High fantasy, horror and mythology intertwine in Cinne of Dragonia. The action-packed concluding volume in The Queens of Dragonia trilogy follows the life of the title character, Cinne, in a world where the number of dragons is much-reduced and magic is waning.On the map, Cinne takes the reader from the already-familiar places of the two earlier books. The story moves away from England, Wales and Brittany and on into Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland. As in the earlier books, the vast majority of locations reflect real places that can yet be seen. The novel is an interwoven tale filled with both original characters and several historical competing pagan gods, dragons, mermaids, humans, a myriad of monsters, werewolves, vampires, dwarfs, evil spirits, faeries and valkyries, with numerous shape-shifters among them. Cinne, as a character, is part human, part dragon, part mermaid and part dwarf, the inheritor of several royal lineages. Although just a child, there are the greatest of expectations, the highest of hopes, placed upon her.There are heroes and evil creatures, but there are are also several characters that neither purely good nor purely evil, but something in-between, many drawn from ancient myths, religions and legends.What would Dragonia be without dragons? Several existing dragons and myths surrounding them are woven into the novel. (Najciemniesky, Niddhogg, Balaur, Vishap, the Zduhaci, Azdaja, and the myths of Zmey Tugarin, as well as the dragon of Wawel Hill.)Part of the mermaid stories come for existing mythology, including the character Jurate, who is, in the Baltic, considered the queen of the mermaids, and the unnamed mermaid who is considered to be the defender of Warsaw, Poland, an inland city.The mythical elements draw from several sources. There are some Viking-era elements, particularly some lesser-know myths, with gods and giants presented more true to their original forms than is usually done in modern fantasy. (Thor, Odin, Tyr, dwarfs, the once-and-always warriors, several giants and valkyries.) There are also several Slavic gods and a reconstructed myth from the Baltic. (Perun, Praamhius, Svetovid, the Mother of War, the Grave Mother, the Mother of Wraiths, and others.) Parts of two rather famous Russian tales are central to the story. (Kosciej the Deathless and The Maid of the Copper Mountain) A few Celtic characters from earlier in the story reappear (Arianrhod and Belatucadors among them,) along with individuals not previously involved in the story. WARNING! Cinne of Dragonia recaptures some ancient tales that are sometimes quite brutal, with certain characters that are not intended to be likable. Certain parts of the story are about very violent creatures involved in horrible events, and fantasy war. Portions of this novel contain graphic violence. As a whole, Cinne of Dragonia is a story of impossible hope, love, growth and daring, set in a world of the undead and blood-thirsty gods gone amok, while the end of magic grows nigh.There is much more information on each individual book, including Cinne, and the series as a whole on the website https://thequeensofdragonia.com/.
The bird will rise…
The flames will burn.
Prince Ivan and Mar’ya Morevna live a life of ease. Their household is in perfect order, and Ivan is learning more each day studying the Art Magic.
But all of that is about to change.
In Germany, a Holy Christian order of Teutonic knights sets their sights on the Rus. While overtly condemning them for their use of sorcery, citing witchcraft and blasphemy, Hermann von Salza, Grandmaster of the Order, secretly covets the power these magics can give him. He calls for the aid of Baba Yaga, who’s simmering hatred and desire for revenge against Prince Ivan make her a sensible, if revolting, ally.
Baba Yaga bends to her service a Firebird, cruelly misusing the noble creature, while Ivan gains a companion in the shape of a Grey Wolf.
Across the Rus, gruesome deeds and warnings are being carried out and no one can figure out how the deeds are done – or who is committing them…
Can Ivan and Mar’ya figure out who is targeting them?
Will they survive the plotting, and in doing so, be able to save the Rus?
Firebird is the gripping second novel in Peter Morwood’s Tales of Old Russia fantasy series featuring the inimitable hero Prince Ivan. Join with Ivan as he travels across Old Mother Russia, encountering incredible new people, fantastical creatures, and ancient magics as he matures into a future Tsar.
Praise for Peter Morwood:
“The descriptive writing is gripping, the characters strongly drawn […] An intensive read.” Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Annual
Peter Morwood is primarily a fantasy novelist and screenwriter, though he has also written works of science fiction. His best-known works include the Horse Lords series (in two sequences) and the Tales of Old Russia series.
Venture Press is a science fiction and fantasy imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. We are committed to the discovery and rediscovery of immensely talented authors in the SFF genre, and continue to push boundaries in search of great literature. Join us as we venture across universes and unknown landscapes – past, present and future.
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STUCK ON THE WHEEL is S.E. McKenzie’s 29th epic poem.
There is no sun. There is no moon. There is only gray—the smog belched from coal-fueled factories. The Workers silently shuffle to their assigned posts. The Outcasts watch from the alley walls. On every corner, a Watcher stands stone-faced, a rifle in hand. This is the only life that exists. Beyond the mountains is a dream. But dreams are foolish in a place like this. Hannah has spent nineteen years dodging Watchers and doing as she is told.Do not look Watchers in the eye. Don’t give them a reason to notice you.But when she wakes to the valley exploding in revolution, Hannah is forced onto a dangerous path, where nothing is what she believed. Suddenly freedom is in her grasp, and the way there requires working with the men she once feared.
Grey Gomez is an eleven-year-old boy who is having a bizarre week. First he dies, then wakes up in the afterlife with a tomboy, a baseball player, a beauty queen and a science geek. They learn that Purgatory is broken and are soon thrust into a frantic search through the Underworld to find out why.
With the help of an Oracle and the Grim Reaper himself, Grey and his new friends develop extraordinary abilities that aid them on their quest to discover the truth.
Have you ever been awaken from a dream that seemed so real? Has it been so realistic, that you have trouble sleeping again? What if it were a year long dream and you were afraid to tell anyone. In this dream, hairless mutants have take over the world and slowly feed on the human population. The reader gets to follow the journal entries of different characters throughout the book. Read journal entries that could be the last known documents alive if an apocalypse wiped out mankind.
