“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” The words of composer Gustav Mahler animate this collection of sixteen tales from award-winning author Marie Brennan, inspired by mythological and folkloric traditions around the world. Here you will find flames of revenge, immortality, and grace, as a valkyrie seeks peace, a queen weaves and unweaves her own fate, and a goddess vanishes from mortal memory — but never from the page. TABLE OF CONTENTS * This Is How * Serpent, Wolf, and Half-Dead Thing * The Waking of Angantyr * Silence, Before the Horn * Daughter of Necessity * Your Body, My Prison, My Forge * For the Fairest * The Wives of Paris * The Me of Perfect Sight * The Gospel of Nachash * Salt Feels No Pain * At the Heart of Each Pearl Lies a Grain of Sand * Centuries of Kings * The Old Woman and the Tea * Ghost and Fox * Speak to the Moon * Story notes
Bondsmaid. Berserker. Bane. Hervor is no stranger to hardship. Not only is she a reviled bondsmaid, but she’s haunted by the ghosts of dead men. When a berserker fit turns her into a murderer, she has nothing left to lose: fleeing everything she’s known, Hervor goes to find a new future and a way to silence the past. Her quest will take her from the viking seas to the depths of a witch’s forest, from frozen mountains to a king’s golden hall. But the road ahead is no less bloody than the one behind, and the foul magic Hervor fears most is the only thing that can lay her ghosts to rest. They say when you seek revenge, you should dig two graves, but Hervor might be able to get away with one. Because the voices of the dead are getting stronger . . . and her greatest enemy may be herself.
Realms of story and wonder . . . New topics take center stage in this volume of award-winning author Marie Brennan’s set of worldbuilding guides for science fiction and fantasy writers. Ranging from the poverty-stricken reality of beggars and servants up to the heights of imperial rule, from the solidarity of guilds and unions to the spirituality of saints and miracles, the NEW WORLDS series offers insights into every corner of human society. This volume collects essays from the seventh year of the New Worlds Patreon.
Out of nothingness they summon her: a woman with no name and no memory, and the power to bring them what they need. Across an island that changes beneath her feet -- into a cavern that holds a terrible trap -- to the brink of her soul’s annihilation -- her journey will transform her forever.
Once she had nothing: no name, no memory, no purpose beyond the one her master bound her to fulfill. Now the wandering archon known as Ree must walk an unseen path -- one that will lead her toward the untold story of her origins. But the road to the truth is paved with blood . . .
Step beyond the ordinary . . . Beneath the surface of our reality lies a world of magic and danger -- a world where buildings have guardian spirits, shapeshifting coyotes prey on the hopeful and the desperate, and ancient traditions prepare for an apocalyptic future. These seven urban fantasy tales from award-winning author Marie Brennan paint the everyday with a layer of wonder, inviting you to imagine what could lie just around the corner. TABLE OF CONTENTS * “Coyotaje” * “Selection” * “Such as Dreams Are Made Of” * “La Molejera” * “Comparison of Efficacy Rates for Seven Antipathetics as Employed Against Lycanthropes” * “The Last Wendy” * “The Genius Prize” * Story notes
ABOVE The year is 1590. The City of London flourishes, the most brilliant jewel in the crown of Elizabeth I, Gloriana, the Virgin Queen. BELOW The Onyx Court is London's faerie shadow. Ruled by Invidiana, its heartless queen, it reflects and distorts the glory of the mortal court. BETWEEN Years ago, Elizabeth forged a pact with her faerie counterpart to secure both of their thrones. Now that alliance is in danger. Michael Deven, a rising star in Elizabeth's court, seeks the "hidden player" who has influenced mortal politics for so long. Lady Lune, a faerie out of favour, must infiltrate the mortal world to protect her vicious queen. Together this pair will uncover the secret of Invidiana's power -- a secret that has the potential to shatter both realms . . . .
