The Other Merlin is the perfect read for anyone in need of the perfect Gossip Girl meets Merlin fantasy  mash-up. So, we couldn’t help but ask author Robyn Schneider: how did you come up with it?! And she had answers! Scroll down for Robyn Schneider’s top 3 pop culture influences for writing The Other Merlin.

About the book: 

Channeling the modern humor of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, bestselling author Robyn Schneider creates a Camelot that becomes the ultimate teen rom-com hotspot in this ultra-fresh take on the Arthurian legend.

Welcome to the great kingdom of Camelot! Prince Arthur’s a depressed botanist who would rather marry a library than a princess, Lancelot’s been demoted to castle guard after a terrible lie, and Emry Merlin has arrived at the castle disguised as her twin brother since girls can’t practice magic.

Life at court is full of scandals, lies, and backstabbing courtiers, so what’s a casually bisexual teen wizard masquerading as a boy to do? Other than fall for the handsome prince, stir up trouble with the foppish Lord Gawain, and offend the prissy Princess Guinevere.

When the truth comes out with disastrous consequences, Emry has to decide whether she’ll risk everything for the boy she loves, or give up her potential to become the greatest wizard Camelot has ever known.

She’s The Man

No one can convince me that this isn’t Amanda Bynes’ finest performance. If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s a modern, feminist Twelfth Night retelling centered around a female soccer player who goes to boarding school disguised as her twin brother, and takes his place on the boys’ soccer team for some old-fashioned grudge-match revenge against her ex—and to prove that she’s as good as the boys. Did I mention her love interest is played by a young Channing Tatum? Honestly, this movie is a blast, and such a hilarious take on one of Shakespeare’s most adaptable plots.

A Knight’s Tale

This movie is one of the greats. Heath Ledger plays a commoner who pretends to be a noble in order to win fame and fortune jousting against unworthy knights in medieval Europe. The music and fashion are wildly anachronistic in the best way possible, Alan Tudyk does his thing, Paul Bettany (Marvel’s Vision) plays a young, unknown Geoffrey Chaucer, and you will absolutely fall in love with Shannyn Sossamon. Truly a classic.

Shakespeare In Love

Imagine you’re an educated, wealthy young woman in Elizabethan England, expected to marry the horrible Lord Essex (a young Colin Firth, but for whatever reason your impression is EW NO THANKS). Now imagine you love the theater more than anything, but women aren’t allowed on stage. What do you do? How about dress up as a dude and audition for Shakespeare’s latest play? What happens next? You get cast in the lead role and have a steamy romance with Shakespeare while he writes Romeo and Juliet based on your passionate but forbidden affair. Is this movie historically accurate? Not at all. Is it fun? Very.

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