Hi, I’m Delilah Waan!

I’m a Hong Kong born author based in Sydney, Australia who writes adult epic fantasy.

My debut novel won a semi-finalist award in the 9th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off Contest in 2023.

Delilah Waan, author of Petition, an SPFBO9 semi-finalist award winner.

Petition is a story of love, debt, and sacrifice. It’s about an angry Asian daughter of immigrants fighting privileged rich kids in a ruthless job hunt tournament—think Jade City meets The Hunger Games.

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The sequel, Supplicant, is about ambition, duty, and loyalty. It’s Six of Crows meets Mistborn: The Well of Ascension with a Locked Tomb twist.

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3D mockups of the Petition and Supplicant special edition hardcovers, showing foiled case art by K.E. Rosero and exclusive dust jacket art by Rosemary Fung.

The Kickstarter to celebrate the launch of Supplicant with some gorgeous special edition hardcovers successfully funded in 9 minutes and the project ended up funding at over $15,000 AUD!

Missed out on backing the Kickstarter? No worries! Make a late pledge through my direct store.

Read a sample from Petition:

Propping open her ink-splattered parchment with her elbows, Rahelu regarded her only means of getting her family out of their miserable existence in the Lowdocks and wished she could start over. Her cramped letters were barely visible—she had diluted her squid ink with so much water it left her brush pen as a faint gray trail.

If only she could afford proper resonance ink! Then she could attach her memories as proof of her abilities instead of relying on mere words.

It doesn’t matter, she told herself as the dim light from the lamp flickered. By some miracle, the meager amount of fish oil had lasted all night. The Houses will read every word of every Petition, no matter how unpolished, as long as I submit it on time.

—Petition, Chapter 1, Payment → (continue reading)

On a book buying ban?

Here’s 3 ways to read Petition for free:

Where can you get the ebook?

Everywhere! But if you’re on a budget, consider buying direct from me:

When you buy from a retailer like Amazon, you’re locked in to their ecosystem—and I have to wait weeks, sometimes months, to get paid 70% or less.

Petition - Ebook

Petition – Ebook

Buy Direct

If you buy direct from me, you own the ebook file. Forever. And 95% of what you pay goes towards my bills the very next day—so I can write more books for you.

Sound good? Just enter the code ‘DIRECT’ (without quotes) at checkout to get this exclusive discount.

Use the following methods get the ebook on your e-reader of choice.

Too much of a hassle? The ebook of Petition is at all major retailers:

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Prefer to listen?

Petition is now available in audiobook! Performed by the award-winning narrator of The Poppy War, Emily Woo Zeller. Listen to the sample here:

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Prefer to read in print?

My books are available in both paperback and hardcover formats! Signed copies are available from my store and will ship from Australia, while unsigned copies will ship direct from the printer:

Your local indie bookstore will be able to order a copy in at the counter for you, or you can get it from major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble:

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Do you like book swag?

Signed book plates, map prints, and a book box are available in my store. All book swag will ship from Australia:

Not ready to buy, but want to hear more from me?

Find and follow me online @delilahwaan:

You can also sign up for my mailing list. No spam and no ads; just monthly updates on how writing the next book is going and what I’m reading, plus an exclusive deleted prologue to Petition and other behind-the-scenes content.