Kell Shaw writes in the Vestiges of Magic urban fantasy universe. His books feature diverse characters and thrilling supernatural mysteries. https://kellshaw.com https://kellshaw.com/newsletter <-- Get a free introductory short story in my current serieshttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mvtn3rutes2gAnyone want chip in for the Doctor Who tender? https://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/news/doctor-who-invitation-to-tender-september-2026/ #doctorwho19 Sep 2026 02:27 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvtn3rutes2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mv77x7hyfs2fThis weekend is Sydney, Australia's speculative writing festival, ConSYDeration! Check out the program here: https://scribes.com.au/consyderation-program/ Use the code SpeculativeFriends for a 30% discount on a Sat or Sun day pass. I'll be on a panel at 12pm Sunday about research! #booksky #sydney10 Sep 2026 23:39 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv77x7hyfs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mv52kputs22hNew book review: Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaaronvitch. A delightful, but short, collection of stories from the Rivers of London series. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-tales-from-the-folly-by-ben-aaronovitch/10 Sep 2026 02:57 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv52kputs22hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mujbjthomk2vNoticed that people aren't familiar with Elric directly, so I've written a blog post introducing him. A reaction to Conan, Elric a dark fantasy hero. A brooding chap, with baggage. https://kellshaw.com/introduction-to-elric-of-melnibone/ #booksky #bookreview #darkfantasy #sword&sorcery02 Sep 2026 06:09 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mujbjthomk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3muele36p422fI ran what I thought was a terrible game of Pathfinder 2E! I had to improv a bit as the players went in a different direction. Everything was off the cuff. The combat was too easy for the players and they were rolling criticals left and right. Except they loved it! #ttrpg #pathfinder231 Aug 2026 09:21 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3muele36p422fhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mtbmnyxsc222I write dark urban fantasy in a secondary world about characters who make terrible bargains and survive them. The Cambion Chronicles. Two half-demon sisters, both assassins, trapped in a dysfunctional foster family. The Revenant Records. Murdered as a teen. Reborn as a monster. kellshaw.com https://kellshaw.com/17 Aug 2026 11:41 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbmnyxsc222https://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mtbk5dlgh22rA new Review of Interesting Books! (RIB). This is Catch and Kill by Craig Schaefer. Cyberpunk + magic urban fantasy. After Emily is stiffed out of a contract by a jealous rival, she's got no choice but to perform an illicit heist. Recommended. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-catch-and-kill-by-craig-schaefer/ #booksky #bookreview17 Aug 2026 10:56 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbk5dlgh22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3msdblgd7gs2zMy podcatching app, Downcast, is stuffed full of podcasts. I can't bear to delete any. Except my phone is running out of space. Apps demand updates. But I do want to listen to them... eventually.05 Aug 2026 10:03 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3msdblgd7gs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3ms3ekwggnk24New book review! A Spark From Embers by Kaylea Prime. A pleasant, noblebright fantasy where a young woman from early-twentieth century Canada travels to another world, where her dreams and destiny are realized. And where she creates a terrible problem... #booksky https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-a-spark-from-embers-by-kaylea-prime/02 Aug 2026 06:35 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms3ekwggnk24https://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mrtiezn4222gThis looks very silly, but the part of me that loves stupid kitchen gadgets is very keen on these egg and toaster robots. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cheffy/breakfast-automated?category_id=Q2F0ZWdvcnktMjg=30 Jul 2026 03:22 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrtiezn4222ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mrjzq7f3ns2dI just saw the Odyssey. Fantastic, with some interesting new ideas. The key one is that Odysseus's idea for the Trojan Horse, essentially giving the Trojans a gift and then betraying them, is the cause of a new dark age. The unravelling of the old era of hospitality.26 Jul 2026 09:06 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrjzq7f3ns2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mra5vuulus2dI spoke to one of my younger players about joining another urban fantasy campaign I was running, using a homebrew Whitewolf inspired system. The first thing he did was send me a D&D character sheet for a warlock. I guess I should have been clearer. #ttrpg22 Jul 2026 10:54 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mra5vuulus2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mr7nfuket22qMy writing is spiralling more towards the dark fantasy side of things, so I'm going to do a few blogs about dark fantasy writers. And I'm starting with one of my favourite authors, Clark Ashton Smith and his world of Zothique: https://kellshaw.com/clark-ashton-smith-and-zothique-illuminated-by-a-dim-and-tarnished-sun/ #booksky #darkfantasy #clarkashtonsmith22 Jul 2026 05:59 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr7nfuket22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mqazxmbymc2jI've reviewed Vera Nazarian's Qualify, first in the Atlantis Grail series. Fun, YA sci-fi style Hunger-Games action. Earth is doomed. To survive, Gwen Lark has to enter a life or death tournament to save her family in order to mmigrate to another planet. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-the-atlantis-grail-1-qualify-by-vera-nazarian/ #booksky10 Jul 2026 01:51 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqazxmbymc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3moznsqivfs2bNew book review - Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey James Stark is back in town, after eleven years of being exiled to Hell. And he's pissed. Time for revenge against the so-called friends who banished him there. One by one. