Toby Andrew
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tobyandrew.bsky.social
Toby Andrew
@tobyandrew.bsky.social
Grimdark fantasy.
Power, secrecy, and moral consequence.
Author of Citadel: Forgotten Prophecy.
https://tobyandrew.com/citadelreadersguild/
Some spells never die. They just change what’s left behind.

I’m more interested in the damage power does in the long term, than in that single moment it’s wielded.
February 5, 2026 at 8:47 PM
I've been wondering about how different elements hit different people, so tell me - what makes a fantasy world feel real to you when you're reading a book?
February 1, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Some characters mistake power for permission.

I’m more interested in the idea that power doesn’t remove responsibility - it multiplies it.
January 30, 2026 at 6:49 AM
Appearances matter. People must see strength, even if it’s an illusion.

I keep coming back to this idea when I write - how often power survives on perception long after truth stops supporting it.
January 19, 2026 at 8:38 AM
I'm interested to know if folk think that dark fantasy works best when it focuses on power... or people?
January 14, 2026 at 7:34 AM
I’ve realised I write grimdark fantasy because I’m less interested in destiny than responsibility.

What people do when there’s no certainty. When they act on knowledge they believe is true and have to live with the consequences if it isn’t.

That feels closer to real life than heroism.
January 13, 2026 at 8:04 AM
One of the ideas I believe is that authority isn’t empowering - it’s isolating.

Marshals carry the law so others don’t have to become a mob. They’re feared for it, and remembered without gratitude.

That feels closer to the truth than heroism ever does.
January 12, 2026 at 10:14 PM
I'm curious - What draws you to dark fantasy?
January 10, 2026 at 7:25 AM
I keep coming back to this idea while writing — prophecy doesn’t remove choice. It just changes who pays for it.
January 7, 2026 at 8:06 AM