Brooke Marley Jones explores fantasy, horror, romance genres

Brooke Marley Jones, author, with her debut novel The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps.

Doug Goodhue

Advocate Correspondent

Brooke Marley Jones’ debut novel, The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps, combines elements of fantasy, horror, romance and humour.

Published in June 2024, it features ‘fairy tales and nightmares filled with tenderness and terror’ in the horrormantasy genre.

“The overarching genre I write is fantasy, with horror and romantic subplots,” said Jones in a recent email interview. “I like to write in a way that is relatable and filled with humour. If we aren’t laughing, what’s the point? Nowadays, there are so many sub genres rising, I would also say I write Cottagegore and Horromantasy.”

She says horror has always been her greatest obsession.

“Some of my earliest memories are reading Stephen King books using the crack of light from my bedroom door, when I was supposed to be sleeping. Books turned into movies, Evil Dead, the Conjuring series, you name it. While I loved horror, I always wanted more romance. I wasn’t satisfied with that horror romance gap, and that’s where my debut, The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps was born.”

Her favourite book, however, is not horror or romance, it’s sci-fi.

“That book is The Martian by Andy Weir. I also loved the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, and it wasn’t until I read A Court of Thorns and Roses that I was really inspired to sit down and write my own stories.”

Jones started writing The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps, the first in a three-part series, during Covid in March 2020. Writing a book about magic - and quaint, special characters – was not something she had thought about…  it just happened.

“For me, I can’t fathom telling a story without magic, I suppose it was the inevitable conclusion. Hands down, creating characters is my favourite part of the writing process. My strength isn’t in worldbuilding but creating vibrant characters that bring stories to life. Making them relatable, funny, and real, that’s my greatest strength. Human behaviour fascinates me, and unsurprisingly I studied psychology in university. I’m always watching - always creating characters. When I consume media, I focus on actors. I pay attention to phrases and mannerisms, vocal and physical, to help form my own characters that people come to know and love.”

Seeing the “beautiful book cover for the first time” was a magical moment and she enjoys connecting with readers “who feel as if you’ve written a book just for them.”

Her characters are not derived from her childhood in Jarvis, but she did waitress at Knechtel's in Port Dover. She says, “It’s very easy to see my commentary on the treatment of service staff, particularly in the food industry… I’ll let you decide why waitressing stuck with me after all that time.”

Multiple copies of the book are available in the Norfolk County Library and may be purchased from booksellers, including Amazon and Indigo.

Her next book is a standalone set to release June 1, 2025. The Hound of Scrying Hollow is ‘sort of a scary Beauty and the Beast retelling.’

“This is a gothic romantasy loosely inspired by the Beast of Gévaudan, the true story of a terrifying beast that tormented the French countryside in the 18th century. The Hound of Scrying Hollow enjoys sprinklings of Dracula, Beauty and the Beast, and other fairy tales.

“In the future, I’d love to focus entirely on horror. I have a ghostly-haunted-house-story itch that needs to be scratched. But I think I should keep the fans happy and finish my three-part series before exploring that route too thoroughly. Right now, I’m really enjoying the mix of fantasy, romance, AND horror. It’s also tough to imagine a time when I’m not writing about magic, it’s just a compulsion I must add a little razzle dazzle into any story.”

Book two in The Forest Where the Phoenix Sleeps trilogy is set to release in 2026.

This reviewer found that Brooke Marley Jones, currently living in the Niagara area, is looking at a bright future from her choices using a diversity of genres.