Creative Writing
Alicia Anne Adams is a writer and folklorist based in the rolling South Downs of England. A scholar of Medieval Literature, she carries her love of old lore and legend into her own creative work.
​
She has written and self-published two books of short stories. The first, created for her business Balefire Blades, showcases microfiction centred on swords and fencing, drawing on historical and fantastical themes. Its first print run sold out within months.
​
Her second title was produced for a touring Scottish textile-arts exhibition and features an original short story inspired by each artwork. These tales explore themes of heritage, community, folklore and ecology, woven together with wool and the Scottish landscape. Alicia presented this book at the Butser Ancient Farm book festival alongside renowned fiction and non-fiction authors.
​
Alicia is currently working on two full-length novels, one of which she hopes will become her debut traditionally published work. You can read more about those projects below.
​
When she’s not writing, Alicia can be found singing with her folklore-inspired music project Fae as Folk, swordfighting with her husband, swimming in the sea, or crafting traditional leather goods.
Skaldkonur
Skaldkonur is an epic Nordic fantasy inspired by Alicia’s academic study of Old Norse saga literature, particularly the Skaldic tradition. Set on the fictional island of Eyn, it follows Agthys, a woman defined her by her roles as daughter and wife, until she defies tradition by volunteering as the new apprentice Lawspeaker.
​
What starts as a rebellious whim becomes a journey far beyond Agthys’s dreams as under the guidance of the elderly Lawspeaker, she studies Eyn’s ancient traditions. She discovers that the complex verses she once dismissed as metaphor are in fact a map to long-forgotten parts of the island: the Gates to the mythic Nine Realms.
​
To complete her training and claim the mantle of Lawspeaker, Agthys must travel to each Gate and return with a token as proof. But what she finds is far more complex: as belief in the Realms fades, so do the virtues they embody, leaving Eyn exposed to growing threats. When danger reaches the island’s shores, Agthys must find a way to remind her people of their magical birthright - before it’s too late.
​
Dealing with questions of faith and fate, tradition and change, Skaldkonur weaves a compelling world: bound by political strain and an inhospitable, insular environment, yet lifted by swords, sorcery and self-discovery.
A Sword Called Spindle
A Sword Called Spindle is a young adult fantasy novel that reimagines the Sleeping Beauty tale by asking: what if the fated spindle were actually a sword?
​
Briar Rose is cursed. Everyone in the castle says so, and they don't just mean her propensity to get into trouble. Her estranged auntie cursed her at her Naming, saying she'd die at the point of a spindle before she turned fifteen. Now, with her mother banished from the Kingdom and her father barely able to look her in the eye, she runs wild through the castle's labyrinthine halls, fighting with the stable boys and hissing at anyone who dares pity her.
​
When her misadventures lead her to discover a smallsword that sings in her hand, she is thrilled by the danger. Naming it "Spindle" in defiance of the curse, she is determined to become a great fencer. When her father makes plans to marry her off before her imminent death, Briar makes her own plans: to enter clandestine duels, and use the prize money to find her mother. After all, the worst it could do is kill her.
​
Exploring themes of mortality and gender identity, A Sword Called Spindle is a fierce coming-of-age story inspired by historical swordswomen such as Julie d’Aubigny and La Jaguarina. Drawing on Alicia’s background as a historical fencer, it features meticulously crafted fight scenes and a fantastical twist on 17th-century duelling culture.