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Emma Woodcock has worked variously as a pump jockey, envelope stuffer, librarian, potter, and for the past 14 years, web designer.
She lives in Derbyshire, UK, with a boyfriend and a child – but still no dog, despite her constant hints.
She has been trying to write books for the past quarter century, but the need to make a living kept getting in the way. She has now perfected the ability to live on twigs and acorns in order to pursue her literary ambitions.
Her first novel, Darklands, was published in 2011, followed in 2015 by Kikimora. Also in 2015 she was the winner of SFX magazine's short zombie story competition, judged by Cirque Du Freak and Zom-B author, Darren Shan.
Emma’s writing heroes are Diana Wynne Jones, Neil Gaiman and Philip Reeve. She would very much like to one day write something as magical, enthralling and oh, just perfect as Howl’s Moving Castle, Stardust or Mortal Engines.
Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite
Darklands by Emma Woodcock takes the reader - and the main character - on a journey to a different world in which the sun always shines, it never rains, and everything seems a little too perfect. After returning to a place where teenager Sophie attempted a magical ritual with her school mates (calling them friends would be a bit of a stretch), Sophie finds herself in a world called the Darklands. Yet, in the beginning, there seems to be nothing dark about the place at all. Granted, the inhabitants look a bit different from Sophie, but most of them seem to be nice enough. And the king is stunning. Sophie, who has never been one of the popular kids, suddenly finds herself being the centre of positive attention. When visitors come to attend a ball, Sophie accidentally learns that not everyone is happy about the king. Some people seem to plan something against him. And the announcement the king makes during the ball also takes Sophie by surprise. Why is the king so interested in her? And what is his dark secret? Will Sophie find out the truth and will she be able to return back home?
I absolutely loved reading Darklands by Emma Woodcock. While the idea of someone somehow getting access to a different dimension/world is nothing new, this story is highly entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes exciting, and other times a little bit mysterious. It is a wonderful mix, and I wasn't bored at any stage. In addition to the nice plot and its great development (I love it when authors find the perfect pace!), the story is beautifully written, and you can't help but feel like you are living in that other world. It is very easy to get lost in the words of this novel. If you ever dreamt about living in a different dimension, you might change your mind after reading this, though!
