Sometimes getting home isn’t the end of the adventure. Phèdre has promises to keep and souls to save. She may have faced down horror and the divine to gain the opportunity to do just that, but that doesn’t mean there are no further obstacles to overcome…
Category Archive: Wyrd and Wonder
Phèdre comes face to face with a mystery too deep to encompass and does an awful lot of travelling this week. No really, an awful lot of travelling.
It’s week four of the Wyrd and Wonder read-along of Kushiel’s Avatar, which – ignoring the necessarily violent start – is a balm after last week, full of travel and intrigue rather than cruel horrors, along with more than its fair share of moments that made me feel I had something in my eye…
Winter may be having a last hoorah, but the time and magic wait for no-one: the aurora blazed in our skies last week, but dawn and dusk are pushing back daily against the darkness. With just two weeks to the equinox and snowdrops in full bloom, the magic of spring is on my mind, which means… it’s time to talk about Wyrd and Wonder.
Phèdre is pushed into an impossible decision this week when she learns the terrible history of the kingdom that died and lives. When it becomes clear that her obligation is not only to her loved ones but to her gods, she reluctantly agrees to place herself in the hands of its ruler. But can even Phèdre withstand his cruelty – or survive his love?
I’ve fallen behind in our epic read-along (yes, already) and am chasing Phèdre’s tail (not like that) to catch up so expect a lot of d’Angeline musings this coming week. In our second week, Phèdre and Joscelin hit the road in search of Imriel de la Courcel – only to discover forces beyond even their abilities may be at work…
Two years and a sojourn in Fionavar later, it’s time for us to return to Terre d’Ange. We rejoin Phèdre at the heart of national and Night Court politics, enjoying the peace she worked so hard to secure – and haunted by a foretelling that it cannot last. When Melisande Shahrizai begs her aid and offers a payment she cannot refuse, it’s time to start on her darkest journey yet…
Having decided a couple of years ago that mid-February is the best time to read Jacqueline Carey’s epic fantasy about the many forms of love, this February we’re finally reading Kushiel’s Avatar. We’ll be tackling this chonky trilogy-closer across 6 weeks starting February 12th – if you’d like to join us, you’re very welcome!
Cassie was suspended for an antisocial incident at school. Her penance is to read to the ailing proprietor of the town’s esoteric bookshop. When Mr Gussy warns her off a very particular book in his shop, she can’t resist cracking open the ‘dark tome’ – only to find herself whisked far away and long ago to where an Italian has found a staircase to hell…
They have always walked among us. Some shift shape. Some drink blood. Some step freely between worlds to marvel at the kaleidoscope of lives lived differently. Now, some have chosen to show themselves to us. Others will stop at nothing to keep their secrets. But is humanity ready to live with monsters?
Welcome to Spooktastic Reads! I’m kicking off 13 days of celebrating the darker side of fantasy with a return to Bite-size Reads, my 2022 challenge to read (some of) the amazing anthologies on my shelves. Having trotted the globe with Chinese SF and African horror, for Spooktastic Reads I’m staying on home shores with some uncanny British tales.
It’s nearly that time – Spooktastic Reads starts on October 19 for thirteen days of your Wyrd and Wonder crew daring to venture into the darker side of fantasy. I’ve been revelling in tales of ghosts and curses since the summer, so what can you expect from my Spooktastic Reads?
Autumn is creeping up on us with its promise of arboreal colour, cosy sweaters, and dark nights perfect for curling up with a book that sets our hearts racing. As ever, your Wyrd & Wonder team are here to help! Spooktastic Reads will be back to dare the darker side of fantasy in the 13 days and nights leading up to Hallowe’en.
The fire has ceased wandering as we come to the end of book two of The Fionavar Tapestry, but there is a great deal to discuss as snows melt, boats sail, armies ride and feelings are thoroughly exercised…
We’re at the heart of our Wyrd & Wonder read-along of Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Wandering Fire. The five are back in Fionavar, caught in unending winter by Maugrim’s malice. As their allies gather to find a way to break the cold, wilder threads return to the Tapestry – but will they help or hinder?
onemore.org 