Michaela Riley, Award Winning Author
★ 11 Award-Winning Novels · Three Series
Dark fiction
that lingers
long after
For every story told in the light, there is a shadow waiting to be unmasked.
11 literary award wins. Three series. One promise — a story that never truly ends.
Whether you're stepping into the psychological maze of The Storyteller's Shadow or the haunted empire of The Witch's Rebirth, pick up a Michaela Riley novel and you won't put it down.
the last page
Author & Founder
Michaela Riley
Blackwell Spines
The Honors
A body of work, decorated.
Eleven literary wins. Critical recognition from juries who don't hand out praise lightly.
EXPLORE THE WITCH'S REBIRTH ATLAS https://www.thewitchsrebirth.com/
★★★★★
A Kingdom Divided. A Magic Forbidden. A Gambit Unleashed.
The Gambit of Queens: The Witch’s Rebirth · Part IV
“Two queens. One crown. And a witch caught between them.”
Francia, 567 AD. When Queen Brunhild’s sister is murdered in her marriage bed, a blood feud ignites between Brunhild and the ruthless Fredegund, one that will consume the Merovingian kingdoms for nearly fifty years. Merona and Murdach return through the veil on Samhain and step into a game where every alliance is a trap and every queen is a player. Ancient powers move behind the throne, and Merona must decide how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice to win a war that history already remembers as one of the bloodiest ever waged.
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A dark historical fantasy rooted in the real war between Queens Brunhild and Fredegund.
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Celtic gods, forbidden magic and court intrigue collide in sixth-century Francia.
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For readers who love their history bloody, their queens ruthless, and their magic costly.
Literary Awards
In One Series
11
3
Major Series
Thriller, Fantasy, Children's
5 star
Critical Reviews
From respected outlets
Words Crafted
Worlds you can disappear into
1 MIL+
Award Winning Series
The Witch's Rebirth
Series
Dark Epic Fantasy · Historical Fiction
Books
3
11
Awards
Unforgettable
World
1
"A dark epic of witches, gods, and a dying empire. For readers of The Mists of Avalon and The Witcher."
This masterful series has captured eleven literary awards and nominations. Step into the world of Merona — where ancient power is reclaimed, shadows hold secrets, and every choice reshapes an empire on the edge of collapse.
Dark fantasy storytelling at its most immersive.
The Gambit of Queens: The Witch's Rebirth Part IV release on Samhain.
Battle of Tolbiac narrated by Abby Filsinger
Why Riley
Fiction that refuses to leave
the reader untouched.
Craft you can feel
Sentence-by-sentence prose written for readers who notice every word.
Critically decorated
Eleven literary awards. Recognition from juries who don't lower the bar.
Worlds that linger
Three immersive series — psychological, mythic, and intimate — that don't release you.
A reader's compass
If you read Tana French, Erin Morgenstern, or Marion Zimmer Bradley — you're home.
Michaela Riley
About the Author
The mind behind
the shadows.
Michaela Riley is an 11-time award-winning author of The Witch’s Rebirth, an eight-book dark historical fantasy saga rooted in Celtic mythology and the Merovingian dynasty of her ancestor, Clovis I.
She lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, with her husband and two dogs. thewitchsrebirth.com
The Reader's Journey
Three stages
to a
spellbound
reader.
Every Michaela Riley novel is engineered for the same outcome: a reader who can't stop, can't predict, and can't forget.
Open the cover
Pick a series. Whether you crave a psychological thriller or a mythic epic, your entry point is one click away.
1
Disappear
Within the first chapter you'll forget the room you're sitting in. That's the contract.
2
Stay haunted
When the last page closes, the story keeps unfolding in your head. That's the legacy.
3
More from the Archive
Thriller Series
One Star Is A Death Sentence
Critics' Requiem
The Storyteller's Shadow Series · Book One
"What if the worst review of your life wasn't a critique — it was a threat?"
When a digital mob systematically dismantles Arthur Penwright's elite literary life, the line between fiction and reality begins to bleed. The trolls who destroyed him are turning up dead — each found with a scorched, annotated copy of his novel. Is Arthur a victim seeking justice, or a storyteller finally taking control of the plot?
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A psychological thriller where every word matters and every reader is a suspect.
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When online criticism turns deadly, the question isn't who the killer is — it's who deserves to be killed.
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Detective Stephen Mercer follows a trail of literary breadcrumbs into a conspiracy no one saw coming.
Five-Star Voices
What Readers
are Saying
Praise from professional reviewers, literary critics, and the readers who refuse to put a Riley novel down once they begin.
★★★★★
"This masterful work deserves more than five stars. Great plot. Great villain. Great heroine. Great stakes. I seriously loved every word."
L.E.A. · Book Reviewer
★★★★★
"With its captivating plot, dynamic characters, and beautifully crafted prose, Labyrinth of Shadows is an unforgettable read. It's an honor to award this book five stars."
Meghan Soderholm · Book RevieweR
★★★★★
"Riley delivers an intricate and haunting tale filled with mystery, magic, and the resilience of those history sought to erase. If you love The Once and Future Witches — this is worth diving into."
Literary Titan · Literary Review
Stay in the Shadow
Join the inner circle.
Early chapters. First-look covers. Release announcements. Sent rarely, never sold, always worth opening.
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