Books for the Broken
Prose and Poetry That Make the ‘Othered’ Feel Seen
Daan Katz, Poet and Author of Literary Speculative Fiction
Stories and poetry born from passion and pain.
Fiction That Hits Where It Hurts
Unforgettable characters, raw emotions, and gripping plots for readers who crave hard truths and stories that stay.
Night’s Reign
Priest Niels Bosch colours outside the lines.
Cantor Beldenka Nadinov navigates life from a wheelchair. Together, they must confront a cursed king and root out corruption. But their own dark secrets follow them every step of the way. Unless they face these first, their quest is doomed to fail.
Dies Iræ: Revenge of a Reject
Once a royal assassin, now exiled and crippled, Torvik Kovkatim is driven by the need for revenge. Haunted by relentless flashbacks, he struggles to survive in a world ruled by crime, betrayal, and madness. As he seeks to square the balance, Torvik must confront the darkest corners of his own humanity or risk losing himself entirely.
Death and the Maiden
Mother, grandmother, psychologist. That’s who Alysia thought she was. Now she’s young again and stranded on a world where magic is real and technology a trifling matter. Angry and unsettled, she travels between even more worlds—deepening her feelings of alienation—in search of a way back home. But the biggest challenge lies in the truths she learns about herself.
Poetry at Play
Poems exploring life’s beauty, struggles, and whimsy through a disabled lens.
Sometimes playful, sometimes introspective, and always grounded in lived experience.
DAAN! Poems without Pretence
Vivid, unguarded, and deeply human. These poems move effortlessly from lighthearted observations to piercing reflections on disability, mental health, love, and grief. Whether capturing the joy of cats, the quiet of nature, or the ache of illness and loss, Katz balances play with pain and finds truth in the ordinary. A collection as varied and unpredictable as life itself.
Night Song
Forty-six fantasy poems, each one a small story in verse. From gods and curses to love, grief, and longing, these dark cinquains carry the depth of epic fantasy in just a few lines.
A deeply human and imaginative collection for anyone who loves poetry.
About Daan Katz
Daan Katz writes lived-in literary speculative fiction and poetry that finds beauty in the ordinary. When he isn’t writing or coaching, you’ll find him in the company of his cats or at the piano, singing Bach and Schubert.
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Extras
Explore the Worlds of Daan Katz
Current Projects
- New novel 1: 41,823 words into the first draft
- New novel 2: 13,583 words into the first draft
- Poetry collection: 35 poems drafted
- Revising website content for improved reader experience
last updated: 1 October 2025
Reader Extras
Read deleted scenes, short stories, and scribblings connected to my novels and poetry
Glossary & Maps
Explore the histories, cultures, and geography of the worlds I create. Currently available: Maps of Sor.