The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
L. A. Young
The Witch and the Tsar—the debut novel by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore—is a book with a title that draws you towards it without knowing what the story is about. There is…
mythology
Mythological Creatures of Oregon
Kellie Doherty
A while back I did an article on mythological beasts from my home state of Alaska. It was such a fun research project that I wanted to honor some of…
Let’s Make Fantasy Dwarves Interesting!
Richard Marpole
When people think fantasy, they think elves and dwarves (maybe orcs and goblins too). And they think of them in that order. Elves are beautiful, magical, and melancholy (or eerily…
Summertime Deities
In the Northern Hemisphere it’s finally summertime. Time to shake off the thick winter blanket and step into the warm sunshine. Walking outside, hiking up mountains, biking, camping. A whole…
Monkey Around by Jadie Jang
JC Kang
Journey to the West meets Paternus meets The Greatest American Hero. Journey to the West is perhaps the forbearer of the xianxia genre, and its main character Sun Wukong is…
Autumn Deities
As a writer, inspiration can come from anywhere, and researching your chosen subject can be a useful tool. When creating a new world, researching geographical maps and landmarks is a…
The Green Knight – Movie Review
A. M. Justice
Growing up, we’re taught to always be kind and tell the truth, but as adults, are any of us truly virtuous? We walk past the panhandler with a muttered “sorry,”…
Mythological Creatures of Alaska: Fantasy Close to Home
Last year I wrote a blogpost about house spirits to keep you company, highlighting creatures from all kinds of regions and folklores. This time, I want to showcase fantasy creatures…
Mythological Creatures: A List Without Dragons
Fantasy has a longstanding relationship with dragons, reaching as far back as ancient Mesopotamian art and literature and as recent as Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa and House…
The Origins of Halloween and its Traditions
S. H. Paulus
You might have some fond memories of Halloween growing-up, where you dressed-up as your favorite superhero or mystical entity, to go door-to-door collecting candy. When someone opened the door, you…
The Museum of Magical Miniatures: Gallery One
With museums and art galleries across the world closed to the public, now seems like a good time to introduce a little virtual museum created just for Fantasy-Faction. Presenting: The…
House Spirits to Keep You Company
Well, friends, there’s no sugarcoating this; we’re in the middle of a pandemic. COVID-19 has ripped through the world and has overturned how we live. Some of us cling to…