Bøger udgivet af Wild Unicorn Books

North-lands spellcasters who reach too boldly for power transform into trolls-grotesque villains wielding a potent magic and destined for madness. Spanning the North-lands history, from ancient times to the pastoral present, A Knot of Trolls features seven such evildoers. Seven trolls and the ordinary youths called by chance or by destiny to take a stand. "The Troll's Belt" stars motherless Brys Arnsson, challenged as much by his own deceit as by his troll foe. "Crossing the Naiad" presents shepherd girl Kimmer with a dangerous tragedy from the distant past. "Skies of Navarys" follows two friends with a vehement difference, their contested decision to decide the fate of thousands. In "Resonant Bronze" Paitra and his brother struggle to claim appropriate guilt-neither too much nor too little-and thereby defeat a troll warlord. "Rainbow's Lodestone" offers the spirit of the rainbow a chance to learn that the smallest places birth freedom. "Star-drake" stalks a pitiless troll-herald to defeat-or is it victory?-utterly unforeseen. And in "Perilous Chance" young Clary needs a miracle. But her miracle-when it comes-sports razor-sharp talons, world-shaking power, and a troll-witch to guard its sleep. Seven tales of magic balance death and destruction against destiny and hope. PRAISE FOR J.M. NEY-GRIMM "It's no secret...that I have favourite writers. J.M. Ney-Grimm is one of them, and with good reason - her writing style is unique, and engrossing." -James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes "...Ney-Grimm paints a vivid, lush picture worthy of the Peter Jackson treatment." -D.J. Gelner, Amazon "...the world depicted is magical, but the people are very real." -M.A. Dunn, Smashwords "Her work compares favorably with Robin McKinley and Patricia McKillip...I'm really pleased to have discovered her!" -Mira, Amazon EXCERPT FROM A KNOT OF TROLLS She was eleven, and she was hurt. Her leg lay under her, knee throbbing. Her arm ached, the broken bone within sickening in its pain. But worst of all, worst of all, a vast shadow loomed above her, dark wings spanning distances too great for the grotto enclosing them, razor-sharp talons sparking with the spitting blue fire of a strange power. "No, please, no," she whispered. How had it come to this? Her day had started so ordinarily, getting breakfast for herself and her sister, because Mama could not. She cast her thoughts desperately back to the morning. I'm there. Not here. I'm there. ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.

Young deceit sprouts timeless trouble. Motherless Brys Arnsson digs himself into trouble. Bad trouble. Tricked by a troll in J.M. Ney-Grimm's richly imagined North-lands, Brys must dig himself and his best friend back out of danger. But that requires courage . . . and self-honesty. Traits Brys lacks at depth. A twist on a classic, The Troll's Belt builds from humor-threaded conflict to white-knuckle suspense. PRAISE FOR THE TROLL'S BELT "I loved this story! It is lively, perky and interesting. While the author notes it is "a re-casting of Hansel & Gretel with a Norse twist," I found the storyline to be much more creative and original. I am looking forward to reading more from J.M. Ney-Grimm!" -W. Walsh, Amazon review "The writing style is fantastic. It's somehow youthful (as it's through the eyes of a twelve year old) and mature at the same time. Normally, it would be a challenge to discuss...responsibility, loyalty and forgiveness with such a young "voice," but Ney-Grimm does so easily. The result is a thought provoking tale...Heartily recommended, and it's made me look forward to reading more of her work!" -James J. Parsons, GoodReads review EXCERPT FROM THE TROLL'S BELT Brys slammed the door behind him and stomped across his room in fury. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Did Jol have to sweep the floors each afternoon when school let out? No. Did Jol have to wash the curing cheese wheels in his motter's dairy? No. Did Jol have to help put up vats of kraut when too many cabbages were ready in the garden? Of course not. It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair! He banged open the shutters of his bed nook, threw himself down on the mattress, and punched his pillows a few times. And now he wouldn't get to go to the solstice bonfire either, shun it! ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.

