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Matthew J. Kirby
Matthew j kirby 8419.JPG
Born Utah, United States
Occupation Young adult fiction author
Notable awards Edgar Award
2012 Best Juvenile Mystery

Matthew J. Kirby is an American author who writes exciting books for young people. His stories are often for middle schoolers (called middle grade books) and teenagers (called young adult books).

About Matthew J. Kirby

Matthew J. Kirby was born in Utah, a state in the western United States. Because his dad was in the Navy, Matthew got to live in many different places while growing up. He lived in states like Maryland, California, and Hawaii.

When he was a pre-teen, he received some books by a famous author named Ursula K. Le Guin. These were the Earthsea books. As he read them, he was amazed by how she used words. This moment made him realize he wanted to become a writer too.

Matthew went to Utah State University and earned a degree in history. Later, he also got a master's degree in school counselling. When he first started writing, he wrote poetry and short stories for adults. But he soon found that many of his ideas were perfect for younger readers. So, he decided to write for kids and teens instead.

In 2010, his very first book, The Clockwork Three, was published. It was a historical fantasy story set in a made-up American city in the late 1800s. His second book, Icefall, was about a Viking princess. This book was very successful and won the 2012 Edgar Award for Juvenile Fiction. This award is a big deal for mystery writers!

Today, Matthew lives near Salt Lake City, Utah with his partner, Jaimes.

Books by Matthew J. Kirby

Novels

  • The Clockwork Three (2010)
  • Icefall (2011)
  • Infinity Ring: Book 5: Cave of Wonders (2013)
  • The Lost Kingdom (2013)
  • The Quantum League: Spell Robbers (2014)
  • The Dark Gravity Sequence, Book 1: The Arctic Code (2015)
  • The Dark Gravity Sequence, Book 2: Island of the Sun (2016)
  • The Dark Gravity Sequence, Book 3: The Rogue World (2017)
  • Last Descendants (September 2016)
  • A Taste For Monsters (September 2016)
  • Last Descendants, Book 2: Tomb of the Khan (2016)
  • Last Descendants; Book 3: Fate of the Gods (2017)
  • Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga (2020)
  • Star Splitter (2023)

Poetry

  • "In Their Element" (as M.J. Kirby) (2005)

Short fiction

  • "Letters on Natural Magic" (2007)
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