Most Popular Books by Marie Brennan

Forget perfect princesses, handsome princes, and "happily ever after." In this collection of thirteen flash-length fairy tale retellings, award-winning author Marie Brennan introduces you to a world of manipulative mirrors, treacherous pigs, and candy houses that will eat you right up. Each one is a subversive little gem, guaranteed to shock the Brothers Grimm. TABLE OF CONTENTS * "The Mirror''s Tale" * "The Kindness of Sisters" * "Conversation with a Wolf"* "Gold" * "A Smile, a Laugh" * "Nesu-a" * "The Princess and the . . ." * "One Last Prize" * "The Fall of the Fortress of Brick" * "Many Faces" * "Every Moment, I Dream of Sleep" * "Just Right" * "And Everything Nice" * Afterword

LONDON, 1625. A young gentleman lies murdered in a Coldharbour alley. Before his death, he uncovered secrets that could threaten the mortal world above and the faerie world below. Now, to find the murderer and protect both realms, Sir Michael Deven will need the help of a man with reason to hate the fae of the Onyx Court — the victim’s own brother. A novella of the Onyx Court, set between Midnight Never Come and In Ashes Lie.

Manifestation was only the beginning. The Otherworld has returned -- bringing with it the sidhe, the source of humanity''s psychic powers. Some mortals welcome these creatures of legend, some fear them . . . and no one is ready for the change their presence will bring. Last autumn Kim and Julian stood at the center of that storm. Now they face a challenge closer to home: a battle over the laws governing wilders, the closest genetic relatives of the sidhe. Many feel that change should wait until the current upheaval has ended . . . but Kim sees opportunity in the chaos, a chance to free Julian and all his kind from the chains of the deep shield that locks their gifts away. The roots of that shield run deeper than she knows. The quest to destroy it will lead her and Julian back into the world of the sidhe, where they will uncover ancient lies, face betrayal on all sides -- and gamble everything on the possibility of freedom.

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and prophecy. Kim never had to wonder what to major in at college. Her talent for divination made her future clear in more ways than one. But there are limits to what even a gifted seer can predict, and no card reading or prophetic dream can prepare Kim for what''s to come during her junior year at Welton. Something has taken an interest in her friend Julian -- an unseen force neither of them can identify. What starts as a dark omen quickly turns dangerous, as Julian finds himself under attack. To defend him, Kim will need more than her strengths; she will have to call on a form of magic she has never been able to master. If she can''t learn fast enough, she may lose her friend forever. Kim knows she isn''t ready for this. But if she wants to save Julian -- and herself -- she''ll have to prove her own prophecies wrong. This edition contains six illustrations by the artist Avery Liell-Kok.

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.

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.

Explore twenty-four imaginative tales crafted by some of today’s best writers of science fiction and fantasy, all guests on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers during its second year, and including several international bestsellers and winners of every major award in the field, as well as newer authors just beginning what promise to be stellar careers. A woman seeking the power to see the evil hiding within others regrets receiving it. Letters written by a wizard in the past threaten a queen’s reign in the present. Competing for Earth, a human wrestler faces an alien shapeshifter in an interstellar tournament. A guide in Tibet must weigh the good of his people when asked to lead a westerner to the fabled realm of Shangri. An activist imprisoned for illegal genetic modification works with the materials at hand and the threads of the multiverse to make the world—a world, at least—a better place. A demonic agent sent to help a human turns the tables on his summoner. Like the “cabinets of curiosities” created by collectors of the sixteenth century, Shapers of Worlds Volume II displays a varied array of thought-provoking delights: tales of humour and sorrow, darkness and light, and hope and despair that are full of adventure, full of life, and sometimes full of regret. There are stories set in alternate histories, in possible futures, near and far, and in the here-and-now, taking place on Earth, on distant planets, or in fantastic realms. All arise from the innate need of human beings to create, to imagine . . . to shape worlds. Praise for Shapers of Worlds Volume I: “One of the most wide-ranging volumes I’ve encountered in terms of sub-genre. It’s rather like a speculative fiction buffet, offering steampunk, fantasy, military fiction, magic, space opera, post-apocalyptic, hard science fiction, and others . . . Inventive and varied, the collection has a lot to offer for those seeking an interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking read.” – Lisa Timpf, The Future Fire

“Show, don’t tell.” “Murder your darlings.” “Write every day.” Certain pieces of advice are widespread in the writing community — but what do they really mean? And are they nuggets of universal wisdom, or do they only apply to some writers in some circumstances? Award-winning author Marie Brennan tackles these old saws, dissecting each one to see what purpose it might serve . . . and when you should toss it aside.

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."

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.

Step into a world of your own making . . . Worldbuilding is one of the great pleasures of writing science fiction and fantasy -- and also one of its greatest challenges. Award-winning fantasy author Marie Brennan draws on her academic training in anthropology to peel back the layers of a setting, going past the surface details to explore questions many authors never think to answer. She invites you to consider the endless variety of real-world cultures -- from climate to counterfeiting, from sumptuary laws to slang --and the equally endless possibilities speculative fiction has to offer. This volume collects essays from the first year of the New Worlds Patreon.

When a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. For the witch to master her powers, the twin must be killed. Until now... Created by the merging of witch and doppelganger, Mirei is a unique being. Her extraordinary magic makes her the most poweful witch alive -- and a notorious social outcast. While Satomi, the leader of the witches'' ruling Primes, hails Mirei as a miracle, rival Primes proclaim that Mirei is an evil abomination...and that those who champion her must be destroyed. Now the different witch factions engage in a bloody war with magic, treachery, and murder. But both sides may be fighting for nothing. For the power that the rebel Primes fear, the magic that Mirei alone possesses, is killing her.

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.

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.

For to see mad Tom o''Bedlam, ten thousand miles she''s traveled. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Marie Brennan offers an intriguing new spin on the classic tale of Penelope and Odysseus. By day she crafts; by night she unmakes. Surely somewhere, in all the myriad crossings of the threads, there is a future in which all will be well. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

This is the 9th episode in the first season of Born to the Blade, an 11-episode serial from Serial Box. This episode written by Malka Older. 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.

In this prequel to the urban fantasy novel Lies and Prophecy, Kim is ready for her freshman year at college—but her challenges include more than just choosing courses and learning to live with a roommate. Welton University has welcomed a new student, one of the strange and powerful wilders. If Julian Fiain is going to fit in among his fellow psychics, he’s going to need friends.

This is the 8th episode in the first season of Born to the Blade, an 11-episode serial from Serial Box. This episode written by Malka Older. 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.

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.