New Releases by Marie Brennan

The January/February 2026 issue of Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine. Featuring all-new short fiction by A. T. Greenblatt, Christopher Caldwell, J. R. Dawson, Kylie Lee Baker, A. W. Prihandita, Jules Arbeaux, and Claire Humphrey; essays by Dawn Xiana Moon, Betsy Aoki and Marie Brennan, Jana Bianchi, and Riley Silverman; poetry by A. M. Tuomala, Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga, Theodora Goss, and Joemario Umana; interviews with Christopher Caldwell and A. W. Prihandita by Caroline M. Yoachim; Katy Shuttleworth’s Faery Frights as the cover; and an editorial by Michael Damian Thomas.

Two women. One soul.Mirage wasn''t supposed to exist. Born from the ritual that gives the witches of Starfall their power, she should have been destroyed. Instead she survived, and grew up to become one of the most lethal Hunters the land has ever seen.Miryo wasn''t supposed to fail. But when her initiation at Starfall goes awry, she realizes her double is still alive. Now she must hunt down Mirage and put an end to something that should never have begun.But how can a witch kill the perfect warrior, when her own magic is trying to kill her?

Sing a tale in a different key . . . “Tam Lin.” “Tom O’Bedlam.” “The Cruel Sister.” Ballads both well known and obscure lie behind this collection of folklore-based short stories from award-winning author Marie Brennan. Whether set in historical Scotland or a modern nightclub, an academy for mages or a psychiatric hospital, these tales strike chords with the past and the present, resonating long after the final page is turned.

Seek out extraordinary lands . . . Strange guardians overseeing fate-bound duels. A priceless stone on a journey toward a bloody destiny. A thief determined to steal a worthless treasure. In her second collection of worlds-spanning fantasy, Marie Brennan takes you back to the world of her famed heroine Lady Trent, through the land of her Hugo Award-winning poem “A War of Words,” and onward to seven other fantastical realms, filled with pirates, demigods, and murderous creatures of winter’s cold night. TABLE OF CONTENTS * “The Şiret Mask” * “At the Sign of the Crow and Quill” * “Dead Man''s Map” * “On the Impurity of Dragon-kind” * “The City of the Tree” * “Silver Necklace, Golden Ring” * “Chrysalis” * “Never to Behold Again” * “A War of Words” * Story notes

Worlds without end . . . From weathered ancient megaliths to the glory of a solar eclipse, from the tricks of propaganda to the world’s oldest profession, award-winning author Marie Brennan leads writers of science fiction and fantasy through far-flung corners of society and culture in the eighth volume of her NEW WORLDS series of worldbuilding guides. This volume collects essays from the eighth year of the New Worlds Patreon.

“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” The words of composer Gustav Mahler animate this collection of sixteen tales from award-winning author Marie Brennan, inspired by mythological and folkloric traditions around the world. Here you will find flames of revenge, immortality, and grace, as a valkyrie seeks peace, a queen weaves and unweaves her own fate, and a goddess vanishes from mortal memory — but never from the page. TABLE OF CONTENTS * This Is How * Serpent, Wolf, and Half-Dead Thing * The Waking of Angantyr * Silence, Before the Horn * Daughter of Necessity * Your Body, My Prison, My Forge * For the Fairest * The Wives of Paris * The Me of Perfect Sight * The Gospel of Nachash * Salt Feels No Pain * At the Heart of Each Pearl Lies a Grain of Sand * Centuries of Kings * The Old Woman and the Tea * Ghost and Fox * Speak to the Moon * Story notes

Bondsmaid. Berserker. Bane. Hervor is no stranger to hardship. Not only is she a reviled bondsmaid, but she’s haunted by the ghosts of dead men. When a berserker fit turns her into a murderer, she has nothing left to lose: fleeing everything she’s known, Hervor goes to find a new future and a way to silence the past. Her quest will take her from the viking seas to the depths of a witch’s forest, from frozen mountains to a king’s golden hall. But the road ahead is no less bloody than the one behind, and the foul magic Hervor fears most is the only thing that can lay her ghosts to rest. They say when you seek revenge, you should dig two graves, but Hervor might be able to get away with one. Because the voices of the dead are getting stronger . . . and her greatest enemy may be herself.

