#fantasy

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Píp the cat sat on a large stone on the banks of the river and was looking into the stream with awe. In the clear water, shimmering fish swam against the stream, shooting here and there, as if dancing with each other.

"They're so big." Píp whispered. She circled the perimeter of the stone, occasionally pawing at the water, only to repulse and shiver. "How can I be this smart and still hate getting wet?" she cursed under her breath.

Old habits. Ból the tree spirit had manifested in a tree nearby, their face formed from the gnarly bark.

"Psst" Píp hissed. "Go back in my head, you're scaring the fish."

You don't need to get wet to catch one. Ból's face vanished and appeared in a different, much younger, tree right next to the stone.

"Go on." Píp's attention shifted from the fish to …

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'back'

Dan and Fin must conquer potentially lethal challenges before they can go home, and they've only booked this cottage for a week. The Green Man's Holiday is a February Kindle 99p offer, pricing-matched on Kobo and elsewhere.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook

Amazon link https://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Mans-Holiday-Juliet-McKenna-ebook/dp/B0FNLVDS3V/

Kobo link https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-green-man-s-holiday

More purchase options from @wtpress.bsky.social
https://wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/books-by-juliet-e-mckenna/the-green-mans-holiday/

Cover art by Ben Baldwin shows a creature crouching in a low tunnel entrance lined with grey stones and partly hidden by green undergrowth and white flowers. The creature has pale skin covered in sparse black hair and it looks a bit like an ape, a bit like a bear, and completely unlike either of those. Book extract reads: I listened to the soft rustle of paper and Fin making faint noises of surprise and approval as she found something interesting. Then I heard something else. I opened my eyes. Fin was staring at me, concerned. ‘Was that a cat?’ ‘I don’t know.’ I sat up and put my mug on the table. ‘A bird, maybe?’ We sat and listened. We heard the noise again. ‘That’s not a cat.’ Fin dropped the leaflet she was reading into the wicker basket and stood up. ‘Whatever it is, do you think it’s hurt?’ ‘It’s out the back.’ I got to my feet. Something about the noise had sent a shiver down my spine. ‘Where are the keys?’ ‘On the mantelpiece.’ Fin was already heading for the kitchen. I grabbed them and followed her. ‘Wait for me.’ Fin stepped to one side in the little lobby so I could unlock the back door. I opened up cautiously. I was ready to slam the door shut, using my whole body weight to hold it closed until I could lock it, if something unfriendly was out there. There was no danger of that. I opened the door wider as Fin and I looked down with disbelief.

04

Each story has twists, along with an antagonist who stands in opposition.

I also like to have what I’ll call a chaos agent, a person or thing that throws the story out of kilter, but is more considerable than a twist.

In Book 1, that’d be the practitioners pursuing Riparia for an unknown reason. In Book 5, it’s trapped Witch Myssale, so you wouldn’t want to enter her valley…

Be everwell.

BLACK AND WHITE CARRDIA MAP The portrait map is a black and white image with geographic details faint in the background. It depicts the nation of Carrdia, but with a bit of Forstava in the upper left corner. Critical to understanding the image are all the rivers that flow south, many into Lake Radiance near the center. Out of it, like a tree trunk, is the Key River that flows over the Aramon Plains. The other major rivers, from left to right are the Thail Water, Chill River, River Tars, Wizard’s Well River, Rift River, and Repose River. Carrdia, which is roughly human heart shaped, is largely surrounded by significant landforms. Clockwise from top is the Colossus Range, the Lost Hills in the northeast, the Barrier Range in the east, and the Knarr Range in the south. Within Carrdia, significant regions exist. In the north are the Granite Highlands, Wilder Hills, Interior Forest, and the vast Baris Plains. To the west of Lake Radiance are the Triad Hills, with the Null Forest below it. Important locations? In the northwest are the cities of Coving, Brassit, and Baris. In the east are Temron, Carba, and Vernathia. On the northern tip of the largest island on Lake Radiance is Transgamete, the capital, Knoss Citadel on its southern tip. Additionally, Oaken Castle is in the Triad Hills. The ancient city of Meldenphire is set where the Thail Water and Key River join.

Píp the cat sat amidst the tall trees in the forest up the hill from the city and waited.

Come here. Ból, the tree spirit said. Usually their voice simply existed in Píp's head, but this time it had direction and an origin. Transfixed by the face flowing into existence on the bark of the tree, Píp's pupils grew until they had nearly taken over her eyes, and she began to purr.

"You look older than I thought." she said with a cocked head.

I am older than you think. The spirit smiled. You will have to climb to the very top now.

"Piece of crabcake." Píp dashed up the tree, digging her claws into the bark where necessary, and skillfully using the branches to fly through the crown. The leaves grew ever denser the higher she reached, blocking her view of the world, and with …

Chapter 8 of Princess of Kurg is available to read on : https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/108234/jigsaw-city

Minerva enacts her terrible plan, offering up first her husband, then her daughter and finally, her son. She's overcome by grief and disgust with herself, vowing that when next they face the Void, she'll offer up herself...

