Provided by Alecia B. Kirby
Alecia B. Kirby, a Prince William County native and lifelong lover of storytelling, has released her debut fantasy novel, A Crown in Shadows, with Azala Press as of February 2025.
A Crown in Shadows is an enthralling fantasy tale with a romantic subplot that follows Princess Genevieve, who is accused of a crime on the eve of her marriage to the enemy Fae Prince, Xander. Forced to flee her own kingdom, Genevieve embarks on a dangerous journey to prove her innocence. Along the way, she uncovers long-buried secrets about herself, her kingdom, and the magic that runs through them both. Packed with high-stakes adventure, slow-burn romance, and gripping twists, A Crown in Shadows is a thrilling tale of self-discovery, resilience, and the fight for truth.
“I wrote the story I wanted to read and wrote the female main character I inspire to be,” Kirby said on the What They Wrote podcast. “She (Genevieve) has her flaws, as we all do, but she doesn’t take anything from anyone. I wanted to have that positive, strong influence on whoever reads my book to say to themselves: ‘Oh, I can be that! I have the strength to be like that!’”
Nobody is perfect. A Crown in Shadows is not this perfect journey where it has a clear A to Z plot point. There’s twists, turns, there’s trauma, and there’s learning from that trauma in a real, active way that people actually go through. It doesn’t just get moved to the side because the plot needs to continue. The characters are going through real things that real adults go through.”
Kirby, who was born and raised in Prince William County, attended Unity Reed (formerly Stonewall Jackson) High School before earning an Associate’s Degree in Communication and Information from Northern Virginia Community College. While attending classes at the community college, she worked for The Walt Disney Company at the Disney Store in Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge. She later transferred to The University of Tennessee, where she completed her undergraduate degree in the same field. After graduating college, she returned to Disney, working at Walt Disney World in Florida and discovered creating magic in the real world was easier than ever.
Her time at Disney further fueled her love for magic and fantasy, inspiring the rich, immersive world-building found in A Crown in Shadows.
With its richly developed world, fierce heroine, and themes of destiny, loyalty, and forbidden magic, A Crown in Shadows is a must-read for adult fantasy lovers. The novel, perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, is now available for purchase online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and for reading on Kindle Unlimited.
To learn more about Alecia and any future releases, follow her on her socials (Instagram, Threads and TikTok) @abkbook, or on her publisher’s website, AzlaPress.com.
