Diana Pinguicha

An anthology showcasing the very best steampunk stories from three different countries released by three different publishers in three different languages. From the UK, George Mann (a new Newbury & Hobbes tale), Jonathan Green (a new Pax Brittania tale), and Derry O'Dowd; from Finland, Magdalena Hai (winner of the Atorox Award and the Finnish Literary Export Prize), multiple award-winning Anne Leinonen, and J. S. Meresmaa (whose work has been shortlisted for the Anni Polva, Kuvastaja, and Atorox Awards); and from Portugal, Anton Stark, Diana Pinguicha, and Pedro Cipriano (winner of F rum Fant stico's Choice of the Year Award). Contents: Introduction by Ian Whates Steampunk UK Seasons of Wither - George Mann Reckless Engineering - Jonathan Green The Athenian Dinner Party - Derry O'Dowd Steampunk Finland Foreword by J. S. Meresmaa The Winged Man Isaac - Magdalena Hai The Cylinder Hat - Anne Leinonen Augustine - J. S. Meresmaa Steampunk Portugal Foreword by Pedro Cipriano Videri Quam Esse - Anton Stark The Desert Spider - Pedro Cipriano Heart of Stone - Diana Pinguicha

Based on Portuguese legend, this #OwnVoices historical fantasy is an epic tale of mystery, magic, and making the impossible choice between love and duty ... With just one touch, bread turns into roses. With just one bite, cheese turns into lilies. There's a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic--her curse--has turned her meal into a bouquet. She's on the verge of starving, which only reminds her that the people of Portugal have been enduring the same pain for years. If only it were possible to reverse her magic. Then she could turn flowers into food. Fatyan, a beautiful Enchanted Moura, is the only one who can help. But she is trapped by magical binds. She can teach Yzabel how to control her curse--if Yzabel sets her free with a kiss. As the King of Portugal's betrothed, Yzabel would be committing treason, but what good is a king if his country has starved to death? With just one kiss, Fatyan is set free. And with just one kiss, Yzabel is yearning for more. She'd sought out Fatyan to help her save the people. Now, loving her could mean Yzabel's destruction. A Curse of Roses includes themes, imagery, and content that might be triggering for some listeners. Discussions of religious-based self harm, religious-based eating disorders, and religious-based internalized homophobia appear throughout the novel.

17-year-old Yzabel of Aragon is engaged to the young King of Portugal, and under her touch, food turns into flowers. With the populace starving, and barely surviving herself, Yzabel doesn’t only need to end her curse - she must reverse it somehow. Turn flowers into food. Desperate, she sets to find Fatyan, an immortal rumored to live nearby, but she is imprisoned by an old enchantment. So they must strike a bargain: Fatyan will teach Yzabel how to master her magic, and Yzabel making a deal with Fatyan will release the magical bonds holding her captive. As she learns to control her power under Fatyan’s guidance, they grow closer in a way Yzabel has never felt for her betrothed. But she must keep this part of their relationship secret, or else lose her claim to the throne. If Yzabel is forced to leave Portugal, shamed for loving another woman, the people she was determined to save will surely die.