James Crawford Books in Order

James Crawford writes young adult fantasy from a simple starting point: the ideas that stay with him, especially the ones that begin as dreams. He has described himself as someone who lives in those imagined worlds for a while, then puts them on the page for other people to visit.

His public biographical profile is brief, but he has been direct about the reason he started writing Caleo. Growing up, he felt there were too few LGBT heroes for young readers to see themselves in, and too many of the characters who did exist were reduced to stereotypes. He wanted to create a gay protagonist whose sexuality was part of his life, not the only thing that defined him.

That purpose sits at the center of his work.

Crawford's published fiction centers on the three-book Leech series: Caleo, Jack, and Nolan. The books combine high-school pressures, family ties, romance, danger, and a hidden world of people with unusual abilities. Rather than beginning in a distant fantasy kingdom, the story starts in a familiar school setting, then steadily opens into a larger conflict.

In Caleo, the first book, Caleo Anima is already used to being singled out. His striking appearance has made him an outsider at Butler High, and he is also keeping his sexuality private. A stranger's arrival forces him to confront an even bigger truth: he belongs to a secret magical race called the Leeches, and opposing sides in a long-running war see him as the advantage they need.

High school becomes the least of his problems.

The next book, Jack, shifts attention to Jack Barely, Caleo's close friend and the captain of the swim team. Jack once had the kind of social standing Caleo lacked, but the Leech conflict tears through his life. The book follows his efforts to protect his twin sister, Jillian, while holding on to hope that Caleo is still alive. It gives the series a more personal view of loss, loyalty, and feelings that have gone unspoken.

Nolan carries the story into its final stretch. Nolan, once a standout student before losing his sight and learning about the Leeches, wants one thing above all: to help Caleo survive long enough to meet the destiny others have placed on him. By then, the conflict has grown beyond the characters' immediate circle, with new enemies and outside forces making every choice harder.

Crawford has also shown that he sees the Leech setting as bigger than one group of characters. At one point, he invited fan writers to imagine stories elsewhere in that world, with the focus kept away from Caleo, Jack, Nolan, and Steve. The proposal emphasized new corners of the setting and charitable donations from any selected work, which fits the series' interest in a world still full of untold stories.

His bibliography is compact, but the through line is clear: young people trying to protect the people they love while learning that the world is stranger, harsher, and more complicated than they expected.