‘Romantasy’ is a hybrid genre of fiction rising in global popularity. When it comes to combining fantasy with romance, Australian authors are no exception.
Read more about Australian authors at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival romantasy session here.
Keshe Chow
Keshe Chow is a number one Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy, romance, and speculative fiction and has won several awards for her work. Born in Malaysia, she now lives in Melbourne with her family, a cat named ‘Wasabi’ and an abundance of house plants.
Aussie Author Keshe Chow. Photo by Breeana Dunbar.
Chow debuted in August 2024 with her novel ‘The Girl with No Reflection’. Her next book ‘For No Mortal Creature’ is set to release on the 7th of October 2025.
Readers are raving about these books — from the ornate covers to the loveable characters to the intricate plots and everything in between.
‘For No Mortal Creature’
This novel is a stand-alone blending ideas from Inception and Wuthering Heights. It follows Jia Yi as she discovers a unique ability to travel through layers of the afterlife. In a world where ghosts can die, and then die again, Jia is on a mission despite everything working against her.
With childhood best friend Lin, supposed Yskian enemy Prince Essien, her siblings and her grandmother, there is an incredible variety of side characters to support or hinder her every step of the way.
‘For No Mortal Creature’ Cover designed by Casey Moses and illustrated by Iris Lei
The cover, illustrated by Iris Lei, is one of Chow’s favourites. The snake initially had no place in the book, but she loved the design enough to write it in:
‘I think it really encapsulated the vibe, even though it wasn’t in the original story’, Chow remembers. ‘It’s just so creepy’.
Indeed, the cover is filled with details readers may fail to notice at first glance. The more you look at the illustration, the more intricate details become clear — and the more you read, the more meaningful they become.
Chow is what writers call a ‘pantser’, or someone who writes by the seat of their pants.
‘So when I’m left to my own devices, I just start writing, and I just kind of discover how things go as my characters do’, she reflects.
Unaccustomed to the level of planning her contract requires, she does not always stick to the proposed outline. It was originally planned with a ‘sweet, wholesome ending’, she said. But in the writing process, she found this was not the tone of the book. Instead of rounding off to a ‘lovey-dovey’ close as initially pitched, it leaves us with afar more thought-provoking ending, perfectly completing the tale.
Her inspiration a pastiche of influences, Chow draws from a rich history of storytelling whilst also creating something new and beautiful. She leans into her Chinese heritage, the culture of her Malaysian birthplace, and the Western media she grew up consuming; ‘I didn’t really want to be completely held to one sort of narrow idea’.
With ‘For No Mortal Creature’ Chow crafted a new world with original lore whilst weaving cultural elements throughout.
‘I wanted to take from different periods of history, I wanted to take from different regions and … different cultural touchstones and different myths, and pull them all together to make something that sort of felt like my own’.
Writer to Vet to Writer Again
Chow wrote creatively in high school, having been ‘one of those voracious readers’, and inspired by an English teacher’s encouragement to build her writing style. Whilst studying veterinary science, she was immersed in academic writing and lost touch with her creative side. ‘I always had it in my head that one day I would love to write a book, but I never thought that I could’.
Many authors wrote during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but Chow was an essential worker while raising two children, leaving her with little time to write. Still, she began to reflect on her achievements in the veterinary world. She’d become a specialist in her field, opened a clinic and completed her master’s degree; ‘I had done everything in my veterinary career that I had set out to achieve’, she said.
So during her kids’ nap times, she began to write once more.
Her first project reminded her ‘writing is like a muscle’. Chow dedicated time to relearning the craft and finding her voice. She found different forms allowed greater experimentation. Short stories and poetry provided moments for varying styles and a tool in the search for her voice. Short form meant she could focus on one element such as atmosphere or emotion, whilst challenging her to convey a story succinctly.
Winning the Perito Prize in 2020 was a highlight for Keshe Chow, as this was the first instance she was recognised for her skills beyond family or schoolteachers. Amidst rejections from agents, the email announcing she won was the positive word of encouragement she needed. Even five years and multiple awards later, this is still one achievement she is particularly proud of.
What’s Next for Keshe Chow?
On top of the ever-nearing release of ‘For No Mortal Creature’, Chow is preparing to release her next book in May 2026.
‘Strange Familiars’ is an academic rivals duology, drawing on her experience as a vet. Protagonist Gwendolynne Chan is a scholar of magical veterinary science racing Harrisford Briggs for the position of Dux.
Whilst writing the sequel, she is completing copy edits for the first, and writing another book proposal as well. Juggling so many different projects and using Spotify playlists to re-immerse herself in each one, she is set to provide us with many exciting things in the coming years.
Like many Aussie Romantasy authors, Chow is rising in popularity — and for good reason. Her elaborate fantastical worlds with rich historical and cultural storytelling so intricately woven throughout makes her one to watch.
You can follow Keshe Chow on Instagram to see her journey unfold, or preorder ‘For No Mortal Creature’ as your next great read.
