Do I consider The Tome of Talula Young Adult?
No.
But here’s the problem.
If I simply call it dark fantasy, people may immediately think of books like Quicksilver, Fourth Wing, or A Court of Thorns and Roses.
And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with those books, The Tome of Talula is not doing the same thing.
It isn’t romantasy.
Romance is not the central plot.
There’s no spice.
The story is much more focused on found family, group dynamics, world-building, politics, faith, identity, manipulation, loyalty, adventure, and the long-term consequences of everybody making questionable decisions.
So no, I don’t consider it YA.
But I do think it has YA crossover appeal.
If you grew up loving books like Harry Potter, Inkheart, or Twilight, but now want something darker, denser, stranger, and more adult in its themes?
That’s probably closer to the lane I’m in.
Basically, The Tome of Talula lives in that weird little space between YA fantasy, adult dark fantasy, epic fantasy, celestial horror, and “I built an entire world because I had too many questions.”
Which is apparently my genre now.
