Marie Brennan
1) Driftwood
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and prophecy.
Kim never had to wonder what to major in at college. Her talent for divination made her future clear in more ways than one. But there are limits to what even a gifted seer can predict, and no card reading or prophetic dream can prepare Kim for what's to come during her junior year at Welton.
Something has taken an interest in her friend Julian—an unseen force neither of them
...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
...4) Witch
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...
5) Warrior
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...
6) In Ashes Lie
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
...For centuries a faerie court has hidden itself beneath London: a place of shadows and intrigue, where the city's immortal inhabitants can watch and manipulate the mortals above. Through two royal dynasties, through rebellions and plots, through war and plague and fire, the Onyx Court endures. Now the court's first two centuries are collected in a single book. This omnibus contains the novels Midnight Never Come and In Ashes Lie, as
...The boundless complexity of worldbuilding can create a daunting challenge for writers of science fiction and fantasy. In the third volume of the New Worlds series, award-winning fantasy author and former anthropologist Marie Brennan provides not only the building blocks for creating a setting, but advice on exposition and other aspects of craft. Whether you need guidance on security or sanitation, demographics or demons or drugs, you're sure to
...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.
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.
Forget perfect princesses, handsome princes, and "happily ever after." In this collection of thirteen flash-length fairy tale retellings, award-winning author Marie Brennan introduces you to a world of manipulative mirrors, treacherous pigs, and candy houses that will eat you right up. Each one is a subversive little gem, guaranteed to shock the Brothers Grimm.
Table of Contents
Science fiction and fantasy are renowned for immersing their readers in rich, inventive settings. In this follow-up to the collection New Worlds, Year One, award-winning fantasy author Marie Brennan guides you through new aspects of worldbuilding and how they can generate stories. From beauty to books, from tattoos to taboos, these essays delve into the complexity of different cultures, both real and imaginary, and provide invaluable advice
...13) The Nine Lands
A young woman with an unreliable prophetic gift. A street musician searching for the magic she lost. A king whose voice is too dangerous for ordinary people to hear. This collection of short stories explores the Nine Lands, a realm created by award-winning author Marie Brennan. From the spirit-haunted jungle of the Nahele Peninsula to the cold archipelago of Kagesedo, from the occupied lands of Sahasrara to the decadent courts of Quilibria, the
...Some people play roleplaying-games for the challenge; others play them for the story. Award-winning fantasy author and freelance game writer Marie Brennan is unabashedly in the latter camp. In these essays she looks at tabletop and live-action RPGs from a narrative perspective, exploring the ways the framework of a game can generate and support (or undermine) your tale. Whether you are a player or a game master, Dice Tales offers insights
...Have you ever:
Even if your answer is "no," you can still write a good fight scene. In this guide, fantasy novelist Marie Brennan will show you how. Drawing on her experience with fencing, stage combat choreography, Okinawan martial arts, and above all writing, she lays out the components that turn the strikes into a compelling story.
From purpose to tactics
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...
17) Ars Historica
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.
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.
Manifestation was only the beginning. The Otherworld has returned—bringing with it the sidhe, the source of humanity's psychic powers. Some mortals welcome these creatures of legend, some fear them...and no one is ready for the change their presence will bring. Last autumn Kim and Julian stood at the center of that storm. Now they face a challenge closer to home: a battle over the laws governing wilders, the closest genetic relatives of the
...Worldbuilding is one of the great pleasures of writing science fiction and fantasy—and also one of its greatest challenges. Award-winning fantasy author Marie Brennan draws on her academic training in anthropology to peel back the layers of a setting, going past the surface details to explore questions many authors never think to answer. She invites you to consider the endless variety of real-world cultures—from climate to counterfeiting,
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