Subsequently, Canavan has written a series called Millennium's Rule, with a completely new setting consisting of multiple worlds which characters can cross between.

After deciding to become a professional artist she completed an Advanced Certificate in Promotional Display at the Melbourne College of Decoration, where she received an award for Highest Aggregate Mark in Art Subjects in 1988.

[4] In 1999, Canavan's writing career took off when she won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story with Whispers of the Mist Children.

The trilogy is now rated by Nielsen BookScan as the most successful debut fantasy series of the last 10 years, and in 2006 had sold over 275,000 copies in all editions.

The first in the series, Priestess of the White reached No.3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best-seller list, staying in the top ten for 6 weeks.

In early 2006, Canavan signed a seven-figure contract with Orbit to write the prequel and sequel to The Black Magician Trilogy.