Dwarves And Rooks

Celtic Otherworld XI Marion gets a contract from the Aés Sidhe to investigate the murder of a Dwarf Chief on the Reservation. Yet though her adoptive mother, Alice, is the Minister responsible, Alice has gone on a horse riding holiday on the Peacestead at Asgard. Obviously the Empress Megra has been told, but generally it must be secret. Alice wasn’t expecting Marion to bring her staff. Marion has been practising shape-changing with her new cloak. This is the fourth of six “Marion and the Rooks” books. The cover is based on “The Valkyrie and the Raven” by Fredrick Sandys. This is the corrected Spring 2024 edition. Approximately 50,000 words.

Jorath is hardly adult but hopes to find the Talismans of the High Lords. They must do something to fight the people that want to eradicate their tribe. Set in a mediaeval style fantasy word with no ship’s clocks or black powder, this story is based on a novelization completed in 1992. The sequel was nearly completed in 1996 and now is called ‘The White Fire Stones’. Both stories can be read on their own. The cover is based on ‘Pauvre Fauvette’ (1881) by Jules Bastien-Lepage. About 55,300 words.

Talent Universe Series 6 Maisie finally has to do the Legal training suggested some years earlier. Why is there a sudden urgency? Is it because someone shot at a delegation from Morglun? The start of this story is set almost three years after “The Master’s Talent”. With a nod to Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and also Ursula Le Guin. The photo montage is “Capitol by Night”. Spring 2024 revision. About 53,700 words.

Celtic Otherworld I Four teenagers are trying to end the ruinous war. They are a human, a runaway Elf Princess, a Dryad Mage and a Dwarf Wizard. Or at least that’s what Caoimhghín (Kevin), the student Magus thinks they are. Most of the action is on a legendary Celtic Otherworld, in Magh Meall where all the Tuath Dé live. Out of food and close to despair in the mountains they are told to wait for another companion by Corbie, the rook Familiar of Dean David, from the Magi College. The cover is edited from a detail of “Miranda, The Tempest” by John William Waterhouse. Under the Stone of Destiny was originally written during July & August 2015 with parts in 1996. This is the corrected Spring 2024 edition. About 78,200 words.

Talents Universe 2 Maisie is no longer an Apprentice, but a Journeyman studying to be a Master, three times over, at the Circle College for Talent, 80,000 light years from Earth, on Caemoria. But on a visit to Laramos city to sign a contract for her full spectrum colour system she narrowly escapes being murdered. Why does she want to own a Flitter? Why was the Mogul of House Funathim assassinated? Revised may 2024 What will she spend her rapidly growing quantity of credits on? How has Earth managed to build a fusion powered starship without Talent? Maisie thinks it’s a bad sign that Earth has named them the ‘Valkyrie Class’ and that Russia, China, Europe and USA have all switched their military budgets to co-operate and build Valkyries, all managed by the Solar Alliance. The Wildgrave Plonnis seeks to understand by questioning Maisie while helping her to spend her new found wealth. She’s still the only Tellurian to ever leave the Solar System till the first Valkyrie ‘jumps’ just beyond the Kuiper belt. The cover is a photo-montage by Michael Watterson. About 132,000 words