Maria Semyonova

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-30

Maria Semyonova is a Russian fantasy author born November 1, 1958, in Leningrad, Soviet Union, who graduated from the Leningrad State University of Aerospace Instrument Making. During the 1980s she worked as a computer specialist at a research institute before the collapse of the Soviet Union prompted a shift into literary translation, working for the Severo-Zapad publishing house and translating authors including Robert E. Howard and Robin Hobb into Russian prior to becoming a full-time novelist. She is best known for her Wolfhound series, beginning in 1995, a fantasy saga rooted in Slavic mythology and early medieval Rus culture, which she extended with the related Dark Grey Wolf series. She has also written historical fiction, including Swans Fly Away and Pelko and Wolves, and the popular nonfiction work We, Slavs!, which surveys Russian pagan culture and folklore. The Wolfhound series inspired a 2006 video game adaptation, Requital, and a 2007 feature film. Her honors include the 1996 Belyaev Prize for Wolfhound, the 2005 Aelita Award, the 2007 Mir Fantastiki Best Fantasy Award, and the 2008 Roscon Award as Writer of the Year. An amateur aikido practitioner, Semyonova maintains a lifelong interest in Medieval Rus, Viking Age history, and Slavic traditions that deeply informs her fiction.

Universe(s)

Books

• Wolfhound (1995) · Wolfhound Core Canon
• Wolfhound: The Right for a Fight (1996) · Wolfhound Core Canon
• Wolfhound: Stone of Rage (2000) · Wolfhound Core Canon
• Wolfhound: Emerald Mountains (2003) · Wolfhound Core Canon
• Wolfhound: Sign of the Way (2003) · Wolfhound Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 5 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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