fantasy – candlepunk

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Summary: RISE (noun / verb) Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) An upward slope or movement 2) A beginning or origin 3) An increase in amount or number 4) An angry reaction 5) To take up arms 6) To return from death 7) To become heartened or elated 8) To exert oneself to meet a challenge Rise features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

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Summary: An airship captain battles spies, disturbing visions, and more as she races to find treasure in this swashbuckling high fantasy series conclusion. When a legendary craton is discovered, newly appointed airship captain Isabelle desZephyrs and her trusted musketeer Jean-Claude travel on a perilous mission to recover its fabled treasure for l’Empire Céleste. Bust Isabelle’s leadership quickly becomes jeopardized. The dark, magical abilities she inherited give her increasingly disturbing and disruptive hallucinations. Disasters are compounded when a spy sabotages the ship, and Jean-Claude is lost to the expedition. Separated, Isabelle and Jean-Claude must each overcome a growing number of enemies—from the past, from the court, and from their own minds—and gather trustworthy friends before a rival expedition unlocks an ancient secret for their own nefarious ends.

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Summary: Isabelle des Zephyrs has always been underestimated, but after discovering the well of hidden magic within her, unraveling a centuries-long conspiracy, and stopping a war between rival nations, she has gained a newfound respect amongst the cutthroat court. ​All that is quickly taken away when Isabelle is unfairly convicted of breaking the treaty she helped write and has her political rank and status taken away. Now bereft, she nevertheless finds herself drawn into mystery when her faithful musketeer Jean-Claude uncovers a series of gruesome murders by someone calling themselves the Harvest King. As panic swells, the capital descends into chaos, when the emperor is usurped from the throne by a rival noble. Betrayed by their allies and hunted by assassins, Isabelle and Jean-Claude alone must thwart the coup, but not before it changes l’Empire forever.

Word Count: Click here to reveal150000 (Click here to hide)

Summary: Born with a physical disability, no magical talent, and a precocious intellect, Princess Isabelle des Zephyrs has lived her life being underestimated by her family and her kingdom. The only person who appreciates her true self is Jean-Claude, the fatherly musketeer who had guarded her since birth. All shall change, however, when an unlikely marriage proposal is offered, to the second son of a dying king in an empire collapsing into civil war. But the last two women betrothed to this prince were murdered, and a sorcerer-assassin is bent on making Isabelle the third. Isabelle and Jean-Claude plunge into a great maze of prophecy, intrigue, and betrayal, where everyone wears masks of glamour and lies. Step by dangerous step, Isabelle must unravel the lies of her enemies and discovers a truth more perilous than any deception.