ABOVE It is the seventeenth century. For twenty years, the City of London has been torn apart: by war, by plague, by fire. BELOW The Onyx Court is London's faerie shadow. Dedicated to co-existence with mortals, it struggles to survive against rival courts who oppose everything it stands for. BETWEEN Now, when these two realms are at their most divided, they face a threat neither can defeat alone. The Great Fire ravaging London is more than mere flames. While the city's human residents struggle to halt the inexorable blaze, the fae must defeat a stranger foe: the embodiment of the fire itself, a monstrous Dragon that seeks to devour London both above and below. If the faerie queen Lune and her mortal consort cannot bring the two worlds together, the city itself may not survive . . . .
Marie Brennan begins a thrilling new fantasy series in A Natural History of Dragons, combining adventure with the inquisitive spirit of the Victorian Age. You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . . All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day. Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever. "Saturated with the joy and urgency of discovery and scientific curiosity."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Natural History of Dragons An NPR Best Book of 2013 The Lady Trent Memoirs 1. A Natural History of Dragons 2. The Tropic of Serpents 3. Voyage of the Basilisk 4. In the Labyrinth of Drakes 5. Within the Sanctuary of Wings At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Marie Brennan's Turning Darkness Into Light is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape. "Overwhelmingly fun."—io9 on The Tropic of Serpents As the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs) Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study. When Lord Gleinheigh recruits Audrey to decipher a series of ancient tablets holding the secrets of the ancient Draconean civilization, she has no idea that her research will plunge her into an intricate conspiracy, one meant to incite rebellion and invoke war. Alongside dearest childhood friend and fellow archeologist Kudshayn, must find proof of the conspiracy before it’s too late. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
ABOVE The Age of Enlightenment has come to England. Among the triumphs of science is the prediction by Sir Edmond Halley that a comet last seen in 1682 will return in 1758 -- a prediction that will soon be put to the test. BELOW A century ago, the fae of the Onyx Court fought to defeat the Great Fire of London, an elemental Dragon that destroyed four-fifths of the city. In the aftermath, they banished its spirit to a comet -- a comet that will soon return. BETWEEN The race has begun. When Halley’s comet appears, the Dragon will strike, and the city will burn once more. Faerie magic alone cannot kill this monster; defeating it for good will require the aid of science as well. But science brings its own form of danger . . .
Revolution has come to Starfall. To some, Mirei is a savior. Born from the union of opposing forces, her existence offers a way to heal the division between warrior and witch, and brings powerful new magic into the world. To others, Mirei is an abomination. She overturns the ancient traditions of the witches, threatening their stability and corrupting their magic with an influence that should be destroyed. But even Mirei's power is not enough to prevent a civil war. And while she struggles to reconcile Starfall's opposing factions, a more insidious threat is building within her -- because her newfound magic does not come without a price.
Escape into another world . . . Bathing and banking, animals and adultery: human culture contains a truly daunting array of elements. The fourth volume of the NEW WORLDS series takes readers on a tour of all-new topics, delving into everything from childbirth to dream interpretation to the importance of generosity, as award-winning fantasy author and former anthropologist Marie Brennan continues her in-depth exploration of worldbuilding in science fiction and fantasy. This volume collects essays from the fourth year of the New Worlds Patreon.
Seven tales of supernatural horror . . . A maiden in a tower. A grandmother in a cottage. A stranger at a ball. None of them are what they seem, in this collection of very brief stories from fantasy author Marie Brennan. The dark forest of fairy tales hides things more perilous than wolves and wicked stepmothers. Are you prepared for what you’ll find? TABLE OF CONTENTS * The Snow-White Heart * Footprints * Shadows’ Bride * Tower in Moonlight * The Wood, the Bridge, the House * Kiss of Life * Waiting for Beauty Total length: 40 pages, including Story Notes
In this prequel to the urban fantasy novel Lies and Prophecy, Kim is ready for her freshman year at college—but her challenges include more than just choosing courses and learning to live with a roommate. Welton University has welcomed a new student, one of the strange and powerful wilders. If Julian Fiain is going to fit in among his fellow psychics, he’s going to need friends.
