Kristin Cashore (born 1976) is an American

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

writer, best known for the

Graceling ''Graceling'' is a young adult fantasy novel written by American author Kristin Cashore, her literary debut. The book earned a place on the Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year for 2008 and received generally favorable reviews. It was follo ...

Realm series.

Early life

Cashore grew up in the

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

countryside, the second of four daughters. She has a bachelor's degree from

Williams College Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kill ...

. She received her master's degree in Children's Literature from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at

Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts * Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky * Ha ...

in 2003. She has worked as a dog runner, a packer in a candy factory, an editorial assistant, a legal assistant, and a freelance writer. She writes her novels by hand.

Literary career

Her

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, ''

'', was published in October 2008. The book was nominated for the

Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...

and William C. Morris awards and earned a place on the

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

Best Books of the Year for 2008. Her second book, ''

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...

'', was released in October 2009, and is described as being a 'prequel-ish companion book' to ''Graceling''. ''Fire'' received the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award. '' Bitterblue'', the third book of the Graceling Realm series, was released in May 2012. As of 2017, the Graceling Realm series had sold more than 1.5 million copies and been translated into 33 languages. Cashore's fourth book, ''Jane, Unlimited'', was released in September 2017. ''Jane, Unlimited'' is her first published novel that takes a step away from the Graceling Realm, and is told in multiple genres. Cashore returned to the Graceling Realm series with ''Winterkeep'', which was released in January 2021. ''Seasparrow'', released in November 2022, was the fifth book in the series. Cashore has also written professionally for textbooks, and teacher editions, as well as for The Horn Book Guide.

Books

Series

Graceling Realm

* ''

'' (October 1, 2008) * ''

'' (October 5, 2009) * '' Bitterblue'' (May 1, 2012) * ''Winterkeep'' (January 19, 2021) * ''Seasparrow'' (November 1, 2022)

Standalones

* ''Jane, Unlimited'' (September 19, 2017)

Graphic Novels

* ''Graceling: Graphic Novel'' (November 16, 2021)

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cashore, Kristin Living people 1976 births 21st-century American novelists American fantasy writers American women novelists Novelists from Pennsylvania Williams College alumni Women science fiction and fantasy writers 21st-century American women writers