Kaylie Smith

Exploration of high-stakes magical worlds, enchanted demonic landscapes, and intricate romantic fantasy defines the work behind titles like the dark romantasy novel Phantasma and the young adult fantasy A Ruinous Fate. Author Kaylie Smith crafts narratives that bridge whimsical and gothic aesthetics, combining elemental magic, perilous quests, and personal agency. Her fiction spans both young adult and adult romantic fantasy, offering readers stories centered on complex characters struggling against predetermined destinies.

Career & Background

Growing up in Louisiana, Smith spent much of her youth haunting local bookstores and honing her fiction writing craft. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, she decided to fully pursue her goal of becoming a full-time author writing young adult and adult romantic fantasy. She published her debut young adult novel, A Ruinous Fate, with Disney Hyperion in January 2023. The book opened the Heartless Fates trilogy, following a witch named Calla whose destiny is bound to magical artifacts called Witch's Dice as she journeys into an enchanted forest alongside an ensemble cast.

Smith expanded her portfolio into dark new adult romantasy with the September 2024 publication of Phantasma, following her young adult sequel A Reckless Oath. Now residing in Southern California after moving from Louisiana, she writes full-time while spending time with her pets—including Australian Shepherds and cats—caring for her houseplants, and maintaining a collection of knitted frogs.

Writing Style & Themes

Smith's writing features a blending of gothic and whimsical aesthetics, pairing eerie high-stakes atmospheres with romance and magic. A central theme throughout her work is individual autonomy and the struggle against imposed expectations or pre-ordained fates, reflecting her own reflections on personal growth. Her narrative approach emphasizes moral complexity, dynamic ensemble casts, and intricate magical artifacts that drive character decisions and world development.

Major Works

• A Ruinous Fate — Published in January 2023 by Disney Hyperion as the first book in the Heartless Fates trilogy, this young adult fantasy follows a witch named Calla who ventures into a demonic forest with an ensemble cast to alter her destiny.
• A Reckless Oath — The young adult fantasy sequel to A Ruinous Fate, continuing the Heartless Fates series as Calla navigates high-stakes magical threats and complex relationships.
• Phantasma — Debuting in September 2024, this dark new adult romantic fantasy novel expands Smith's body of work into adult romantasy with gothic themes and romance.