Laini Taylor author photo
Image via Wikimedia Commons, sous licence CC BY-SA 3.0.

Laini Taylor

Né(e): December 11, 1971 – Chico, California, United States

Laini Taylor is an American fantasy author known for lyrical young adult and crossover novels that blend myth, romance, and dark fairy-tale elements. She is best known for the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy and the Strange the Dreamer duology, works praised for imaginative worldbuilding and a devoted international readership.

Biographie et Parcours de l'Auteur

Laini Taylor’s path to authorship began in a life shaped by movement, visual imagination, and a long apprenticeship to art. The daughter of a Naval officer and, in her own playful description, an “orchid witch,” she spent parts of her childhood on both American coasts as well as in Hawaii, Italy, and Belgium before studying English at the University of California, Berkeley. After college she worked as a travel-book editor at Lonely Planet, then turned seriously toward visual art, attending California College of the Arts without completing a degree. For a period, she supported herself through illustration, craft fairs, and Laini’s Ladies, a handmade gift line that grew from small local sales into a substantial creative business and helped give her room to pursue fiction more fully. ((https://www.lainitaylor.com/about))

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Citations

quote
My life was not going to be ordinary!
-Invisible Tightropes
quote
I want to be a raw animal voice, a sound of thunder, dandelion spores aloft on the wind
-making up me
quote
Believe me: you can
-Another T-shirt design
quote
Just keep writing and the book will get written
-Another T-shirt design
quote
I don't know. You just write
-Ahh, the muted roar of yokels
quote
I have to perfect each sentence as I go
-Q & A with Laini Taylor
quote
I have to love it before I can go on to the next
-Q & A with Laini Taylor
quote
I've always wanted to be a writer
-TTBF Author Interview: Laini Taylor
quote
Karou and Brimstone appeared out of nowhere as though they were just waiting for me to notice them
-Laini Taylor: 'Karou and Brimstone appeared out of nowhere...'

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This learning plan bridges the gap between linguistics and mythology, revealing how language shapes our perception of the sacred. It is ideal for writers, historians, and seekers of ancient wisdom looking to understand the profound connection between words and mythic reality.

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Voix de la Communauté

"National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor knows how to weave an allegorical story of gods and men"

Bustle

"Author Laini Taylor Blends Mythology and Young Adult Without a Hiccup"

Study Breaks

"Strange the Dreamer, Romantic and Morally Complex, Is Laini Taylor at Her Best"

B&N Reads

"Laini Taylor makes my head hurt with how great and beautiful and expressive her stories are"

Francesca Zappia

"It might be possible to resist Laini Taylor’s words and worlds, but I kind of doubt it"

The Hub

"Portlander Laini Taylor writes your usual teenaged “boy meets girl” stories—if your boy is a militaristic angel"

Portland Monthly

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"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

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"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

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117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
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star
star
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

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