L. R. Lam


L.R. Lam was first Californian and now Scottish. Lam is the USA Today and Sunday Times Bestselling award-winning author of Dragonfall and Emberclaw, the Seven Devils duology, Goldilocks, the Pacifica novels False Hearts and Shattered Minds, and the Micah Grey trilogy, which begins with Pantomime. They are also a writing coach at The Novelry.
Lam studied English and Creative Writing at California State University and the University of Aberdeen before lecturing on the Creative Writing MA at Edinburgh Napier University for seven years.
They have previously written as Laura Lam and Laura Ambrose.

Micah Grey series

Lam's debut novel, Pantomime, published in 2013. It is a young adult novel telling the story of an intersex character, Micah Grey, who has run away from home to become a circus aerialist.
Pantomime, along with its sequel, Shadowplay, were published by Strange Chemistry. In 2014, Strange Chemistry folded. In May 2015, it was announced that Tor UK had bought the rights to Pantomime, Shadowplay, and the third book in the series, Masquerade. In 2024, the series was purchased by DAW, with re-release in 2025 and 2026.
Pantomime won the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction in 2014 at an event organised by the Bi Writers Association to increase awareness of bisexual books. It appeared on reading lists promoted by the American Library Association on their 2014 Rainbow Book List, the 2014 Popular Paperbacks List in the GLBTQ category, and on the Scottish Book Trust as their "Teens Book of the Month" in May 2014. In 2014 it was also nominated for the British Fantasy Society book awards.
Shadowplay, the second in the Micah Grey series, continues the story of Micah Grey and Drystan the White Clown, on the run and seeking help from a magician and was ranked 17 in Fantasy Faction's Best Fantasy Books of 2014. Masquerade, the final volume of the trilogy, was published in 2017.

Pacifica duology

In July 2014 Lam signed a six-figure two-book deal with Tor Books, for the full world English language rights to False Hearts and Shattered Minds. Subsequently, the Italian, German, and French rights for False Hearts were taken up, by Fanucci Editore, Heyne Verlag and Bragelonne respectively.

Seven Devils duology

Lam and Elizabeth May co-wrote a space opera entitled Seven Devils, out through Gollancz Ltd|Gollancz] in the UK and DAW in the US. It is described as Mad Max: Fury Road meets Rogue One. Upon release, it hit #5 on the Sunday Times Bestseller list in the UK. The sequel, Seven Mercies, followed in January 2022.

Dragon Scales Series

Source:

''Dragonfall''

Dragonfall is the first in an epic fantasy romance series by L.R. Lam, released in May 2023 and June 2024. Published by DAW in the US, and Hodderscape in the UK, Dragonfall featured in the Sunday Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. It was the top-selling Barnes & Noble Speculative Monthly Pick of 2025, a Locus Recommended Read, and was longlisted for the British Science Fiction Best Novel Award.
The book has been translated into Romanian, Polish, and Italian.

''Emberclaw''

The sequel to Dragonfall, Emberclaw by L.R. Lam was published March 2025 by DAW in the US, and Hodderscape in the UK in hardback, e-book, and audio. A paperback edition followed in March 2026.
Like Dragonfall, the book has been translated into Romanian, Polish, and Italian.

''Micah Grey''

  1. Pantomime Strange Chemistry. Re-released in e-book through Tor UK in December 2015 and in paperback in 2016. Re-released by Astra Publishing House in September 2025 in e-book and trade paperback.
  2. Shadowplay Strange Chemistry. Re-released in e-book through Tor UK in December 2015 and in paperback in 2016. Re-released by Astra Publishing House in November 2025 in e-book and trade paperback.
  3. Masquerade Tor/Macmillan. Re-released by Astra Publishing House in March 2026.

''Vestigial Tales''

  1. The Snake Charm Penglass Publishing
  2. The Fisherman's Net Penglass Publishing
  3. The Tarot Reader Penglass Publishing
  4. The Card Sharp Penglass Publishing
  5. The Mechanical Minotaur Penglass Publishing

''False Hearts''

''Seven Devils''

  • Seven Devils with Elizabeth May DAW/Gollancz
  • Seven Mercies with Elizabeth May DAW/Gollancz

''The Dragon Scales Series''

  • Dragonfall
  • Emberclaw
Goldilocks
  • Goldilocks Wildfire/Orbit

Short stories

  • "They Swim Through Sunset Seas", Solaris Rising 3, edited by Ian Whates, Solaris Books.
  • "The Lioness", Cranky Ladies of History anthology, edited by Tehani Wessely and Tansy Rayner Roberts, Fablecroft Press.
  • "A Certain Reverence", Scotland in Space: Creative Visions and Critical Reflections on Scotland's Space Futures, edited by Deborah Scott and Simon Malpas, Shoreline of Infinity.

As Laura Ambrose

''Romancing the Page'' series

  1. A Hidden Hope Penglass Publishing
  2. A Perfect Balance Penglass Publishing
  3. An Unheard Song Penglass Publishing
  4. Romancing the Page Penglass Publishing
    Short stories
  • A Frozen Night Penglass Publishing

Awards and nominations