Livli struggles with a secret she keeps from everyone, even her closest friends, and she must solve the problem at its heart before she's discovered. She's certain the answer lies in a fragment of folklore and magic half-remembered from her childhood. Almost certain. She wouldn't need forgotten magic if only the men and women of her secluded mountain culture dwelt together. But the women-and Livli-inhabit their sister-lodge atop its lofty bluff, while the men live apart in their brother-lodge several valleys away. Unless she can force a change, Livli stands to lose everything . . . including the most precious thing in her life: her son. A story of secrets, shibboleths, and deep-forged strength told with all the insight and engaging intimacy that J.M. Ney-Grimm brings to epic fantasy. KAUNIS CLAN SAGA The Hammarleeding people dwell in the high mountain valleys of J.M. Ney-Grimm's North-lands. They wield a tribal magic born of dance and song and the flow of sacred waters. Ritual and tradition hold a special place in Hammarleeding culture. Their rites are beautiful and uplifting, but they underpin a way of life that features many thou-shalt-nots. In each story of the Kaunis Clan Saga, one woman-or one man-challenges the shibboleths that threaten her-or his-particular bright dream. Sarvet's Wanderyar (1) Crossing the Naiad (2) Livli's Gift (3) Winter Glory (4) Each installment presents a unique protagonist from a fresh generation of the family. The stories stand alone and need not be read in order. PRAISE FOR LIVLI'S GIFT "...fascinating and insightful..." -P. Saternye "I started reading and couldn't put it down. I love the world and the characters..." -Diane Riggins EXCERPT FROM LIVLI'S GIFT Mmm. It was so peaceful in the library. The memory of her departure from home intruded on Livli's quietude. There was an unpeaceful scene: Thoivra shrieking and shaking her finger at a horrified brother. Poor skinny Issat had no idea he wasn't welcome in the foyer of Kaunis-lodge. He figured he was walking with Livli for the first leg of his journey to Tukeva. And she was going out the front door. Why shouldn't he? Thoivra told him why. This is the lodge, not the healing spa. Get out! Livli shook her head. "Ugh! I don't want to think about Thoivra right now," she told herself. "I want to enjoy not being in the same place she is. Enjoy my break from the bustle of the spa. Enjoy Siajotti's tranquility." Although her earliest memory of Siajotti-lodge was the reverse of serene. ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands. Look for her novels and novellas at your favorite bookstore-online or on Main Street.

If only Mama were well. If only Papa were . . . not like this. Clary needs a miracle, but wonders rarely step forth to solve life's problems. While her mama lies wearily abed and her papa spends the day . . . elsewhere, Clary struggles to look after her younger sister and their baby brother. And longs for more than making do. If only. Then, one spring morning, Clary and Elspeth visit the old bramble-grown quarry to pick wild cabbage leaves. Hidden within the rock's cleft, Clary's miracle awaits. But this miracle sports razor-sharp talons, world-shaking power, ravenous hunger, and a troll-witch to guard its sleep. When it cracks the egg, will Clary survive? Something wondrous this way comes! PRAISE FOR PERILOUS CHANCE "It's a tale of mistakes and redemption, and the power to do the right thing now, even if you can't change the past... [The sense of mystery] creates a wonderful release of tension...and a very satisfying ending...expertly written, and subtle enough that I found myself pleasantly surprised at the resolution of the plot. [Ney-Grimm] has an ethereal sort of quality to her writing which is extremely effective...it's almost mystical...absolutely unique, and absolutely engaging." -James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes EXCERPT FROM PERILOUS CHANCE She was eleven, and she was hurt. Her leg lay under her, knee throbbing. Her arm ached, the broken bone within sickening in its pain. But worst of all, worst of all, a vast shadow loomed above her, dark wings spanning distances too great for the grotto enclosing them, razor-sharp talons sparking with the spitting blue fire of a strange power. "No, please, no," she whispered. How had it come to this? Her day had started so ordinarily, getting breakfast for herself and her sister, because Mama could not. She cast her thoughts desperately back to the morning. I'm there. Not here. I'm there. ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.

