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Sara Omer is a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer. She's been a technical editor for medical and engineering publications and is now pursuing teaching. You can find her (sometimes unsettling) poetry and prose in places like The Dark, PodCastle, Small Wonders, and Strange Horizons. The Gryphon King is loosely inspired by history and culture shared by her Turkic and Kurdish family.
""A twisty feast of politics and fantastical beasts—I cannot wait to read more of Omer's work."" -- Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times-bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi ""Omer has created an engulfing fantasy world, as vicious as it is human, not shying away from the brutality of conquest or the deeply complex characters who fight for it. The monsters are horrific. The slow-burn yearning is borderline inhumane. I stan an angry woman reaping vengeance with a scythe from the back of a nightmare fanged pegasus."" -- S. A. MacLean, Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Phoenix Keeper ""A sweeping, magnificent epic of elaborate worldbuilding and intricate court politics. Omer skillfully explores the complexities of conquest and the flawed characters at its helm. One of the best fantasies I’ve read in years!"" -- Hadeer Elsbai, author of The Daughters of Izdihar ""The Gryphon King starts with a bang and never lets off the gas. Deeply flawed yet lovable characters populate a world filled with twisty politics and fearsome beasts in equal measure. In this absolute firecracker of a debut, Omer balances unflinchingly grimdark elements with a deeply human softness rarely seen in this side of fantasy. Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire and The Poppy War should run, not walk, to the bookstores for this one."" -- MJ Kuhn, author of Among Thieves ""Dripping with blood and glitteringly deadly court politics, The Gryphon King dazzles with characters as likely to bite the hand that feeds them as a man-eating pegasus. Omer's work is both sweeping and wonderfully intimate."" -- Gabriella Buba, author of Saints of Storm and Sorrow and Daughters of Flood and Fury ""The Gryphon King is intricate in its political intrigue, delightful in its conflict and tension, brilliant in the complexity of characters, and a wonderfully mythic story of love and sacrifice."" -- Ai Jiang, author of A Palace Near the Wind “Alive with politicking families, fantastic beasts, and a deftly crafted storyline, The Gryphon King offers up a delicious cocktail of wonder and story sure to please every fantasy lover. Omer is a roaring new talent with boundless imagination, whose characters will stay with you long beyond the pages of this book! You want this book and you want it now.” -- Tobi Ogundiran, British Fantasy Award-winning author of Guardian of the Gods duology ""SFF Insiders Most Anticipated Reads 2025 Grimdark Magazine Most Anticipated Novels of 2025 FanFi Addict's Most Anticipated Reads of 2025""