ABOVE Victorian London is ‘the monster city” -- a place of industry and progress, poverty and disease, with veins of iron threading through its flesh. BELOW The Onyx Court is dying -- its queen missing, its criminals unchecked, and the very fabric of the Onyx Hall itself torn apart by the iron of the Underground Railroad. BETWEEN No one believed Eliza O’Malley that her childhood sweetheart was stolen from the streets of Whitechapel by the faeries. Her search for him will take her to the heart of the crumbling, corrupted faerie court -- and to a final, desperate chance that might save them all. But first she must confront the faerie who betrayed her seven years ago . . .

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.

ABOVE The 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. BELOW A 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. BETWEEN The 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 . . .

Ein spannendes, episches Fantasy-Abenteuer in der Welt des Brettspiels Legend of the Five Rings. Zwei rivalisierende Clans tun sich zusammen, um einem tödlichen, übernatürlichen Geheimnis auf den Grund zu gehen. In der isolierten Siedlung Seibo Mura des Drachenclans ist Chaos ausgebrochen. Während des Vollmonds wüten furchterregende Kreaturen durch das Dorf und sorgen für Zerstörung und Tod. Als der Drachensamurai Agasha no Isao Ryōtora losgeschickt wird, um der Sache auf den Grund zu gehen, sieht er sich noch größeren Gefahren entgegen, als er erwartet hatte. Um das Dorf zu retten, muss er sich seiner eigene schmerzhafte Vergangenheit stellen – ganz zu schweigen von dem unerwarteten Besucher vom Phönixclan, Asako Sekken, der seine eigenen Geheimnisse zu verbergen hat. Die Aufgabe, Seibo Mura zu retten, wird die beiden Samurai in die Tiefen der vergessenen Geschichte und in das sich wandelnde Terrain der Geisterreiche führen ... wo sie sich einem uralten, fürchterlichem Übel entgegenstellen müssen.

Una novela basada en el juego LA LEYENDA DE LOS 5 ANILLOS. Una emocionante aventura de fantasía épica situada en el extraordinario reino de La leyenda de los cinco anillos en la que dos clanes rivales se unen para investigar un terrible misterio paranormal. El caos se ha desatado en Seibo Mura, un aislado asentamiento del Clan del Dragón. Durante la luna llena, unas terribles criaturas arrasan con la aldea y traen con ellas muerte y destrucción. Agasha no Isao Ryōtora, el samurái Dragón al que envían a investigar lo sucedido, tendrá que enfrentarse a un mayor peligro del que había imaginado. Para salvar la aldea, no solo deberá confrontar a su pasado oculto, sino también a Asako Sekken, un inesperado visitante del Clan del Fénix que alberga sus propios secretos. La misión por salvar a Seibo Mura llevará a ambos samuráis a las profundidades de una historia olvidada y a los terrenos desconocidos de los Reinos de los Espíritus... lo que los pondrá cara a cara con unas siniestras y ancestrales fuerzas del mal.

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 mystery Chaos 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.

Audrey Camherst ist die berühmte Enkelin von Isabella Camherst, der Lady Trent aus den unterhaltsamen und spannenden Drachenabenteuermemoiren. Als Lord Gleinleigh Audrey rekrutiert, um eine Reihe uralter Täfelchen zu entziffern, die die Geheimnisse der antiken drakoneischen Zivilisation enthalten, hat sie keine Ahnung, dass ihre Forschung sie in eine komplizierte Verschwörung stürzen wird, die eine Rebellion anzetteln und einen Krieg auslösen soll. Zusammen mit ihrem besten Freund aus Kindertagen, Kudshayn, der ebenfalls Archäologe ist, muss sie einen Beweis für die Verschwörung finden, ehe es zu spät ist.