Two friends. Two opinions. One dilemma. On fabled Navarys-the Atlantis of the North-lands-Liliyah studies energea as all thirteen-year-olds do, devoting her mornings to mastering the music that controls her magic. Afternoons, she hobnobs with the artisan crafters and shopkeepers who built the island city-state into the trade capital of the world. Her friend Mago faces struggles unsuspected by carefree Liliyah. His father, a renowned inventor, succumbs to irrational flashes of rage. His mother holds a lethal secret close. When the king's geomancer announces that a tidal wave threatens Navarys, every citizen on the island springs to action. Amidst the uproar, the aeromancer Palujon steals Mago's father's latest invention: unique lodestones with the potential to revolutionize life as the Navareans know it. Mago vows to make good his father's loss. But Liliyah questions Palujon's motives. Why would a man of his stature break the law? Is he truly a dastard? Two friends. Two answers. Life and death hang on their choices. PRAISE FOR J.M. NEY-GRIMM "...a coming-of-age story with elements of Steampunk make it a great tale for fantasy enthusiasts of all ages." -D.J. Gelner, Amazon review of Troll-magic "I loved this story! It is lively, perky and interesting." -W. Walsh, Amazon review of The Troll's Belt "J.M. Ney-Grimm is a master [of epic fantasy], and I've been a fan of her work since the first paragraph I read..." -James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes review of Sarvet's Wanderyar "Her work compares favorably with Robin McKinley and Patricia McKillip ...I'm really pleased to have discovered her!" -Mira, Amazon review of Troll-magic EXCERPT FROM SKIES OF NAVARYS The tale is usually told with the great Palujon Clisto as rogue and thief, and the legendary Zandro Mytris as hero and savior. But one mother of ancient Navarys knows the truth. She was there on the fabulous airship Subindo, the only one of the fleet to ride untouched through the storm. * * * Liliyah clutched the back of the divan where she knelt, bounced once, and pressed her face to the slanted window pane of the airship. The glass felt cool against her nose tip. "Look! Look!" she exclaimed. "It's Eirene! Going to the park." "How can you tell?" Mago's shoulder nudged hers as he peered downward. "We're way too high to tell who's who." "She always goes now. Besides, I just know. It is her." Why did Mago have to doubt everything? He'd been nicer when they were younger. Now it was always "are you sure?" and "why do you think that?" and never just taking her say so. Liliyah gritted her teeth. ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands.

If she trusts her prince to the eldest Fate-the one who snips a mortal's thread short-will her beloved live or die? Nerine, a sea nymph of the ancient world, holds secrets close. Each morning in the chill before the sun's rising, Nerine and the three Fates stand beneath the mighty World Tree, gazing into the root-girdled Well of Destiny to learn the dooms they must bring to life that day. When the dawn's visions show Nerine's one-time betrothed shipwrecked and drowning, all her renounced yearning for him rises anew. Yet as handmaiden to the Fates, she must select the threads that will weave her lost love's death. Unless she subverts destiny and betrays her duty . . . The key to her prince's rescue lies hidden in Nerine's past, perhaps in the underwater ruin she explored as a child, perhaps in the horror of the Keltic ritual sacrifice she witnessed on her journey across Európi, or perhaps among all her lies by omission that keep her secrets concealed. But when Nerine finds the way to save her beloved, she faces a dire choice. Will she speak truth to the eldest Fate and doom her drowning prince? Or will she lie more foully than ever before and lose her own soul? Fate's Door is a fantasy novel for Percy Jackson fans craving a story about Poseidon's great, great granddaughter. If you enjoy deep and engaging characters, ancient mythology brought to vivid life, and can't-put-it-down adventures of the heart and psyche, then you'll love J.M. Ney-Grimm's tale of love and coming of age in a mythic Mediterranean where the gods and goddesses of old shape history. Buy Fate's Door to step from lying shadow into brilliant truth today! EXCERPT FROM FATE'S DOOR Nerine served all three norns as handmaiden. And Nerine would choose the new materials required for this day's weaving. She would need pale peach for the baby born to a king, blood red for a battle between Sparta and Athens, gold for a hero's bright deed. And if she failed to watch the images unfolding in the Well of Destiny, she would not know the other threads to choose for the day's work. She had to know. So Nerine watched, but her heart ached, and memories from her past overlaid the flowing images on the waters of the well. Altairos as a curly black-haired boy, laughing, his eyes crinkling in that way that only he had. Altairos as a gangly youth, earnest and passionate, reciting poetry to her. Altairos as a young man, strong and sure, pressing a first kiss upon her willing lips. Who but she would lay out the symbols of his death? She, the handmaiden of the fates. She couldn't bear it-to lose him so.

