The Dreaming Land Ii

Some change the world. Some break it. If you loved the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree, try this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! Valya has won permission to hunt down the slave traders defiling her land and stealing its children. Now begins the most difficult part of her mission: she and her companions must find the perpetrators of this crime, and rescue their victims. But as Valya will discover, the roots of the evil go deep. And saving Zemnian children from death or a life of degrading servitude is not Valya’s only concern. She still must win the heart and hand of the son of her worst enemy, and unite the steppe with the rest of the country at a time when the succession and the very life of the Tsarina hangs in the balance. And then there is the question of her daughter’s magical gifts—and, it may be, her own. Like her foremothers, Valya is about to discover that gifts of power are as much a curse as a blessing, and can be a danger not just to the wielder, but to everyone around her. Valya wants to save her homeland, but if she’s not careful, she might end up tearing it apart. With discussion questions at the end. Reading order of the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

Many are called. Few answer. Slava thought that the hard part of her journey was over when she escaped giant wolves, angry bandits, and scheming sorcerers to make it to the Lesnograd kremlin. But the apparent safety of this outpost of civilization may be just an illusion. A curse has been let loose, one aimed straight at Slava’s family. Slava has always been a most unlikely hero. Now she must summon up all her courage in order to stop the curse—or perhaps she must, at the gods’ behest, be its bearer. The conclusion to the award-winning The Midnight Land I: The Flight, The Midnight Land II: The Gift continues the epic fantasy tale of one woman’s journey of self-discovery and empowerment against the backdrop of a matriarchal Slavic world. High fantasy that is deeply rooted in Slavic history, literature, and fairy tales, this subversive story with a satirical edge will appeal to fans of Slavic-themed fantasy such as Deathless, Egg and Spoon, and The Bear and the Nightingale, as well as readers of classical East European literature. Reading order for the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

Valya is a hero. Her people need a healer. If you loved the Kushiel series or The Priory of the Orange Tree, you’ll want to try this sweeping epic starring a bisexual warrior princess with a taste for dominance! Valya has chased the slave traders stealing her people’s children all the way to the very edge of Zem’. She is preparing to descend into the foreign plains beyond the mountains in order to rescue as many enslaved children as she can—until a sudden vision changes everything. Instead of heading East, she finds herself racing West, back to Krasnograd, where the Empress is in mortal danger. But in order to save the Empress, Valya must keep from destroying herself. With her native recklessness and her newfound magic only very partially under her control, though, she may have finally come across a mission beyond even her considerable strength. Unless she can channel her warrior ways into the healing power of a leader, she may lose everything she loves. The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice is the final book in The Dreaming Land mini-series, and the conclusion to the award-winning Zemnian Series, set in the unique matrilineal world of Zem’. With discussion questions at the end. Reading order of the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

All are born weak. Some become strong. “A bold beginning to a series that explores gender, empathy, and the frozen north”--Kirkus “A riveting saga”—Midwest Book Review Honorable Mention, Epic Fantasy, 2016 Readers' Favorite Awards Honorable Mention, Fantasy, 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards After a life of unhappy luxury, Krasnoslava Tsarinovna (Slava to her friends, if she had any) is desperate to escape her position as the younger sister of the Empress of all of Zem’. When an explorer requests Imperial support for her mission to map the Midnight Land, the territory above the sunline, Slava asks that she be allowed to come along—and to her surprise, her wish is granted. As she travels North with her new companions, she encounters people from all walks of life, and also discovers that there is more out there than just the world of women. The spirits of the forest, and even the gods themselves, take an interest in her and her magical gifts, which manifest themselves as she journeys. Hoping to gain answers to her questions about her growing abilities, she goes in search of sorceresses, but instead of magical assistance, she stumbles into a plot, one she may not be able to avert—or want to. Combining high fantasy with enough snark to power a medium-sized country, The Midnight Land is a satirical, subversive story of female empowerment set in a magical, matriarchal Slavic world. Reading order for the Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

Intent on saving one of their own, a band of heroes travels to Eberron’s most isolated continent—facing drow elves and powerful magics along the way Xen'drik, the dark continent. A land of once-proud empires that now lie in ruin. A land shrouded in mystery where monsters and dark powers stalk the jungles, where only the bravest and most foolhardy will venture. Now, a band of former soldiers must brave the depths of Xen'drik to save Daine—their fearless leader, close companion, and the hero of the City of Towers. After joining forces with a mysterious woman, the friends venture to the dark continent, where they hope to find the ancient artifact that is the last hope to save Daine’s life.

