FanLit welcomes urban fantasy author Allison Pang to the hot seat. Her debut novel, A Brush of Darkness, was released in January. Today she chats with us about ballads, World of Warcraft, and whether it's a good idea to strike bargains with faeries. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A Brush of Darkness (U.S. addresses).

Kelly Lasiter: A Brush of Darkness draws upon the old faerie ballads, such as "True Thomas." How did you first become interested in ballads, and how did you decide to incorporate them into a novel?

Allison Pang: I first learned about that poem from the back of the Brian Froud/Alan Lee book Faeries when I was about ten... Read More

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

It’s easiest to cross between worlds at liminal times of the day. Angels travel most easily at dawn, faeries at twilight, and demons at midnight. As for noon… well, you’ll just have to read and find out!

When supernatural beings (“OtherFolk”) want to pass between worlds without these limitations, they can bond with humans, called TouchStones, who help anchor them to the mortal world. Abby Sinclair is contracted as the TouchStone to Moira, a powerful faerie, but she’s keeping a secret: Moira has been missing for months. Abby doesn’t know whether this is normal faerie behavior or if it’s something to worry about. Then she learns that other OtherFolk have gone missing recently as well. Also complicating the situation is Brystion, a gorgeous, standoffish incubus.

There’s a lot of unoriginal writing out there, and so it’s always nice to find a book that feels this f... Read More

Magpie’s Song by Allison Pang

Magpie’s Song (2017) is the beginning of a new series by Allison Pang, and it’s an interesting blend of genres. There’s a dash of steampunk, a dollop of dystopia, and even a pinch of faerie lore. When I started reading, I was skeptical that all of this would work well together, but Pang pulls it off, and creates an interesting world that I want to know more about.

BrightStone is a steampunky, gritty city whose inhabitants are ruled from above — literally — by the Meridians, a technologically advanced society living on an island that floats above BrightStone. The citizens of BrightStone, for the most part, eke out an impoverished existence, and no one is as downtrodden as the Moon Children. The Moon Children, half-breed offspring of a Meridian and a BrightStone dweller, are ... Read More