Sarah Beth Durst

Fantasy literature spanning adult, young adult, and middle-grade fiction has been shaped by immersive speculative worlds featuring whimsical magic, mythical creatures, and resilient protagonists, exemplified by popular releases like the cozy fantasy The Spellshop.

Sarah Beth Durst has published more than thirty novels across multiple age categories, earning wide acclaim and positions on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Her expanding bibliography includes contemporary fantasy and speculative fiction such as The Lies Among Us, demonstrating a versatile narrative range that appeals to readers seeking both high-stakes epic adventures and cozy, character-driven stories.

Career & Background

Born Sarah Beth Angelini on May 23, 1974, in Northborough, Massachusetts, Sarah Beth Durst began writing fantasy stories filled with dragons and mythical creatures during her childhood. She attended Princeton University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1996. Durst launched her professional publishing career in 2007 with the middle-grade fantasy novel Into the Wild. Over the following decades, she expanded her career to write across young adult and adult fantasy categories. Her notable adult speculative fiction includes The Queen of Blood, which won the 2017 American Library Association Alex Award, as well as works such as The Bone Maker, The Lake House, and Drink, Slay, Love, the latter of which was adapted into a television movie and featured as a question on the quiz show Jeopardy! She lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her cat.

Writing Style & Themes

Durst frequently centers her narratives on ordinary people who discover inner strength and agency when confronted by extraordinary magic or dark forces. She views fantasy as a literature grounded in hope and empowerment, combining intricate world-building with approachable, character-driven storytelling. Her works range from dark epic adventures involving bone magic and political tension to lighthearted, cozy speculative fiction featuring magical libraries and talking creatures. Across middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction, her writing incorporates themes of personal resilience, unexpected alliances, and community, earning accolades including the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, the Libby Book Award for Best Fantasy, and three nominations for the Andre Norton Nebula Award.

Major Works

• The Spellshop — A New York Times bestselling cozy fantasy novel centered on a librarian who escapes a burning capital with magical books to start a quiet life, winning the Libby Book Award for Best Fantasy.
• The Lies Among Us — A speculative fiction novel exploring memory, secrets, and human connections, expanding Durst's footprint in contemporary adult fantasy.
• The Queen of Blood — An adult fantasy novel set in the treacherous world of Renthia that won the 2017 American Library Association Alex Award.
• Into the Wild — Durst's debut 2007 middle-grade fantasy novel following fairy-tale characters living in a modern world.
• Drink, Slay, Love — A popular young adult novel optioned for film and television, adapted into a TV movie, and featured as a clue on Jeopardy!