“A passionate coming-of-age story.”—Kirkus Reviews Distinguished Favorite, Audiobook-Fiction, Independent Press Awards 2023 Finalist, Indies Today Book Awards Finalist, Fantasy, Book Excellence Awards All magical gifts are wild. The seer’s gift is the wildest of all. Dasha, Tsarinovna of all of Zem’, was expected to have great magical gifts. Why else would the gods have arranged her conception? But instead of anything useful, Dasha’s gifts first manifested themselves as visions of terror and destruction. Then, just when it seemed she might be gaining some control over them, they abandoned her entirely. That’s unfortunate, because Dasha could really use some guidance right now. She’s volunteered to be her people’s envoy to the Rutsi, their warlike neighbors to the West. Dasha wants to make peace with the Rutsi, but the only way they want to make peace with her is by conquest—or marriage. Dasha leaves behind her home and everything she knows on a dangerous journey to treat with the Rutsi. As she travels through a new land, she discovers new powers, new dangers, and the oldest magic of all—love. Dasha’s gift is wild, but she’s about to find out that the heart is wilder still. Her exploration of forbidden passion and forbidden magic might be the key that unlocks all her untapped promise as the strongest sorceress of her generation—or it could be the weapon that destroys her and everything she cares about. A high fantasy saga that combines spiritual exploration with a touch of spicy romance, The Singing Shore I: Sea and Song is the first installment in the trilogy sequel to the award-winning miniseries The Breathing Sea. If you loved the Winternight trilogy, The Wolf and the Woodsman, and the Kushiel series, or you just want to immerse yourself in some subversive, snarky epic fantasy set in a matriarchal, Slavic-inspired world, come visit the land of Zem’! Reading order for The Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Singing Shore I: Sea and Song The Singing Shore II: Sky and Stone (forthcoming) The Singing Shore III: Spirit and Flame (forthcoming) The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice

Blood binds spirit and flesh. Love binds souls—or burns them to ash. Dasha’s mission of peace has taken a decidedly warlike turn. On the run from the Rutsi, she ends up in the village of Taikakylä, where magic flows strongly between sea, sky, and stone. But with the Rutsi determined to capture Taikakylä and Dasha herself, there’s no refuge to be found there. Instead, Dasha and her new allies find themselves taking desperate flight in an enspelled ship. It seems they have no weapon but speed—until Dasha’s spirit-bond with her dead lover gives her the promise of hitherto unimagined abilities. Spirit bonds are dangerous things, though. As Dasha’s magical powers grow, so does the danger that she will lose herself. Can Dasha learn to embrace her true gifts of magic, and even if she does, will it be enough? All gifts have their price, and Dasha’s may be higher than she is willing to pay. But with the fate of three peoples on her shoulders, she may not have a choice. The final installment in The Singing Shore trilogy, Spirit and Flame combines adventure, transcendent spiritual exploration, and spicy romance. An uplifting fusion of ecofiction and epic fantasy set in a magical Northern European landscape, The Singing Shore is perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale, The Wolf and the Woodsman, The Priory of the Orange Tree, or anyone who loves subversive, female-centered fantasy. Reading order for The Zemnian Series: The Zemnian Series: Slava’s Story The Midnight Land I: The Flight The Midnight Land II: The Gift The Zemnian Series: Dasha’s Story The Breathing Sea I: Burning The Breathing Sea II: Drowning The Singing Shore I: Sea and Song The Singing Shore II: Sky and Stone The Singing Shore III: Spirit and Flame The Zemnian Series: Valya’s Story The Dreaming Land I: The Challenge The Dreaming Land II: The Journey The Dreaming Land III: The Sacrifice