Minor dakti—The dakti are small, with armor plates on the back and shoulders, and webbed wings. They are somewhat cunning, but not much more intelligent than kethel, and fight in large swarms.
Rulers—Rulers are intelligent creatures that are believed to have some arcane powers of entrancement over other species. Rulers related by blood are also believed to share memories and experiences through some mental bond. They have complete control of the lesser Fell in their flights, and at times can speak through dakti and see through their eyes. (Addendum by scholar-preeminent Delin-Evran-lindel: Fell rulers in their winged form bear an unfortunate and superficial resemblance to Raksuran Consorts.)
There is believed to be a fourth class, or possibly a female variant of the
Rulers, called the Progenitors.
Common lore holds that if a Fell ruler is killed, its head must be removed and stored in a cask of salt or yellow mud and buried on land in order to prevent drawing other Fell rulers to the site of its death. It is possible that only removing the head from the corpse may be enough to prevent this, but burying it is held to be the safest course.
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM MARTHA WELLS AND NIGHT SHADE BOOKS
THE CLOUD ROADS
Moon has spent his life hiding what he is — a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself … someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community.
What this stranger doesn’t tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power … that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the col-ony’s survival … and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell!
Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself … and his newfound kin.
“Martha Wells’ books always make me remember why I love to read. In The Cloud Roads, she invents yet another rich and astonishingly detailed setting, where many races and cultures peacefully coexist in a world constantly threatened by soulless predators. But the vivid worldbuilding and nonstop action really serve as a backdrop for the heart of the novel—the universal human themes of loneliness, loss, and the powerful drive to find somewhere to belong.”
– Sharon Shinn, bestselling author of Archangel and Troubled Waters
$14.99 trade paperback • 978-1-59780-216-1
THE SERPENT SEA
Moon, once a solitary wanderer, has become consort to Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud court. Together, they travel with their people on a pair of flying ships in hopes of finding a new home for their colony. Moon finally feels like he’s found a tribe where he belongs.
But when the travelers reach the ancestral home of Indigo Cloud, shrouded within the trunk of a mountain-sized tree, they discover a blight infecting its core. Nearby they find the remains of the invaders who may be responsible, as well as evidence of a devastating theft. This discovery sends Moon and the hunters of Indigo Cloud on a quest for the heartstone of the tree—a quest that will lead them far away, across the Serpent Sea.
In this follow-up to The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells returns with a world-spanning odyssey, a mystery that only provokes more questions— and the adventure of a lifetime.
“A starring light of the fantasy genre recaptures her mojo by going in a new direction.”
– SF Signal
$14.99 trade paperback • 978-1-59780-332-8
THE SIREN DEPTHS
All his life, Moon roamed the Three Worlds, a solitary wanderer forced to hide his true nature—until he was reunited with his own kind, the Raksura, and found a new life as consort to Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud court.
But now a rival court has laid claim to him, and Jade may or may not be willing to fight for him. Beset by doubts, Moon must travel in the company of strangers to a distant realm where he will finally face the forgotten secrets of his past, even as an old enemy returns with a vengeance.
The Fell, a vicious race of shape-shifting predators, menaces groundlings and Raksura alike. Determined to crossbreed with the Raksura for arcane purposes, they are driven by an ancient voice that cries out from … The Siren Depths.
“Martha Wells writes fantasy the way it was meant to be—poignant, evocative, and astonishing. Prepare to be captivated ‘til the sun comes up.”
– Kameron Hurley, author of God’s War, Infidel, Rapture, and The Mirror Empire
“Riveting storytelling.”
– Steven Gould, author of Jumper
$14.99 trade paperback • 978-1-59780-440-0
STORIES OF THE RAKSURA VOLUME ONE: THE FALLING WORLD & THE TALE OF INDIGO AND CLOUD
In “The Falling World,” Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud Court, has traveled with Chime and Balm to another Raksuran court. When she fails to return, her consort, Moon, along with Stone and a party of warriors and hunters, must track them down. Finding them turns out to be the easy part; freeing them from an ancient trap hidden in the depths of the Reaches is much more difficult.
“The Tale of Indigo and Cloud” explores the history of the Indigo Cloud Court, long before Moon was born. In the distant past, Indigo stole Cloud from Emerald Twilight. But in doing so, Indigo and the reigning Queen Cerise are now poised for a conflict that could spark war throughout all the courts of the Reaches.
Stories of Moon and the shape changers of Raksura have delighted readers for years. This world is a dangerous place full of strange mysteries, where the future can never be taken for granted and must always be fought for with wits and ingenuity, and often tooth and claw. With two brand-new novellas, Martha Wells shows that the world of the Raksura has many more stories to tell ….
$15.99 trade paperback • 978-1-59780-535-3
About the Author
Martha Wells was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1964, and has a B.A. in anthropology from Texas A&M University. She is the author of more than a dozen fantasy novels, including The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, The Gate of Gods, The Element of Fire, and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer. She has also had short fiction published in Realms of Fantasy, Black Gate Magazine, Lone Star Stories, and the Tsunami Relief anthology, Elemental, and has articles in the non-fiction anthologies Farscape Forever and Mapping the World of Harry Potter. Her books have been published in seven languages. She lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband. Her website is www.marthawells.com.
Martha Wells, Stories of the Raksura: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below
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