Janci Patterson

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-13

Janci Patterson, also known as Janci Olds, is an American author who began her publishing career in 2012 with her debut novel Chasing the Skip, later retitled Skipped. A hybrid author who has published roughly forty books through both independent and traditional channels, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy, romantic comedy, and epic fantasy, as well as coauthored adult romance and fantasy novels. Patterson is closely associated with author Brandon Sanderson, having been a friend and former student of his; he has credited her as an influence on his female characters, notably Vin from the Mistborn series, and gave a character in The Hero of Ages a cameo named after her. The pair collaborated for years on the Alcatraz series, culminating in the co-written final installment, Bastille Versus the Evil Librarians (2022), and Patterson co-wrote three novellas—Sunreach, ReDawn, and Evershore—set in Sanderson's Skyward universe, handling much of the initial drafting for the novellas' three point-of-view characters while Sanderson edited. She is also co-author of the Skyward follow-up series Riftwake, taking a leading role in its development. Patterson lives in Orem, Utah, with her family.

Universe(s)

Books

• Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (2022) · Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 6 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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