Gail Z. Martin

Gail Zehner Martin (born December 1, 1962) is an American writer of epic fantasy and urban fantasy and is most well known for her The Chronicles of The Necromancer fantasy adventure series for Solaris Books and Double Dragon Publishing.

Biography

Martin was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and she received her BA in history from Grove City College in 1984, and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Management Information Systems from Pennsylvania State University in 1986. She worked for seventeen years as a VP of Corporate Communications and other marketing roles before founding DreamSpinner Communications in 2003.

Her first novel, The Summoner, was published in 2007, and she has been a prolific author ever since. In addition to her fiction writing, Martin writes feature articles for regional and national magazines and teaches public relations writing and public speaking for the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. In 2018, Martin started publishing romance under the pen name Morgan Brice.

Her first story was about a vampire, which she wrote at age five. She also enjoyed watching Dark Shadows and Lost in Space in preschool. In college, she started a fanzine and is a regular attendee of science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs, and living history sites.

She married Larry N. Martin in 1987 and has three children.

Awards and reception

Ascendant Kingdoms Saga

SF Signal felt that Ice Forged "Starts out with the swagger of a disaster/post-apocalyptic/fantasy hybrid but undergoes an unappealing change of course at the 2/3 mark and ends with a whimper," while a Publishers Weekly review felt it suffered from an "inflated dialogue-to-action ratio."

Publishers Weekly said that the extensive cast of characters and detailed action in War of Shadows were "...both strengths and weaknesses." They further said: "Colorful descriptions of vivid battle and magic scenes, complete with terrifying fantastic creatures, and complex familial and political relationships will reward the motivated reader, but when characters speculate on the actions of their adversaries it slows an already unwieldy story."

The Chronicles of the Necromancer

In Fantasy Magazine's review of Dark Haven, Richard Dansky explored the novel's world-building versus character development, saying "Fans of world-building will probably find it lightweight, while fans of characters will be much more engaged."

Fallen Kings Cycle

A Publishers Weekly review called found book one, The Sworn, "fun and accessible, if hardly groundbreaking...There's little plotwise that will surprise fantasy veterans, but it's a solidly told story and very friendly to new readers." However, it found The Dread, "Ambitious in scope and meticulous in detail, this adventure has no shortage of intrigue and action. Unfortunately, it’s bogged down by a sizable cast, myriad plot lines, and a slow start."

"A few loose threads leave the impression that this is the first of many adventures for Cassidy and her team, and a refreshing lack of interpersonal and sexual drama will appeal to longtime fans of paranormal mysteries."—Publishers Weekly on Deadly Curiosities