Two women. One soul. Mirage wasn't supposed to exist. Born from the ritual that gives the witches of Starfall their power, she should have been destroyed. Instead she survived, and grew up to become one of the most lethal Hunters the land has ever seen. Miryo wasn't supposed to fail. But when her initiation at Starfall goes awry, she realizes her double is still alive. Now she must hunt down Mirage and put an end to something that should never have begun. But how can a witch kill the perfect warrior, when her own magic is trying to kill her?
Bring a new world to life . . . In science fiction and fantasy, anything can provide color and conflict -- from soldiers, to schools, to shops, to sexuality. Continuing her comprehensive NEW WORLDS series of worldbuilding guides, award-winning fantasy author and former anthropologist Marie Brennan takes a deep dive into monarchy and democracy, natural disasters, warfare, gender, and the subtleties of language variation both in the world and on the page. This volume collects essays from the fifth year of the New Worlds Patreon.
ABOVE Victorian London is ‘the monster city” -- a place of industry and progress, poverty and disease, with veins of iron threading through its flesh. BELOW The Onyx Court is dying -- its queen missing, its criminals unchecked, and the very fabric of the Onyx Hall itself torn apart by the iron of the Underground Railroad. BETWEEN No one believed Eliza O’Malley that her childhood sweetheart was stolen from the streets of Whitechapel by the faeries. Her search for him will take her to the heart of the crumbling, corrupted faerie court -- and to a final, desperate chance that might save them all. But first she must confront the faerie who betrayed her seven years ago . . .
Enter a land of infinite possibility . . . In this, the sixth volume of the NEW WORLDS series of worldbuilding guides for science fiction and fantasy writers, award-winning author Marie Brennan takes a deep dive into topics as weighty as slavery, as illicit as crime, and as fun as the inner workings of a magic system. With essays ranging from siege warfare to artistic patronage to food prohibitions, there is something here for every story! This volume collects essays from the sixth year of the New Worlds Patreon.
Three years after her fateful journeys through Vystrana, the widowed Mrs Camherst defies convention to embark on an expedition to the savage, war-torn continent of Eriga, home of the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics. Accompanied by an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave heat, fevers and palace intrigues to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian
From the bestselling author of A Natural History of Dragons comes a thrilling epic fantasy of treachery, lies and witchcraft The bondmaid Hervor is used to dead men whispering in her sleep. They've been doing it for as long as she can remember; it's the living she has to watch out for. And when a new arrival at her holding triggers her into a berserker fury, she's forced to flee the contract that enslaves her and into the arms of an uncertain future. Unchained from the living, Hervor goes in search of a way to silence the dead, but it will take much more than grit and determination to make that happen. She'll need the help of a ruthless Viking, an ailing jarl, a mad witch, and more—for the treachery that killed her ghosts isn't nearly as dead as they are, and the path to peace must first traverse a river of blood.
LONDON, 1625. A young gentleman lies murdered in a Coldharbour alley. Before his death, he uncovered secrets that could threaten the mortal world above and the faerie world below. Now, to find the murderer and protect both realms, Sir Michael Deven will need the help of a man with reason to hate the fae of the Onyx Court — the victim’s own brother. A novella of the Onyx Court, set between Midnight Never Come and In Ashes Lie.
