A.K. Larkwood

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-13

A. K. Larkwood is a British science fiction and fantasy author best known for her debut novel The Unspoken Name (2020), which launched the Serpent Gates trilogy, continued with The Thousand Eyes. Her fiction follows Csorwe, an orc priestess raised to be a sacrifice who instead escapes her fate to become a sword-for-hire entangled in interdimensional politics and wizardly schemes, in a series praised for its inventive setting-hopping structure and richly drawn queer relationships. Fellow fantasy author Nicholas Eames called The Unspoken Name "an astounding debut, written with skill and stunning assurance," noting that it stood apart from typical entries in the genre through its blend of high fantasy adventure, planar travel, and intimate character work. Larkwood's writing is noted for combining classic epic fantasy tropes—prophecy, sacrifice, forbidden magic—with a distinctly modern sensibility around identity, found family, and moral complexity, and for building a multiverse-spanning setting where protagonists travel between wildly different magical worlds connected by portal-like gates. She maintains an active online presence through her personal website and a newsletter, where she shares additional short fiction and extras connected to her novels. Since her debut, Larkwood has continued to expand the Serpent Gates series and contribute to the broader landscape of contemporary secondary-world fantasy, building a reputation as one of the notable newer voices blending adventure fantasy with sophisticated character-driven storytelling.

Universe(s)

Books

• The Unspoken Name (2020) · The Serpent Gates Core Canon
• The Thousand Eyes (2022) · The Serpent Gates Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 2 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 1 (1 finalist mention)

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