Roz Maclaren

Teen Fiction with a Dark Twist

Archives for July 2025

Pre-order City and Shadow – out 11 August!

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I’m thrilled to announce that my fourth novel, and the third in my series The Mirrordom Legends, is due out 11 August!

City and Shadow is my most ambitious novel yet. Told solely from City’s point of view, the book follows the story of a brand-new set of characters in the world of Mirrordom (along with some very familiar returning characters!)

Here’s the blurb:

“At first, they tried to co-exist. The Good and their Mirror. The firstborn and the twin that emerged immediately after…”

In a world where every person has a Mirror twin capable of doing only bad things, Quiver is the only one born Mirrorless. Along with his best friend, City, the two must navigate a society ruled by a tyrannical queen and threatened by a dangerous rebel. And, when City’s Mirror escapes from her island prison, a chain of events is set in motion that thrusts Quiver, City and her Mirror into a dangerous struggle for power and survival.

Pre-order yours

City and Shadow is now available to pre-order on Amazon.

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If you’re not already, pop over to my Instagram and follow me. In the build-up to release day, I’ll be posting seven random facts about the book, giving followers the chance to win their own copy and sharing teaser quotes.

I have so much pride, love and affection for this book. It was written in the spring/summer of 2023, a pivotal point in my life professionally and personally. I poured so much passion and energy into this book and I hope you love it as much as I loved writing it (which was a lot!).

It’s time to step back into Mirrordom. And it’s going to be a dark and wild ride.

The Mirrordom Legends series: an update

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As we approach the release of City and Shadow, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about my vision for the entire series.

Venom and Blaze

Venom and Blaze came out in 2024, introducing us to the characters who later go on to terrorise the protagonists of City and Shadow. It’s the story of how Venom goes from traumatised princess to terrifying ruler, someone who chooses to strike first and think later, someone who refuses to let herself get hurt again.

Fable and Legend

Fable and Legend was released earlier this year. It follows the story of one of my favourite characters, a girl called Fable. One of my favourite things about this series is that every story is interlinked, but not necessarily related. Characters that refuse to stay in the background end up getting their own novel.

Fun fact: so far Fable is the only character to appear in all of the books so far.

Omen and Myth

Omen and Myth is the short story I contributed to Bewitched Blooms, a fundraised anthology organised by author Briar Boleyn.

Chronologically, it fits in between Fable and Legend and City and Shadow – and it follows the story of Legend’s twins as they journey to meet their father.

One of my regrets for Fable is that she (SPOILER ALERT) doesn’t end up with Cobalt, her first love. In fact, he stabs her in the back and quickly regrets it. But I always felt Cobalt wasn’t really bad at heart – and so he makes an appearance in Omen and Myth. Does he redeem himself – or does history repeat itself?

City and Shadow

City and Shadow is due out this year. I’m currently proofing the galley print so as soon as I get those edits back to my publisher, we’ll have a release date and the book can be pre-ordered.

City and Shadow is probably my favourite book in the series so far. I love the character of City and I think readers will be able to relate to her. She’s uncertain where she fits in life, who her friends are, she compromises a lot of her own needs and wants to please other people… In many ways, she’s the opposite side of the coin to Venom. Will she follow Venom’s footsteps and choose to embrace the dark aspects of her character? You’ll have to read the book and see!

Fun fact: City and Shadow is the only book in the series told from one point of view.

Flame and Phoenix

I’m currently editing the fourth book in the series. It’s not been submitted to my publisher yet and there’s always the chance they’ll reject it. But my plan is to get this book tidied up and then send it to them.

The majority of Flame and Phoenix is set on Mirror Island. This gave me the chance to answer a lot of (my own) questions about the culture there. And questions like “Why don’t the Mirrors just swim off the island?” “What happens if two Mirrors have a child?” “Do they have their own set of laws?” And also one question from a particularly eagle-eyed reader: “Why, on page 12 of Venom and Blaze do you describe Venom’s mother as having navy eyes when only the Mirrors have navy eyes?”

Full transparency: that was a mistake. But it gets an explanation in Flame and Phoenix. And the truth will shock you to your core. Probably.*

Quiver and Arrow

The final book in the series is Quiver and Arrow. Quiver is a character first introduced in City and Shadow. Here’s the WIP blurb:

Quiver’s world is thrown into turmoil. And it’s only getting worse since he became king. 

Someone is murdering Mirrors. The people are getting restless. His mother is acting more and more strangely. A mysterious girl has turned up, with no memory of who she is. Oh, and, on top of that, his best friend City has returned – and she’s dying. Can Quiver protect his kingdom, save his best friend and uncover the secrets hidden within his own family? 

Quiver and Arrow is currently written – and I’m really proud of it. It’s the darkest, most politically complex book I’ve ever written. And it’s not for the faint of heart.

So there we go. That’s my working plan for the whole Mirrordom Legends series. As soon as there are any concrete developments, I’ll blog and post about them. In the meantime, back to editing the proof of City and Shadow!

* Note: I am not responsible if, after reading Flame and Phoenix, your core remains unshocked.

Character art: Venom

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Venom isn’t your average princess.

When she first appears in the books, she’s young for her age, desperate to please her father and very unsure of herself.

Venom and Blaze is her origin story. The book traces her slow, spiralling descent (or rise, depending on how you see it). A princess who hesitates at every crossroad, until she finally stands at the edge of one last impossible choice.

Spoiler alert: she chooses darkness.

When I commissioned Venom’s character art, I knew it had to capture the moment just after. Not the uncertain girl. Not the fearsome queen. But that magical moment in time where she becomes. The second the softness dies, and something dangerous unfurls inside her.

She’s wearing a dress made entirely of live spiders – her only true friends. She’s reclaiming who she is and what she stands for. She’s turning fear into fashion. And she doesn’t care if she repulses people as long as they respect her.

The character art evokes a beautiful blend of vulnerability and viciousness in Venom’s expression – and it’s exactly how I wanted it to be.

Indie Visible Charity Week Sale

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Want to snag two of my books at a bargain price – and help a worthy cause? Now you can.

Venom and Blaze and Fable and Legend are currently both on sale for less than .99p. It’s all part of the Indie Visible Charity Week sale.

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The special event is being run by Hayley Anderton to raise money and awareness for Brain Tumour Research UK. Any processes Hayley makes from the event will go right to the charity. Hayley has also put together a gorgeous anthology book called Life In Colour. (I didn’t contribute to this as the theme was all things bright and colourful and, if you’ve been on the blog for more than a minute, you’ll realise I write dark stories!)

There will also be some incredible giveaways (I am contributing to this!) – so keep your eye out for that.

In the meantime, head over to the Indie Visible website and make the most of our epic sale prices.