Nebula Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2015/06/2014-nebula-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=10 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210060045/https://locusmag.com/2015/06/2014-nebula-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}

rowspan="2" |2017

| rowspan="7" |In Other Lands

|Bisexual Book Award for Teen/Young Adult Fiction

|Winner

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-06-04 |title=2017 Bisexual Book Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2018/06/2017-bisexual-book-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811081544/https://locusmag.com/2018/06/2017-bisexual-book-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}

Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

|Nominee

|{{Cite web |title=In Other Lands |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31944679-in-other-lands?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7z4T5elWSt&rank=1 |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Goodreads |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405083529/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31944679-in-other-lands?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7z4T5elWSt&rank=1 |url-status=live }}

rowspan="3" |2018

|European Science Fiction Society Award for Best Work of Fiction

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-07-23 |title=2018 ESFS Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2018/07/2018-esfs-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=7 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207064041/http://locusmag.com/2018/07/2018-esfs-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}

Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-06-23 |title=2018 Locus Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2018/06/2018-locus-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=24 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624032008/https://locusmag.com/2018/06/2018-locus-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |date=2018-03-15 |title=2018 Hugo Awards |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2018-hugo-awards/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=The Hugo Awards |language=en-US |archive-date=9 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409234648/https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2018-hugo-awards/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last= |date=2018-08-20 |title=2018 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2018/08/2018-hugo-and-campbell-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=7 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207063524/https://locusmag.com/2018/08/2018-hugo-and-campbell-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}

rowspan="2" |2019

|ALA Rainbow Book List

|Selection

|{{Cite web |title=The 2019 Rainbow Book List |url=https://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/archives/1324 |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Rainbow Book List |publisher=American Library Association |language=en-US |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507121648/https://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/archives/1324 |url-status=live }}

Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature

|Finalist

|{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-08-05 |title=2019 Mythopoeic Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2019/08/2019-mythopoeic-awards-winners/ |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=Locus Online |language=en-US |archive-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702212111/https://locusmag.com/2019/08/2019-mythopoeic-awards-winners/ |url-status=live }}

Publications

= Novels =

== Demon's Lexicon Trilogy ==

== Lynburn Legacy ==

  • Unspoken, June 2012 (Book 1)
  • Untold, August 2013 (Book 2)
  • Unmade, 2014 (Book 3)
  • The Spring Before I Met You, September 2012 (Book 0.25)
  • The Summer Before I Met You, September 2012 (Book 0.5)
  • The Night After I Lost You (Book 1.5)

== [[The Mortal Instruments|Shadowhunters]] Universe ==

== [[Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV series)|Chilling Adventures of Sabrina]] ==

  • Season of the Witch (Book 1), July 2019
  • Daughter of Chaos (Book 2), December 2019
  • Path of Night (Book 3), May 2020

== [[C.S. Pacat]]'s [[Fence (comic book)|''Fence'']] novelisations ==

  • Fence: Striking Distance, September 2020
  • Fence: Disarmed, May 2021

== [[Fate: The Winx Saga]] ==

  • The Fairies' Path, as Ava Corrigan, March 2021
  • Lighting the Fire, August 2022

== Time of Iron ==

  • Long Live Evil, August 2024
  • All Hail Chaos, forthcoming from Orbit Books

== Stand-alone novels ==

= Short fiction =

  • "Undead Is Very Hot Right Now" in The Eternal Kiss, ed. Trisha Telep
  • "The Spy Who Never Grew Up" in Kiss Me Deadly, ed. Trisha Telep
  • "Queen of Atlantis" in Subterranean Press Magazine: Summer 2011, ed. Gwenda Bond
  • "Lets Get This Undead Show on the Road" in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, ed. Melissa Marr
  • "Faint Heart" in After, ed. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
  • "Treasure and Maidens" in Scheherazade's Facade, ed. Michael M. Jones
  • "I Gave You My Love by the Light of The Moon" in Defy the Dark, ed. Saundra Mitchell
  • "Beauty and the Chad" in Grim, ed. Christine Johnson
  • "Wings in the Morning" in Monstrous Affections, ed. Kelly Link
  • "Tears Waiting to Be Diamonds" Part One and Part Two in The Sunday Morning Transport{{Cite web |last=Transport |first=The Sunday Morning |title=Tears Waiting to Be Diamonds: Part One |url=https://www.sundaymorningtransport.com/p/tears-waiting-to-be-diamonds-part |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=www.sundaymorningtransport.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Transport |first=The Sunday Morning |title=Tears Waiting to Be Diamonds: Part Two |url=https://www.sundaymorningtransport.com/p/tears-waiting-to-be-diamonds-part-7e9 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=www.sundaymorningtransport.com |language=en}}

References

{{reflist |25em}}