History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Looking for Some Fantasy Reads?

| June 24, 2021

If your idea of a great summer read is something from a world of fantasy, I’ve got a couple of books that might fit the bill! What If I’m a Merfolk? spans traditional fantasy and more modern fantasy, but presents a load of interesting merfolk poetry and a handful of short stories, all dealing with […]

Denizens of Distant Realms for Many Readers

| April 27, 2021

My collection of short fantasy stories, Denizens of Distant Realms, may not be for readers of all ages, but it’s a good collection of short stories for adults and teens, and maybe some older kids. There’s nothing explicit to be found within its pages, but there are a few stories that younger readers wouldn’t entirely […]

Fictional Maps

| April 12, 2021

My current work in progress involves a couple of different maps of the same place, one including significantly more detail than the other. I’ve got the map pictured in my head, but that’s the only place it exists right now. This is a weird thing that I seem to do when I’m writing something that […]

An Interview with Yaroslav Barsukov

| March 17, 2021

Today, I’m chatting with Yaroslav Barsukov, whose book, Tower of Mud and Straw, I reviewed last October, which has just been announced on the Nebula Award shortlist! DV: Tell us a little about yourself and your writing background. Yaroslav Barsukov: I’m a Russian living in Vienna, writing in English 🙂 It’s like an answer to a […]

New Poetry and Story Out

| March 2, 2021

I’ve got a couple of new pieces that came out in February! My poem, “The Dragon’s Hoard,” appeared at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, and features a dragon with an unusual hoard. This poem was inspired by the idea of a book wyrm as opposed to a bookworm. I also have my flash fiction piece, “Orbit 41,” […]

Review of Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

| November 4, 2020

Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard (Viking, 2014) is a fast-paced fantasy novel with intrigue, romance, and dragons. It’s packed with wonderful characters and a story that will make you not want to put the book down. The novel features two point of view characters, with alternating chapters. Corin, the male protagonist, is a prince […]

Review of Tower of Mud and Straw by Yaroslav Barsukov

| October 14, 2020

Tower of Mud and Straw by Yaroslav Barsukov (Metaphorosis Publishing, 2021) is a beautiful blend of steampunk and fantasy together in a novella that both asks and answers many questions. The main character, Shea Ashcroft, is a diplomat who made a choice to save lives that resulted in him being “politely” exiled, sent away from […]

Things in the Water that Will Kill You

| September 8, 2020

When asked to summarize what I write, I often tell people “I write about things in the water that will kill you.” And while not all of my stories share that distinction, I have more stories about murderous aquatic creatures than nearly any other topic. I’ve written about vodyanoi, nixes, the stromkarl, selkies, and, of […]

Check Out my Collection, What If I’m a Merfolk?

| August 20, 2020

What If I’m a Merfolk? is my latest publication, a collection of poetry and a few stories about merfolk. The blurb for the collection reads: Becoming a merfolk. Accepting yourself. Defending your home. Anguishing over environmental degradation. Exploring mythology. And falling in love. What If I’m a Merfolk? collects 23 poems and 3 stories about […]

Denizens of Distant Realms

| August 18, 2020

Time flies, and Denizens of Distant Realms is already a year old! I swear it feels like I just got to hold this book in my hands a short time ago! It’s a slim little volume in print, but it’s full of fantasy stories featuring all sorts of protagonists and antagonists. One reviewer even called it […]