Lani Forbes

Lani Forbes (1987–2022) was an American writer of young adult fantasy, best known for the Age of the Seventh Sun trilogy, a series rooted in Aztec and Maya mythology that began with The Seventh Sun (2020) and continued with The Jade Bones and The Obsidian Butterfly. Before turning to fiction full-time, she worked for a decade as a science teacher and later as a trauma counselor. The Seventh Sun won the 2021 Realm Award in the Debut, Epic Fantasy, and Young Adult categories, along with a HOLT Medallion for best first book. Forbes was diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine carcinoma shortly after the birth of her second child and continued writing through her illness; two further novels, Face the Night and Master of Memories, were published posthumously.