K. Ancrum Books In Order

Publication Order of Lethal Lit Books

Publication Order of The Wicker King Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

K. Ancrum
K. Ancrum is a Chicago native where she grew up under the illusory rigor of the Chicago Public School system. She is passionate about representation and diversity in young adult fiction.

She went to Dominican University in order to study Fashion Merchandising, however got lured into obtaining her English degree after spending far too many nights experimenting with hard literary criticism and hanging out with unsavory types, like poetry students.

Her writing tends toward minimalist description and heavy dialogue, with poetic gesture alongside some tongue in cheek comedy. Her favorite themes to write about are processing trauma, found family, growing up, the line of demarcation between adulthood and childhood.

Kayla’s writing process is very organized because, unfortunately, she doesn’t have the discipline to wander away from her work and come back to it at will. She decided to plot “Darling” out back in 2013. Once it sold, she just went back to her original plot and skeleton outlined each chapter and then wrote it precisely to her outline, almost like she was writing an academic paper. She gets all of her creativity in before a single word of the manuscript gets written, then when she is writing she is merely going through the motions.

“The Wicker King” is the first novel in the “Wicker King” series and was released in 2017. A psychological young adult thriller which follows two friends struggling while one spirals into madness.

Jack saved August’s life once, now can August possibly save him?

August is a misfit that has a pyro streak and Jack’s a golden boy on the varsity rugby team, however their intense friendship goes a long way back. Jack starts seeing these increasingly vivid hallucinations which take the form of this elaborate fantasy kingdom that creeps right into the edges of the real world. With their parents’ unreliable behavior, August decides he should help Jack the way that he always has: on his own. He accepts these visions are reality, even once Jack leads them on this quest to fulfill a dark prophecy.

Jack and August alienate everybody around them while struggling with their sanity, free falling into the surreal fantasy world which feels made for them. In the end, each of them has to pick their own truth.

This book touches on themes of mental health and explores a codependent relationship that is fraught with love, tension, and madness.

Ancrum delves into the blurry space that exists between madness and reality. It’s a provocative and haunting read which will keep teens riveted.

“The Weight of the Stars” is the first stand alone novel and was released in 2019. The universe is filled with second chances.

Ryann Bird dreams about traveling across the stars. However a career in space is not an option for a girl that lives in a trailer park on the “wrong” side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and just settles for acting out and skipping school in order to hang out with her delinquent friends.

One day she meets this furious loner, named Alexandria, that spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After one horrific accident leaves Alexandria with her arm broken, these girls are brought together despite themselves, and Ryann is able to learn her secret: Alexandria’s mom is an astronaut that volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system.

Every night without fail, Alexandria waits in order to catch radio signals from her mom. And now it is up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof each day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something much more.

“Darling” is the second stand alone novel and was released in 2021. A teenage girl finds herself lost on this dangerous adventure that reimagines Peter Pan for today’s world.

On Wendy Darling’s first night in Chicago, this boy named Peter appears at her window. He is beautiful, dizzying, and captivating, so she agrees to join him for a night out on the town.

Wendy believes that they are heading to this party, however they are soon running in the city’s underground. She makes some friends, like the lost boys that Peter watches over and this punk girl named Tinkerbelle. And she also makes some enemies, like the horrifying Detective Hook, and possibly even Peter himself, as his sinister secrets begin to come to light. Can Wendy possibly find the courage to survive the night, and make sure that everybody else does as well?

Peter Pan re-envisioned with a central twist that is going to send all of your previous memories of JM Barrie’s classic permanently off to Neverland.

“Icarus” is the third stand alone novel and was released in 2024. Icarus’s story is reimagined as a star crossed love story between one young art thief and the son of the man he has been stealing from.

Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and then replaces it with impeccable forgeries his father creates. For years, a single man (the wealthy Mr. Black) has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’ mom. In order to keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people (not to mention feelings) at bay. Do not allow anybody to touch you. Don’t let anybody get close. And (above all else) do not get caught.

Until this one night, where he does get caught. Not by Mr. Black but by Helios, his mysterious son, who now lives under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something that’s even more dangerous, a friendship which breaks every rule Icarus has.

While distrust and reluctance become closeness and something more, they reveal the gilded cage which has trapped each of their families for years now. One that Icarus is determined to escape from. However his dad’s thirst for revenge shows zero sign of fading away, and it soon might force Icarus to pick between the boy he has come to love or the escape that he has always dreamed of. Reaching for both might be his greatest triumph, or it could spell his downfall.