About

Hannah Standhaft is the author of the Conspiracy of Shadows series, an epic romantic fantasy trilogy beginning with The Girl Behind the Iron Gate and continuing with The Girl Beneath the Crimson Moon.

Hannah’s love of storytelling began in childhood, when she created elaborate adventures for her Barbie dolls, complete with intricate plots and plenty of wild shenanigans. As an adult, she turned her talent for writing into a professional career, having spent the last two decades crafting persuasive narratives in the corporate world before finally bringing her imagination to the pages of her debut novel.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Hannah now resides in North Carolina where she balances (with varying success) writing, motherhood, and life with a rotating cast of rescue animals. When she’s not working on her books, she enjoys reading, singing, stray cat rescue and advocacy, sharing memes, and searching for new additions for her ever-growing TBR list.

Featured Work

The Girl Behind the Iron Gate

2026
The Girl Behind the Iron Gate

Greta has no magic, no grand ambitions, and no desire for anything beyond a quiet life with her family and the younger sister she’d do anything to protect.

But when tragedy strikes, she is torn from everything she knows and forced into the hands of the ruthless ruling class. Conscripted into the military while her sister is held captive, she stakes her future on a series of dangerous trials, where victory promises freedom, but defeat means facing down an army—or death.

As the trials push her beyond her limits, long-buried secrets begin to surface, threatening to unravel everything she thought she knew about herself, her family, and the world around her. And with strange feelings stirring within her and the growing attention of a handsome officer, her already complicated circumstances only grow more perilous.

With her sister’s life on the line, Greta must decide how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice. For some gates, once opened, can never be closed again.

Other Works

  • The Girl Beneath the Crimson Moon

    2026