Anna Smith Spark

In this article, the surname is Smith Spark.
Anna Smith Spark
Born1978 or 1979 (age 45–46)[1]
OccupationAuthor, civil servant
EducationThe Hertfordshire and Essex High School
Alma mater
GenreGrimdark fantasy
Children2[1]
Website
www.courtofbrokenknives.net Edit this at Wikidata

Anna Smith Spark (born 1978 or 1979) is a British fantasy fiction writer and civil servant from Bishop's Stortford. She wrote a trilogy titled Empires of Dust as well as several other standalone works, and has been styled the "Queen of Grimdark".[1][2]

Early life

Smith Spark is from Bishop's Stortford, where she was educated at The Hertfordshire and Essex High School. Academically she has a BA from University College London (UCL), an MA from the University of Essex, and a PhD from Birkbeck, University of London, focused on classical and cultural history.[3][4]

Career

As well as authoring fantasy literature, Smith Spark works in the civil service.[1]

The Court of Broken Knives, Smith Spark's first novel and the first in the Empires of Dust trilogy, was released in 2017. Focused on four protagonists, the story is a grimdark fantasy about an attempt to overthrow the Sekemleth Empire. It was released to positive critical reception, with Kirkus magazine stating that it should "appeal to grimdark fans looking for the extreme edge", but that "others may well find it nasty, brutish, and not short enough".[5][6] The sequel, The Tower of Living and Dying, was released in 2018. The previous protagonist, Marith Altrersyr, becomes king and leaves behind a "trail of violent death". A review in Publishers Weekly states that Smith Spark "fascinates and entertains", with no sign of "middle-book sag".[7] The concluding novel in the "blood-spattered" trilogy, The House of Sacrifice, was released in 2019.[8]

In 2023, Smith Spark published A Woman of the Sword. Set in the same world as the Empires of Dust, the novel is character-led, focusing more on "grunt" characters, including from a feminist perspective and addressing PTSD and the trials of motherhood. A review in Grimdark magazine stated that the book "hurts to read", but is "unputdownable at times".[1][9] Also released in 2023 was the novel A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, about a retired warrior, Kanda, who is now a wife and mother living peacefully until ancient foes return and threaten the agrarian existence of herself and her family. It was described by Liz Rourke of Locus Magazine as a "peculiar, ambitious novel" that recalls "oral epic poetry" and is reminiscent of the Táins.[2][10][11]

Personal life

Smith Spark and her husband Jamie have two children.[4]

Awards

In 2018 Smith Spark's novel The Court of Broken Knives was nominated for both a David Gemmell award and a British Fantasy Award.[12][13]

Bibliography

Empires of Dust

  • Smith Spark, Anna (2017). The Court of Broken Knives. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780008204174.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2018). The Tower of Living and Dying. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780008204105.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2019). The House of Sacrifice. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780008204143.

Other novels

  • Smith Spark, Anna (2023). A Woman of the Sword. Luna Press. ISBN 9781915556042.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2023). A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. Flame Tree. ISBN 9781787588400.
  • Fletcher, Michael; Smith Spark, Anna (2024). In the Shadow of Their Dying. Grimdark Magazine. ISBN 9780648663539.

Short stories

  • Smith Spark, Anna (2016). "A Knight Was Once Sent on a Quest by Her Master". In Speakman, Shawn (ed.). Unbound II: New Tales by Masters of Fantasy. Grim Oak Press. ISBN 9781944145088.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2017). "Red Glass". Grimdark Magazine. No. 12}. ISBN 9780648010586.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2018). "The Fall of Tereen". In Triantafyllou, Petros (ed.). Art of War: Anthology for Charity. Booknest.eu. ISBN 9781983961304.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2019). "A Hero of Her People". In Whates, Ian (ed.). Legends 3: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell. Newcon Press. ISBN 9781912950201.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2019). "Gold Light". In Speakman, Shawn (ed.). Unbound III: New Tales by Masters of Fantasy. Grim Oak Press. ISBN 9781944145262.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2019). "Stones". In Khlopenko, Alex; Hoffer, Olivia (eds.). Three Crows: Year One: Anthology of Weird Science Fiction and Fantasy. Three Crows Magazine. ISBN 9781079110050.. Originally appeared in Three Crows Magazine issue #2.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2020). "The Second Siege of Telea". In Abbott, Alana Joli; Meadors, Melanie R. (eds.). Knaves: A Blackguards Anthology. Outland Entertainment. ISBN 9781947659384.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2021). "Water". In Hall, Joanne; Garland, Dolly (eds.). Lost Gods. Kristell Ink. ISBN 9781913562045.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2022). "Glory to the King!". In Collins, Adrian; Myers, Mike; Chorn, Sarah (eds.). The King Must Fall. Grimdark Magazine. ISBN 9780648178477.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2023). "Saturday Morning". In O'Regan, Marie; Kane, Paul (eds.). The Other Side of Never: Dark Tales from the World of Peter & Wendy. Titan Books. ISBN 9781803361796.

Articles

  • Smith Spark, Anna (2018). "Finding Your Author Voice". Grimdark Magazine. No. 14.
  • Smith Spark, Anna (2019). "Grimdark and Nihilism". Grimdark Magazine. Retrieved 25 July 2024.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Corr, Sinead (6 March 2023). "Anna Smith Spark: Fourth novel A Woman of the Sword is new direction for Bishop's Stortford's Queen of Grimdark after The Court of Broken Knives, The Tower of Living and Dying and The House of Sacrifice". Bishop Stortford Independent. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b Mauro, John (7 March 2024). "ANNA SMITH SPARK: WHERE TO START READING". Grimdark Magazine. ISSN 2204-4655. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  3. ^ Lindberg, S. E. (18 May 2019). "Disgust and Desire. An interview with Anna Smith Spark". blackgate.com. Black Gate. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b "My Stortford: Author Anna Smith Sparks home-town favourites". Bishop's Stortford Independent. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  5. ^ Collins, Adrian (22 September 2017). "REVIEW: THE COURT OF BROKEN KNIVES BY ANNA SMITH SPARK". Grimdark Magazine. ISSN 2204-4655. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  6. ^ "THE COURT OF BROKEN KNIVES". Kirkus. 2017. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  7. ^ "The Tower of Living and Dying: Empires of Dust, Book 2". Publishers Weekly. 265 (25). 2018. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  8. ^ Nicol, Patricia (14 April 2019). "GAME OF LITERARY THRONES; Patricia Nicol rounds up the next generation of hit fantasy fiction". Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  9. ^ Collins, Adrian (19 November 2022). "REVIEW: A WOMAN OF THE SWORD BY ANNA SMITH SPARK". Grimdark Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  10. ^ "A Sword of Bronze and Ashes". Publishers Weekly. 270 (31). 2023. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  11. ^ Bourke, Liz (7 December 2023). "Liz Bourke Reviews A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark". Locus Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  12. ^ "2018 British Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  13. ^ "2018 Gemmell Awards Winners". Locus Magazine. 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2024.