Zen Cao received the Best Newcomer award at the British Fantasy Awards at FantasyCon 2016 in Scarborough, United Kingdom on 25 September 2017. The Malaysian born lass beat four other contenders for the prize.

The Malaysian-born author is a full-time lawyer based in London and according to the FAQ on her website, she has no plans to quit her day job to become a writer. So all of you writers sitting on your bums complaining about not having the time, let Zen Cao be your inspiration.

Her book Sorcerer to the Crown is a historical fantasy and is set to be a trilogy. We're wondering if Hollywood movie storytelling had a hand in it being a trilogy but we digress. The official synopsis for the book is as follows:
Zacharias Wythe, England’s first African Sorcerer Royal, is contending with attempts to depose him, rumours that he murdered his predecessor, and an alarming decline in England’s magical stocks. But his troubles are multiplied when he encounters runaway orphan Prunella Gentleman, who has just stumbled upon English magic’s greatest discovery in centuries.

Head to her website to purchase her book and read more about Zen Cao.