Pealing bells for Jo Graham, whose mythic space opera Sounding Dark lifts off today!

First in The Calpurnian Wars linked-saga series, Sounding Dark is a conflict of human cultures flung between the stars that awakens powerful mythic avatars of advanced technology that have become indistinguishable from magic. With echoes from Minoan Crete and Imperial Rome, seamlessly fusing far past and far future, Sounding Dark cries out for the attention of someone with the talent and flair of Kathryn Bigelow or Denis Villeneuve. The absorbing synopsis:

Sounding Dark is a legend, a ghost ship missing two hundred years. Now it may be the only hope for the pirate republic of Eresh to stand against the mighty Calpurnian Navy. In the wake of a terrible defeat, Adelita Massacre, the Steel Captain, knows that their days are numbered without a miracle.

Bister is the only survivor of the defeat, a Tainted smuggler and fixer from the interdicted world of Inanna. Found alive, adrift in a spacesuit hours after its air supply should have run out, her survival is a literal miracle. Has the Lady of the Void herself chosen Bister to free her from imprisonment?

Now Adelita, Bister, Bister’s lover Griffin, and the mysterious Navigator must find Sounding Dark and her ancient weaponry if they hope to protect Eresh from the Calpurnian attack. But Sounding Dark will not give up her secrets easily….

Jo Graham is the author of twenty-five books and two online games. Best known for her historical fantasy novels Black Ships and Stealing Fire, and her tie-in novels for MGM’s popular Stargate series, she has been a Locus Award finalist, an Amazon Top Choice, a Spectrum Award finalist, a Romantic Times Top Pick in historical fiction and a Lambda Literary Award and Rainbow Award nominee for bisexual fiction. With Melissa Scott, she is the author of five books in the Order of the Air series, a historical fantasy series set in the 1920s and 30s. She is also the author of two pagan spirituality books. She lives in North Carolina with her partner and is the mother of two daughters. The stunning, evocative cover is by Eleni Tsami, her seventh such magical creation for Candlemark.

Sounding Dark received enthusiastic endorsements from, among others, Publishers Weekly and SFF legend Melissa Scott. Excerpts:

Graham amps up the action, constructs a rich mythology of gods, cultures, and societies, and develops evocative characters that will make readers cheer. —Publishers Weekly

 It’s hard to express how well Sounding Dark blends solid technical SF // with deep myths. —Melissa Scott, SFF forerunner and pioneer, winner of numerous awards

Sounding Dark 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. The ongoing US Post Office upheaval has necessitated use of UPS for shipping, which in turn has unfortunately forced us to raise shipping fees.

Come explore Sounding Dark with us; discover the Nine Worlds, and hear the star wind carry whispers of lost ships and perilous gods!