Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now she is a
New York Times bestselling author of darkly magical books.
Her first novel is
THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2012. She is also the author of
THE YEAR OF SHADOWS, a ghost story for middle grade readers; and
WINTERSPELL, a young adult re-telling of The Nutcracker.
SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, her middle grade novel about mental illness, family secrets, and the power of storytelling, is a 2017 Edgar Award Nominee. Claire’s latest middle grade novel,
FOXHEART, is a classic fantasy-adventure and a 2016 Junior Library Guild selection. The companion novel,
THORNLIGHT, was a Kids' Indie Next Pick in 2021. She is one of the four authors behind
THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade short fiction that was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Bank Street Best Book, and among the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2014.
Her bestselling Empirium Trilogy consists of epic fantasy novels
FURYBORN,
KINGSBANE, and
LIGHTBRINGER.
Her young adult horror novel
SAWKILL GIRLS received five starred reviews. It was also a 2018 Bram Stoker Award finalist and a 2019 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her latest novel,
EXTASIA, is a young adult horror novel described as "
The Handmaid's Tale meets
The Craft" and was a Kids' Indie Next Pick.
Her adult debut, book 1 of
THE MIDDLEMIST TRILOGY, releases in spring 2023.