A swirl of hill pipes for legendary SFF author and forerunner Melissa Scott, whose riveting epic fantasy Water Horse enriches our world today! Atmospheric, cinematic, Water Horse is Elric meets The Fisher King, with the vividly drawn inhabitants of this fully realized universe seamless fusions of Elf & Dwarf: how life might have been in Moria or Erebor, with water & wood to leaven stone, and original magic (oath-enforcing harps!). The haunting, evocative cover is by Eleni Tsami whose stunning work has graced several previous Candlemark efforts, including Melissa’s Finders. The premise:
For the last twenty years, Esclin Aubrinos, arros of the Hundred Hills, has acted jointly with Alcis Mirielos, the kyra of the Westwood, and the rivermaster of Riverholme to defend their land of Allanoth against the Riders who invade from Manan across the Narrow Sea. He has long been a master of the shifting politics of his own people and his independently-minded allies, but this year the omens turn against him. The Riders have elected a new lord paramount, hallowed servant of the Blazing One, a man chosen and fated for victory.
The omens agree that Nen Elin, Esclin’s stronghold and the heart of Allanoth, will fall when a priest of the Blazing One enters its gates. Esclin needs a spirit-bonded royal sword, a talismanic weapon made of star-fallen iron, to unite the hillfolk behind him. But the same vision that called for the sword proclaimed that Esclin will then betray it, and every step he takes to twist free of the prophecies brings him closer to that doom.
Melissa Scott was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, studied history at Harvard, and published her first novel while earning her PhD from Brandeis in comparative history. She has published more than thirty original novels and a handful of short stories, most with queer themes and characters, as well as authorized tie-in novels for Star Trek, Stargate, and Star Wars Rebels. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1986, multiple Lambda Literary and Spectrum Awards, was shortlisted for the Tiptree Award and many of her short stories have been anthologized in Year’s Best. Her most recent solo novel, Finders, was published in 2018 by Candlemark & Gleam and she is currently at work on the next book in the sequence.
Water Horse received terrific reviews from many SFF venues and personalities. Excerpts:
Sumptuous storytelling, well-defined characters, and superb attention to detail animate this outstanding epic fantasy from Lambda Literary Award winner Scott (Trouble and Her Friends). // This is epic fantasy done right. —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Scott’s complicated world fills up space, spills off the edges of the page into uncharted territory. It feels real, satisfyingly deep—and at the same time, those tantalising hints of other stories, other histories, made me intensely curious for more. —Liz Bourke, Tor.com
Water Horse takes place in a well-drawn, meticulously-presented world where a finely-codified technology of magic is based on music and oaths. // …a delicious struggle between fate and free will. —Don Sakers, Analog SF
Water Horse is a magnificent and haunting book, a fantasy epic that will sweep you away. Melissa Scott is a writer at the height of her powers, and this is a virtuoso performance from a modern master. —Jo Graham, author of the award-nominated Black Ships and Stealing Fire
A powerful tapestry of sword-forging and sorcery. // …bad-ass harpers, a compelling bisexual king as our protagonist, // intense politics and a clever magic system, all packed into a single epic volume. —Tansy Rayner Roberts, winner of multiple Ditmar, WSFA, and Atheling awards
The world building is gorgeous, the plot is compelling and the characters are unforgettable. I’m already hoping for a sequel! —Catherine Lundoff, award-winning fantasy author and publisher, Queen of Swords Press
Water Horse is a rich and deep epic fantasy // where heroism, valor, strength of character and rising to the occasion are not trampled and mocked and denigrated… // …a book stunningly well suited to our times. —Paul Weimer, Nerds of a Feather
Water Horse is available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo – and of course on our website, where buying the lovingly prepared trade paperback also brings along the full digital bundle (PDF, Epub and Mobi) . All C&G ebooks are DRM-free.
Come gather around our hearth fire to hear the tale sung!