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? Discover Marie Brennan (The Memoirs of Lady Trent)'s incomparable Driftwood, a realm of fragments cohered into a myth that encompasses realities.

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.

Out of nothingness they summon her: a woman with no name and no memory, and the power to bring them what they need. Across an island that changes beneath her feet -- into a cavern that holds a terrible trap -- to the brink of her soul’s annihilation -- her journey will transform her forever.

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 Quilíbria, the Nine Lands offer you visions of fantasy, peril, and wonder. TABLE OF CONTENTS * “Calling Into Silence” * “Kingspeaker” * “Sing for Me” * “Execution Morning” * “The Legend of Anahata” * “Lost Soul” * “White Shadow” * story notes

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. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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.

"J''espère que mes mots seront à même de vous transmettre ne serait-ce que le quart de la stupéfaction absolue et de l''émerveillement que j''ai ressentis — ainsi qu''un peu de ma terreur. Après tout, sans les deux faces de cette pièce, on ne peut en connaître la réelle valeur." A l''occasion d''une conférence sur la langue des Draconiens, lady Trent fait la connaissance de Thu Phil Lat, un Yélangois venu apporter la preuve qu''il existe peut-être une nouvelle espèce de dragons dans les montagnes du Mrtyahaima. L''expédition s''annonce très dangereuse, non seulement à cause de la géographie des régions concernées Ion pense bien sûr à l''Himalaya), mais aussi parce que Thu est membre d''une faction révolutionnaire dans son pays, contre qui le Scirland mène une sournoise guerre aérienne. Il va sans dire que ni l''un ni l''autre danger ne peuvent arrêter l''intrépide lady Trent, d''autant qu''elle ressent le besoin d''entamer une nouvelle période de sa vie de scientifique, frustrée de ne toujours pas faire partie de l''Académie des philosophes parce qu''elle est une femme. Au cours de cette expédition, qui sera l''occasion d''une découverte fondamentale sur la nature des Draconiens, l''humour et l''obstination de la naturaliste font à nouveau merveille. Et on saura enfin pourquoi lady Trent est devenue un personnage aussi important que la reine de son pays...

Those who serve the Warrior face the harshest of discipline. Trained from a young age to become lethal Hunters, they have no room in their ranks for the weak -- or for those who join them late. Her entire life, Seniade has felt a bond with the Warrior. Becoming a Hunter ought to be a dream come true. But first she has to prove herself worthy to stay . . . and she might just kill herself trying. Dancing the Warrior is a standalone novella set before the events of the novels Warrior and Witch, by the author of the acclaimed Memoirs of Lady Trent series.

For centuries, the witches of Starfall have served the people of the fourteen domains while keeping their own secrets close. No one outside their ranks knows their power comes from a ritual that divides each newborn daughter in two: the witch, infused with magic, and the doppelganger, a soulless shell that is soon destroyed. Not all of the doppelgangers are dead, though, and their battle to survive will plunge Starfall into crisis. So long as her doppelganger lives, a witch cannot control her magic. But there are secrets even the witches do not know, and the doppelgangers hold power of their own . . . This omnibus includes the novels Warrior and Witch, as well as the prequel novella "Dancing the Warrior."

For centuries the Warders' Circle on the neutral islands of Twaa-Fei has given the countries of the sky a way to avoid war, settling their disputes through formal, magical duels. But the Circle's ability to maintain peace is fading: the Mertikan Empire is preparing for conquest and the trade nation of Quloo is sinking, stripped of the aerstone that keeps both ships and island a-sky. When upstart Kris Denn tries to win their island a seat in the Warder’s Circle and colonial subject Oda no Michiko discovers that her conquered nation's past is not what she's been told, they upset the balance of power. The storm they bring will bind all the peoples of the sky together...or tear them apart. Named one of Den of Geek's Best Fiction Books of 2018 Praise for Born to the Blade: “...probably the coolest martial arts magic series in any genre since the original Avatar: The Last Airbender came out.” —Den of Geek contributor Alana Joli Abbott