@bookstodon

Ulysses reviews "Resurrecting My Magic" by Timoteo Tong

"The loudest message in this literary two-part series is that homophobia sucks and that teenage bullying is something that should be prevented and stopped by adults who are, after all, the guardians of our children. Oh, and saving the universe from the forces of evil, too. So much fun. 5 stars."

https://www.queerscifi.com/review-resurrecting-my-magic-timoteo-tong-2/

@MMbookstodon @lgbtqbookstodon @diversebooks @bookstodon

It's all go at the moment. My standalone Arthurian novel, The Cleaving, is a frankly incredible price this week from Amazon. This explores the familiar story from the perspective of the women involved. You have until Friday to grab it!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B96NL726/

Cover art for The Cleaving. Artist Chris Panatier. Four women surround a sword, looking outwards. Ygraine is a resolute queen, determined to defend her people. Nimue is a wise woman, aware of power's temptations for sorcerers and kings alike. Morgana is a sorceress shaped by her experiences, who knows her worth even if men do not. Guinevere is a beauty, dutifully obedient to her father and husband. Why should she ever question that? They are surrounded by birds, animals and flowers. A castle looms in the background. The text reads: THE WOMEN OF CAMELOT HAVE THEIR OWN STORIES TO TELL Ygraine, Morgana, Nimue and Guinevere have been blamed for the troubles which befell Arthur and Merlin by the chroniclers of Camelot. In truth, they were women with their own powers and destinies whose stories became entwined with the legend of the once and future King. They were not content to be pawns in men’s games of rivalry and ambition. Supporting each other, they sought a different future for Albion. HEAR THEIR LEGEND The Cleaving is a vivid reimagining of the Arthurian legends: a novel that shines a clear light on the stories we tell ourselves about power, chivalry and magic. Amazon ebook special offer 2nd - 8th February 2026

Solifan the wizard yawned in the darkness and uttered an unwilling grumble.

"Mrp." said the weight on his chest.

"No. Psh." Solifan gently pushed the weight off the bed, and tried to fall asleep gain, which worked for about thirty seconds, then the weight returned and started purring.

"I liked it better when you went out at night." Solifan sighed. A subtle glow filled his eyes and the candle on the nightstand began to burn. Píp the cat was sitting on his chest, intently staring at his face. Now that she had his attention, she repeatedly bumped her head onto his nose.

"Fiiiine, I am getting up." Solifan pushed her off his face and sat up. Píp was already sitting by the door, waiting patiently, and purring.

Solifan shuffled to the door in a drowsy stupor and opened it just wide enough for the cat …

Did you know… The Way of the Wielder will be a COMPLETE series next month!

That’s right! The final installment releases March 24.

This romantic fantasy has a little something for everyone:

💧 Elemental magic
❤️ A best friends to lovers romance
🗡️ Espionage, action, and adventure
🌫️ Dark forces at play
🫂 Trauma and healing
And so much more!

Binge the first three now (starting here: https://a.co/d/8MGIBkf) and be ready for After the Awakening in eight weeks!

A visual of the four books in The Way of the Wielder series, by Sarah J. Hoodlet. From left to right: Book 1: The Way of the Wielder. The cover features a young woman staring at a glowing orb in her hand. A misty cityscape is behind her. Beneath her, the vignette shows a fox running through a mountainous landscape. Book 2: Mysteries of the Material. The cover features a young man holding a fox mask in one hand, and a dagger in the other. A volcanic bayside city is behind him. Beneath him, the vignette features a woman stands in front of a building with an orange glow. Book 3: Convergence of Connection. The cover features a young woman (the same woman from book 1) facing the reader. Her arms are before her, manipulating four spheres (green, gray, red, and blue). Behind her is a gold and green vegetative background. Beneath her, the vignette features an angelic figure in an orange/golden starry sky. Book 4: After the Awakening. The cover is not yet revealed, but is shown with a black box and the words "Cover coming soon!".

02

In a major change to Kovenlore Book 5, I scrapped the last chapter. Why?

It…
• added a second, unnecessary chapter to the denouement
• linked to a scene in Book 4 that was cut
• was contrived, silly, and tried too hard
• didn’t foreshadow the novella that follows

I saved about 300 words, added them to the preceding chapter, and wrote 300 words of new material. I love the result.

Be everwell.

On a shadowed shelf where a gargoyle on the right guards them, the first three books in the Kovenlore Chronicles series are displayed. Each book’s cover is the negative image of a golden, hand drawn map showing mountains, plains, and rivers, but sometimes a black void. The titles are always displayed across two lines up high, the color varying. Between the two lines of the title is always a set of turquoise eyes. A subtitle, always in turquoise, is below that and shares which number book it is in The Kovenlore Chronicles. At the bottom is the author’s name, Christina Anne Hawthorne, and always in a dark yellow. All text is outlined in black, the titles possessing a shadow. Book 1, Trust in the Forgotten, is on the left, it’s title in turquoise. Book 2, A River in Each Hand, is at center, its title in red. Book 3, Exhuming Truths, is on the right, its title in dark blue.