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-sandman-slim-by-richard-kadrey/ #booksky #bookreview24 Jun 2026 10:00 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3moznsqivfs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mnw3ibjgo22vShocking supernatural activity! The untold story about my mother's friend's UFO sighting! (I'm somewhat skeptical...) https://kellshaw.com/my-mothers-friends-ufo-sighting/ #ufo #paranormalactivity #weird10 Jun 2026 06:29 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnw3ibjgo22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mnqxxblsis2iNew book review - A Demon to Save Me by HS Kallinger. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-a-demon-to-save-me-by-hs-kallinger/ A young half-vampire, struggling with loneliness and depression, summons a demon. They have a deep conversation that convinces him to turn his life around. #booksky #bookreview #pride #sfpbo #sfpbo-xi #pridemonth08 Jun 2026 05:42 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnqxxblsis2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mmt6zhk7oc2kMy Review of Interesting Books (The RIB) blog series looks at This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews. What if you woke up in your favourite fantasy book series? But knew the plot, and wanted to change everything? #booksky #bookreview #fantasy https://kellshaw.bearblog.dev/the-rib-this-kingdom-will-not-kill-me-by-ilona-andrews/27 May 2026 09:29 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmt6zhk7oc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mkmrdthpns2wA time of madness! Incomprehensible tomes full of deranged ciphers. Mad scribblings. Anguished wailings as I try to piece together an intricate mosaic of arcane ciphers before the terrible hungry gods rise up and devour everything... (It's tax time...)29 Apr 2026 09:18 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkmrdthpns2whttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mk5pnizrxk2sI've reviewed Threads of Memory by Richard Fierce on my blog. It's also a contestant in the SPFBO XI contest. Seamstress-based romantasy. Crisply written book. Short and pacy, and I loved how it got straight to the action. #booksky #spfboxi #spfbo #bookreview #fantasy https://kellshaw.com/threads-of-memory-by-richard-fierce-spfbo-xi/23 Apr 2026 09:37 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk5pnizrxk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mjjac2cr6k27I've got a new book review on my blog: An Unlikely Coven by AM Kvita. Overall, fun, a touch of cozy, with queer found family tropes. Joan is a prodigal daughter of New York's ruling witch family, and she's been away for a long time. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-an-unlikely-coven-by-am-kvita/ #urbanfantasy #booksky #bookreview15 Apr 2026 06:09 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjjac2cr6k27https://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3miy3haofyk2lOver on my blog, I've done a quick review of book tracking apps (Goodreads, Storygraph, Pagebound and Hardcover) and settled on Hardcover.app for now, as it syncs with Kobo! (After some fiddling). What do you use to track your reading? Do you bother at all? https://kellshaw.com/a-brief-review-of-book-tracking-apps-and-the-winner/ #booksky https://Hardcover.app08 Apr 2026 10:27 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3miy3haofyk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3miqbrt4dmc2wI don't specifically write queer stories, even though, after four books I've only had one straight protag. I write more about people figuring out their identities and what makes them unique. I don't focus much hot times, more about connections between people. #LoreOutLoud https://bsky.app/profile/darylmarez.bsky.social/post/3miq347tblz2u [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Apr 2026 07:59 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3miqbrt4dmc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3miqb4wxsu225@kellshaw.bsky.social I've written a new blog post about my writing and publishing goals. https://kellshaw.com/easter-sunday-thoughts-goals-publishing-and-my-now/. Anyway, one thing I've noted is that I missed out on Buffy the first time. Now fixing that. Up to season 5. And there's a trans character! Kind of, Glory/Ben. Will this end well?05 Apr 2026 07:48 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3miqb4wxsu225https://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mhasxrf34k2s@kellshaw.bsky.social A new Review of Interesting Books (RIB) on my blog. https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-daughters-of-darkness-by-samuel-chatman-spfbo-xi/ Another entrant in the SPFBO XI contest. The Wakanda-esque nation of New Abyssinia is defended by a newly-formed group of female superheroes. Great action! #booksky #spfbo #spfboxi17 Mar 2026 10:59 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhasxrf34k2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mh4uy2etxz2rI’ve discovered silicon dice. I Iike them- they bounce and have an interesting texture. And a stepping on a silicon d4 won’t send you to hospital! #ttrpg #rpg15 Mar 2026 21:24 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh4uy2etxz2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mh2lb53z3c2qCan you downscale your author business to avoid burnout? Self-publishing/creating art as a side business can be a grind. Is there a way to strip your small business to your minimum, 'good enough' requirements to avoid burnout? Do you know what your goals are? #booksky https://kellshaw.com/can-you-downscale-before-you-burnout/14 Mar 2026 23:25 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh2lb53z3c2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mgjoe4m5qk2gI've reviewed a fantastic book from the SPBFO XI competition on my blog. Two young outsiders, each with a mysterious heritage, get involved in court intrigues in an Indian-themed fantasy world and quickly find themselves out of their depth... https://kellshaw.com/the-rib-the-stonebound-heir-by-la-barnitz-spfbo-xi/08 Mar 2026 06:05 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgjoe4m5qk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kellshaw.com/post/3mf4rbtja4s2pI've got a new Review of Interesting Books on my blog: https://kellshaw.com/blog/the-rib-legendborn-by-tracey-deonn - Knights on campus! #booksky #bookreview #urbanfantasy18 Feb 2026 09:28 +0000at://did:plc:jx3wowiphsyphy7mw6edb2lq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf4rbtja4s2p