Fantasy Novellas from Gary Vanucci

I’ve blogged about Gary Vanucci before, and featured a guest post from him.

Time to mention his two newest books, both in the Wothlondia Rising series – Distant Familiarity, and Rose in Bloom, both of which have stunning covers drawn by William Kenney.

Distant Familiarity is the first in a series of new novellas by this very talented science fiction author. The realm of Wothlondia is a fascinating one, with distinctive landscapes and a rich variety of inhabitants, including dwarves, elves, barbarians, ogres and zombies.

This story introduces us to the three friends Tiyarnon the High Priest, Rolin Hardbeard the dwarf and half-elf Nimaira Silvershade. It’s a touching account of their relationship as they unite to face an old and dangerous enemy who may possibly be too powerful for them to defeat. Can he control their wills and turn them against each other? Or do they know and trust each other well enough to overcome Cyrza’s challenge?

Gary Vanucci creates excitement and tension in this story through the cleverly constructed, fast-moving plot and his inspired use of language which ranges from the brutal to the beautiful.

Now, you want a feisty heroine? Well, you’ve got one in Rose Thorne in Rose in Bloom. A troubled, abusive childhood has not cowed this young woman and she’s full of life and mischief as she starts her career at a bordello in Oakhaven in Wothlandia. This fantasy world, created by the ever-imaginative Gary Vanucci, has its seedier side, which Rose steers in and out of.

Rose is a little light-fingered, and it’s this that brings her to the attention of Ganthrope, an ambitious and quickly rising town digniatary, who keeps an eye on the criminal element of Oakhaven. But there’s more to him than meets the eye, and he has a proposition for Rose, his favourite redhead. A mutually advantageous relationship develops between the two of them.

However, there’s even more to Rose than Ganthorpe imagines. He may think he has her in his grasp, but you can never hold a rose too tightly because of its thorns! We’ll be hearing more about this wonderful character …