Mischievous Mercurio guards the planet Mercury-his sacred charge-with quirky devotion. He loves the oddball chunk of rock, with its illusion of retrograde motion and its out-of-sync orbit and spin. Almost as much as he loves playing pranks. But when Earth's guardian Gaia bids Mercurio to organize a circus act for Sol's birthday celebration, the joke's on him. While Mercurio wangles his way around the captious refusals of his would-be stilt-walkers and clowns-"No, no, and no!"-the somber guardian of Pluto plots a darker scheme. With the subtle delight, clever misdirection, and teasing wordplay that Mercurio himself enjoys, J.M. Ney-Grimm tells a tale of steeply rising stakes in a clockwork solar system ruled by the gods of ancient Rome. PRAISE FOR J.M. NEY-GRIMM "It's no secret...that I have favourite writers. J.M. Ney-Grimm is one of them, and with good reason-her writing style is unique, and engrossing." -James J. Parsons, Speaking to the Eyes "...Ney-Grimm paints a vivid, lush picture worthy of the Peter Jackson treatment." -D.J. Gelner "...the world depicted is magical, but the people are very real." -M.A. Dunn "Her work compares favorably with Robin McKinley and Patricia McKillip ...I'm really pleased to have discovered her!" -Mira EXCERPT FROM DEVOURING LIGHT Draco loomed large, reptilian, and uncooperative in the center of his refuge. His tails cracked, emphasizing his displeasure. "Would she let me devour her, younger cousin?" he asked, a sly note edging his harsh tones. Mercurio slipped on a spill of star dust, swallowed complaint, and sprang upward. Might as well spread his sandal wings. He maneuvered away from Draco's twitching tails toward the dragon's face. Draco yawned. A miasma of burning cold belched from his gullet. Ah! Not directly in front then. Right. Draco snickered, and Mercurio shuddered. A blast furnace opening its maw, that's what it sounded like, despite its chill. "I don't need your blandishments to coax Juno. I've blandishments of my own," Draco remarked. Too true. But surely Mercurio possessed something Draco wanted. "Name your price!" he blurted. Uh, oh. That was a mistake. Cronos only knew what the dragon might come up with. And once he settled on something, he wouldn't take anything else. ABOUT THE AUTHOR J.M. Ney-Grimm lives with her husband and children in Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She's learning about permaculture gardening and debunking popular myths about food. The rest of the time she reads Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, and Lois McMaster Bujold, plays boardgames like Settlers of Catan, rears her twins, and writes stories set in her troll-infested North-lands. Look for her novels and novellas at your favorite bookstore-online or on Main Street.

When girl confronts demonic citadel, who wins?Fae awakens without memories, locked in a deserted castle. Who she is and where she comes from-all gone.By day, beauty from the ages graces the castle-medieval towers, renaissance columns, and gothic vaults-but a miasma of malice and mockery tarnishes its splendor. Once darkness falls, unseen and intangible foes inflict agonizing wounds on any still abroad in its halls.Worse, Fae suspects that someone she trusted delivered her to this demon-hammered place.As she hunts for food and water, subtle clues trigger cascades of memory-running races with her cousins, evading discipline from aunts and uncles. She realizes that her survival and theirs depends upon piecing together an elaborate puzzle, with escape its prize and unending imprisonment its penalty.But unless Fae learns that the power to choose who she will be lies within her own heart, the true key to the mystery will elude her. And if one of her absent cousins grabs the wrong key first-magic or might-primordial chaos will erupt to destroy them all.Caught in Amber is a mythic tale of family and betrayal with all the twists and moments of sheer joy that J.M. Ney-Grimm brings to epic fantasy.Buy Caught in Amber to claim power through young wisdom today! Praise for Caught in Amber "The writing is atmospheric and lyrical...we're in myth/folktale territory...an excellent thoughtful read. One that combines mundane necessities...with a sense of myth and mystery. Very few writers can pull that off. Ney-Grimm did." -E F T "...a breath of fresh air in its originality." -M. Pars Excerpt from Caught in Amber She'd been betrayed by someone she trusted. It felt awful. She snatched a pillow from the head of her bed and clutched it, muffling her mouth in its softness. Was she going to cry? No, she decided. She wasn't. She'd hold out for more information. There was so much that she didn't know. More she didn't know than she did know. And knowledge was the key out of her prison, she felt more and more sure. I'll go find out. I'll hunt down my answers. She paused before the mirror of her dressing table. Did she look like a girl who deserved to be betrayed? Thick dark hair pulled back in a simple braid. Gray eyes, slightly reddened, even though she had not cried. Pointed chin, a little wobbly. No, she didn't look like a girl who deserved betrayal. But she did look like a girl who wasn't getting enough to eat. Did she? Really? Chin a little pointier, cheeks a little thinner, eyes and temples a little stretched? Maybe. Or maybe not. She felt hollow inside, and scared. Which made her face look scared too. I'll figure something out. She'd figured out a lot already. I'm not giving up.