Marie Brennan

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.

ABOVEThe 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. BELOWA 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. BETWEENThe 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 . . .

ABOVEIt is the seventeenth century. For twenty years, the City of London has been torn apart: by war, by plague, by fire. BELOWThe 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. BETWEENNow, 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 . . .

Return to the epic fantasy realm of Rokugan’s samurai and magic in the collected Legend of the Five Rings novellas, featuring an all-new story of the Lion ClanDeathseeker by Robert Denton III – a shamed Lion Clan warrior finds a chance for redemption when she discovers a foundling with magical ancestry, whose secrets could change everything. The Eternal Knot by Marie Brennan – a young monk with a mysterious tattoo must learn to embrace her destiny and become a superhuman hero of the Dragon Clan. Trail of Shadows by D G Laderoute – the quest for a lost relic leads a team of bold Crab Clan samurai into a dangerous expedition through the monster-haunted depths of Shinomen forest. Plus, the Legend of Five Rings Halloween tales – a collection of spooky Rokugan stories – never before collected in print.

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.

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.

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.

A thrilling epic fantasy adventure in the astonishing realm of Legend of the Five Rings, as two rival clans join forces to investigate a lethal supernatural mysteryChaos has broken out in the isolated Dragon Clan settlement of Seibo Mura. During the full moon, horrifying creatures rampage through the village, unleashing havoc and death. When the Dragon samurai Agasha no Isao Ryotora is sent to investigate, he faces even greater danger than expected. To save the village, he must confront his buried past – not to mention an unexpected Phoenix Clan visitor, Asako Sekken, who has his own secrets to hide. The quest to save Sebo Mura will take the two samurai into the depths of forgotten history and the shifting terrain of the Spirit Realms… and bring them face to face with an ancient, terrifying evil.

Create a world of wonder and imagination . . . 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 find inspiration here. This volume collects essays from the third year of the New Worlds Patreon.

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 Victorianesque 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, Audrey must find proof of the conspiracy before it's too late.

STARRED REVIEW] "Exploring found family, adaptation, and hope in the face of apocalypse, Brennan imbues this high-concept fantasy with a strong emotional core. Fantasy fans will be thrilled."--Publishers Weekly A Best Sci Fi Book of 2020] In this first novel set in award-winning author Marie Brennan's incomparable Driftwood fantasy universe, enter a post-apocalyptic realm where the apocalypse has not ended, where fragments of worlds cohere into shifting myths. Yet even as everything fades, Drifters gather to tell conflicting legends of Last, the guide--the one man who seemed immortal, but may have been a fraud. Who is Last? Fame is rare in Driftwood--it's hard to get famous if you don't stick around long enough for people to know you. But many know the guide, Last, a one-blooded survivor who has seen his world end many lifetimes ago. For Driftwood is a strange place of slow apocalypses, where continents eventually crumble into mere neighborhoods, pulled inexorably towards the center in the Crush. Cultures clash, countries fall, and everything eventually disintegrates. Within the Shreds, a rumor goes around that Last has died. Drifters come together to commemorate him. But who really was Last? Lying liar, or heroic savior? A mercenary, a charlatan, a legend? A man, an immortal--perhaps even a god? About DriftwoodDriftwood is the invention of bestselling author Marie Brennan. Mirroring the world that many people are currently living in, the Driftwood stories chronicle the struggles of survivors and outcasts to keep their worlds alive until everything changes, diminishes, and is destroyed. Driftwood is the first full-length novel in this world.

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 Quil bria, the Nine Lands offer you visions of fantasy, peril, and wonder.

A brand-new adventure set in the hugely popular A Natural History of Dragons universe - a delightful Victorian-esque fantasy. 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 Gleinleigh 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, she must find proof of the conspiracy before it's too late.

Explore a world of your own . . . 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 on crafting a world of your very own. This volume collects essays from the second year of the New Worlds Patreon.

What do stories about ephemeral Martian settlers, fascinating dimensional rifts, Spanish-speaking hummingbirds, Loki's children, WWII twins, hitchhiking swamp cats, a steam-punk octopus, Arkham card-games, using bad luck for fun and profit, demon home security systems, alternative criminal justice, workplace time travel, marketing to body-snatchers, alien attraction, and way too many barns all have in common? Simple: in one way or another they are all Bubble Off Plumb. This genre-busting collection is meant for readers who prefer an odd story with their tea and biscuits. So sit back and let these tales delight, confuse, and surprise you Featuring original stories by Marie Brennan, David Tallerman, E. E. King, Art Weil, Sarah M. Lewis, Pepper Hume, Karen Ov r, Liz Schriftsteller, Mariah Southworth, Mickey Kulp, Robert Millet, Valerie Manwill, Beth Winokur, Simone LW Mounsamy, Buzz Dixon, James Campbell, Frank Kozusko, Ellen Denton, Jill Hand, Veronica Brush, and Jim Jeffreys. Joining this stellar group are in-house authors KG Finfrock, Sarah Kalin, and Dan M. Kalin.