The thrilling adventure of Lady Trent continues in Marie Brennan's Voyage of the Basilisk . . . Devoted readers of Lady Trent's earlier memoirs, A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed—until now. Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist whose interests converge with Isabella's in ways both professional and personal. Science is, of course, the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella's life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons. The Lady Trent Memoirs 1. A Natural History of Dragons 2. The Tropic of Serpents 3. Voyage of the Basilisk 4. In the Labyrinth of Drakes 5. Within the Sanctuary of Wings At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The past is prologue . . . Kit Marlowe. Guy Fawkes. Ada Lovelace. Kings and sailors and sainted nuns populate these seven stories of historical fantasy by award-winning author Marie Brennan. They span the ages from the second century B.C.E. to the nineteenth century C.E., from ancient Persia to the London of the Onyx Court. Discover the secret histories, hear the stories that have never been told -- until now.
In the Labyrinth of Drakes, the thrilling new book in the acclaimed fantasy series from Marie Brennan, the glamorous Lady Trent takes her adventurous explorations to the deserts of Akhia. Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries. As is so often the case in the career of this illustrious woman, the public story is far from complete. In this, the fourth volume of her memoirs, Lady Trent relates how she acquired her position with the Royal Scirling Army; how foreign saboteurs imperiled both her work and her well-being; and how her determined pursuit of knowledge took her into the deepest reaches of the Labyrinth of Drakes, where the chance action of a dragon set the stage for her greatest achievement yet. The Lady Trent Memoirs 1. A Natural History of Dragons 2. The Tropic of Serpents 3. Voyage of the Basilisk 4. In the Labyrinth of Drakes 5. Within the Sanctuary of Wings At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
A Tor.com original, From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review shares the thoughts of the renowned dragon naturalist Lady Trent--whose memoirs continue to be chronciled in Marie Brennan's acclaimed Victorian Age science fantasy series--about the scientific community. After risking the neck of her loved ones and herself during her perilous sea voyage aboard The Basilisk, and the discoveries made at Keonga, Isabella, Lady Trent, returns to Scirland with the aim of publishing her research. And yet, given the level of secret knowledge she now posseses, she is reduced to waiting to reveal her new academic discovery until royal decrees can be lifted and a fraught political situation avoided. In her idle frustration, Isabella vents her spleen upon the shoddy research published by lesser men with swollen heads in local journals. Enjoy the following collection of letters, found in a trunk of mislaid scholarly documents left behind when she removed to Linshire for the season. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Marie Brennan offers an intriguing new spin on the classic tale of Penelope and Odysseus. By day she crafts; by night she unmakes. Surely somewhere, in all the myriad crossings of the threads, there is a future in which all will be well. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Those who serve the Warrior face the harshest of discipline. Trained from a young age to become lethal Hunters, they have no room in their ranks for the weak -- or for those who join them late. Her entire life, Seniade has felt a bond with the Warrior. Becoming a Hunter ought to be a dream come true. But first she has to prove herself worthy to stay . . . and she might just kill herself trying. Dancing the Warrior is a standalone novella set before the events of the novels Warrior and Witch, by the author of the acclaimed Memoirs of Lady Trent series.
For to see mad Tom o'Bedlam, ten thousand miles she's traveled. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Two samurai risk their hearts, souls, and their very existence to stop an occult phantom from destroying the world, in this stunning supernatural fantasy from Legend of the Five Rings The demon-vanquishing samurai, Asako Sekken and Agasha no Isao Ryotora are summoned to Winter Court. Their exploits with the Spirit Realms have taken a toll on the pair and the cut and thrust of Rokugani politics proves challenging. After being urged to share their tales of adventure, the Winter Court guests begin to fall into a deep sleep from which they cannot wake. Fearing foul play, the Phoenix demand retribution, but Sekken and Ryotora uncover the hand of a supernatural trickster seeking entry to the mortal realm. The path to victory will risk their lives and the strange bond between them. But they must succeed, lest something awful escape into Rokugan.
Poems written by young author Lisa Marie Brennan. Poems started during her high school education and went on during a few years beyond that. One of her best poems "My Summer Love" which is included in the book was a finalist in the Blue Mountain Poetry Greeting Cards contest and is still used on their internet Love cards as one of the choices of poems people can select when sending a card.
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