{{short description|American young-adult fantasy writer born December 11, 1971}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}} {{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] --> | name = Laini Taylor | image = Laini Taylor by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Taylor in March 2018 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|11}} | birth_place = [[Chico, California]], U.S. | occupation = Writer | alma_mater = [[University of California, Berkeley]] | period = 2004–present | genre = [[young adult fiction|Young adult]] [[fantasy]] | spouse = Jim Di Bartolo (2001–present) | children = 1 | relatives = | notableworks = {{Plainlist | *Faeries of Dreamdark series *[[Daughter of Smoke and Bone (trilogy)|Daughter of Smoke and Bone]] *[[Strange the Dreamer]] }} | awards = {{Plainlist | *[[Cybils Award]] (2009) *[[National Book Award]] Finalist (2009) *[[Michael L. Printz Award|Michael L. Printz]] Honor Book (2018) }} | influences = | influenced = | signature = Laini Taylor signature (cropped).jpg | website = {{URL|lainitaylor.com}} }}
'''Laini''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|eɪ|n|i}}<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk5XtCQitGs&feature=youtu.be |title=Introduction to Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor |date=2017-03-01 |last=Hodder Books |access-date=2024-12-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref> '''Taylor''' (born December 22, 1971) is an American [[young adult fiction|young adult]] [[fantasy]] author and a finalist for the [[National Book Award]] in Young People's Literature,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2009/10/portland_writer_laini_taylor_i.html | title=Portland Writer Laini Taylor is National Book Award finalist | accessdate=June 5, 2017}}</ref> best known for the ''[[Daughter of Smoke and Bone (trilogy)|Daughter of Smoke and Bone]]'' series, ''[[Strange the Dreamer]]'', and ''[[Muse of Nightmares]]''.
==Biography== Taylor was born in [[Chico, California]], grew up as a [[Military brat|US military kid]] in Europe and California, and earned her English degree from [[UC Berkeley]]. She currently lives in [[Portland, Oregon]] with her husband and daughter.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lainitaylor.com/p/about-laini.html | title=Laini Taylor's Blog: About Laini | accessdate=March 2, 2013}}</ref> She always wanted to be a writer, and was 35 before she finished her first novel.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/54760-5-writing-tips-from-laini-taylor.html | title=5 Writing Tips from Laini Taylor | work=[[Publishers Weekly]] | date=November 16, 2012 | accessdate=March 2, 2013}}</ref>
== Career == [[File:Event chalkboard at Powell's Cedar Hills.jpg|thumb|Event chalkboard at with Taylor at [[Powell's Books]]]] In 2004, she wrote a [[graphic novel]] for [[Image Comics]], illustrated by her husband, Jim Di Bartolo.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=3380 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111122827/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=3380 | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 11, 2014 | title=This July, "The Drowned" surfaces from Image | publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]] | date=April 13, 2004 | accessdate=March 2, 2013}}</ref> Her first novel, ''Dreamdark: Blackbringer'', was published in 2007. The sequel, ''Dreamdark: Silksinger'', was a winner of the 2009 [[Cybil Award]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cybils.com/2010/02/the-2009-cybils-winners.html | title=The 2009 Cybils Winners | accessdate=March 2, 2013}}</ref> In 2011, she published ''[[Daughter of Smoke and Bone (trilogy)|Daughter of Smoke and Bone]], a'' young adult fantasy series. The first book in the series was chosen by [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] as the Best Teen Book of 2011,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=br_lf_m_1000744211_grlink_2?ie=UTF8&plgroup=2&docId=1000744211 | title=Best Books of 2011: Young Adult | publisher=Amazon.com | accessdate=March 2, 2013}}</ref> and the sequel, ''[[Days of Blood and Starlight]]'', was also on the list in 2012.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_366462362_3?ie=UTF8&node=6129720011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=1ZS6ZQE1VEQ1202V2C5K&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1416128362&pf_rd_i=0316133973 | title=Best Teen Books of 2012 | publisher=Amazon.com | accessdate=March 2, 2013}}</ref> In 2017, she published ''[[Strange the Dreamer]],'' followed by its sequel ''[[Muse of Nightmares]]'' in 2018, in which protagonist Lazlo Strange, a scribe and [[polyglot]], journeys to the Lost City of Weep. Taylor created a unique language for this world, which she weaves into the plot. ''Strange the Dreamer'' became a [[Michael L. Printz Award|Michael L. Printz]] Honor Book<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lainitaylor.com/2018/02/printz-honor.html|title=PRINTZ HONOR!!!|website=www.lainitaylor.com|access-date=2018-09-26}}</ref> as well as the 2018 Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2018 Oregon Book Awards honor 10 authors|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/books/2018/05/2018_oregon_book_awards.html|last=Oregonian/OregonLive|first=Amy Wang {{!}} The|date=2018-05-02|website=oregonlive|language=en|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref>
== Works ==
=== Faeries of Dreamdark === * ''Dreamdark: Blackbringer'' (2007) (Republished as ''Dreamdark: Windwitch'' in 2025<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reactor |date=2025-03-13 |title=Revealing the Collector's Edition of The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch by Laini Taylor |url=https://reactormag.com/revealing-the-collectors-edition-of-the-guardians-of-dreamdark-windwitch-by-laini-taylor/ |access-date=2026-01-03 |website=Reactor |language=en-US}}</ref>) * ''Dreamdark: Silksinger'' (2009)
=== ''Daughter of Smoke and Bone'' === *''[[Daughter of Smoke and Bone]]'' (2011) *''[[Days of Blood and Starlight]]'' (2012) *''[[Dreams of Gods and Monsters]]'' (2014) *''Night of Cake and Puppets'' (novella) (2013)
=== Strange the Dreamer === *''[[Strange the Dreamer]]'' (2017) *''[[Muse of Nightmares]]'' (2018)
=== Graphic novels === * ''The Drowned'', illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo (2004)
=== Collections === * ''Lips Touch: Three Times'' (2009) * "Spanking Robots" in ''Fractured Fables'' (2010) * "Gentleman Send Phantoms" in ''Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction'' (2012) * "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" in ''[[My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories|My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories]]''(2014)
==References== {{reflist |25em}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{official website |lainitaylor.com }} * {{ISFDB name|138152}} * {{LCAuth|n2006066751|Laini Taylor|6|}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.fantasyliterature.com/author-interviews/rebecca-chats-with-laini-taylor/ |title=Interview at Fantasy Literature |publisher=FantasyLiterature.com |first=Rebecca |last=Fisher|date=August 30, 2014}}
{{Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature}}
{{Daughter of Smoke and Bone}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Laini}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1971 births]] [[Category:21st-century American novelists]] [[Category:American fantasy writers]] [[Category:People from Chico, California]] [[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]] [[Category:21st-century American women novelists]] [[Category:American women science fiction and fantasy writers]] [[Category:Novelists from California]]