Sam Hawke

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Sam Hawke

Goodreads Author


Born
in Canberra, Australia
Twitter

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Member Since
July 2015

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I have wanted to write books ever since realising as a child that they didn’t just breed between themselves in libraries. Having contemplated careers as varied as engineer, tax accountant and zookeeper I eventually settled on the law. After marrying my jujitsu training partner and travelling to as many countries as possible on very little budget, I now live in Canberra, Australia, raising two small ninjas and two idiot dogs.

My debut novel, City of Lies, was released in 2018. It won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the Ditmar Award for Best Novel, and the Norma K Hemming Award for excellence in exploring issues of gender, race, disability and class in SFF, and long listed by the British Science Fiction Awards.

The sequel, Hollow Emp
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Popular Answered Questions

Sam Hawke Hi Pancha - thanks for the question (and for the lovely review). I saw Kalina as having an immune system disorder of some kind, though I didn't have a…moreHi Pancha - thanks for the question (and for the lovely review). I saw Kalina as having an immune system disorder of some kind, though I didn't have a specific one in mind. I'm so, so glad that the depiction rang true for you. That means so much to me, thank you. I know people with invisible conditions don't get to be the heroes all that often in fantasy so it was really important to me to try to accurately reflect the challenges without it being the thing that defined the characters as people.
All the best
Sam (less)
Sam Hawke Hi Keifer,

Thanks so much. Haha, I doubt I'll be flooded any time soon.

Oh, that's a tough one. I suppose when it comes to tropes the thing to remember …more
Hi Keifer,

Thanks so much. Haha, I doubt I'll be flooded any time soon.

Oh, that's a tough one. I suppose when it comes to tropes the thing to remember is that most of the time they're not inherently bad (leaving aside harmful tropes that hurt people), but they can be boring. I think the key is identifying what the readers' expectations of a particular trope are going to be, and then asking 'what if' questions to unsettle those expectations. What if the prophecy was a lie? What if the wicked stepmother makes a better ruler than the indulgent king? What if what you thought was going to be the solution turned out to be the cause of the problem? That sort of thing. Knowing what's feeling stale right now and what might be a fresh take is critical here, and you only really get that by reading a lot in your genre.

But ultimately, sometimes there are just tropes that you love and you're happy to embrace. Then you just have to identify what it is that you enjoy about it and, using that core principle, try to give it your own voice.

I hope you enjoy the book!(less)
Average rating: 3.83 · 3,522 ratings · 797 reviews · 3 distinct worksSimilar authors
City of Lies (Poison Wars, #1)

3.77 avg rating — 2,826 ratings — published 2018 — 15 editions
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Hollow Empire (Poison Wars,...

4.09 avg rating — 681 ratings — published 2020
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Fearless Women Sampler: Exc...

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3.73 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions
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City of Lies Hollow Empire
(2 books)
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3.83 avg rating — 3,507 ratings

Salvage
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by R.J. Theodore (Goodreads Author)
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A Choir of Lies
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Walking the Tree
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Night Flower by Kate Elliott
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Quotes by Sam Hawke  (?)
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“And what am I supposed to do without you?" he muttered, so softly I barely heard.”
Sam Hawke, Hollow Empire

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