Aetherial Tales

One of the the American Library Association's Top Ten Fantasy and SF Novels of 2010. A sensuous, suspenseful modern fantasy of love, betrayal, and redemption. An "Aetherial Tales" novel that can be read as a standalone, Freda Warrington's Midsummer Night is a powerful contemporary fantasy, beginning with a prank that turns lethal when supernatural forces are unwittingly set loose. A century may not be enough to undo the terrible consequences of one fateful night's mischief. Decades ago, at the remote Cairndonan estate on a storm-lashed coastline where the veil between our world and the Aetherial realm is thin, Juliana Flagg's uncle – a young man called Adam – vanished in mysterious circumstances. Now Dame Juliana, a visionary artist, has inherited Cairndonan where she sculpts and runs a summer art school. However, all is not well, as she is plagued by ghosts, money troubles and her sinister ex-husband. A young athlete named Gill arrives to rent a cottage on the estate, in order to escape her own problems; a monstrous betrayal and an accident have destroyed her Olympic hopes. Now all Gill wants is solitude, but soon she's entangled with the mischievous, flamboyant artist Peta, the creepy manservant Ned Badger and other residents of the great house – not least Juliana herself. One day Gill wanders into a strange village called Boundry that appears on no map. There she meets the seductive Rufus and his equally attractive but silent, brooding companion, Leith. The encounter leaves her unsettled. Soon after, during a violent storm, Leith comes through the portal in a state of distress and begs shelter at Gill's cottage. Though he can explain nothing of his past, his innocence and charm capture her heart. But Leith becomes the focus of increasingly vicious arguments among the estate's residents. Who is he – and who is the charismatic, cruel Rufus who claims to be his brother? Are these two young men as innocent as they seem – or are they poised to visit vengeance, death and heartbreak upon the human world? Gill, aided by Peta, stumbles into ever-greater danger as she tries to untangle the mysteries of Cairndonan's past. But only when Dame Juliana finally dares to reveal Midsummer Night – the sinister, haunted sculpture to which she's devoted years of her life – will the full storm break loose at last. A magical, romantic and suspenseful story filled with intrigue and adventure, Midsummer Night is a "moody and spine-shivering" (Publishers Weekly) follow up to Elfland, which won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for "Best Fantasy Novel of 2009." This standalone novel will appeal to readers of urban and modern fantasy and grab the attention of fans who love dark and sinister tales. Praise for Midsummer Night "Warrington doesn't miss a beat with this sinister, ghostly tale of some of the darker aspects of the Aetherial world and its denizens' dealings with humanity." -Publishers Weekly "Each book is a stand-alone volume and an absolute delight." -Charles de Lint, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction "Like so many British and Irish fantasy writers, Warrington writes beautiful prose with lush descriptions." -SF Revu

"Freda Warrington doesn't just write urban fantasy. She's mastered it." -Bookwormblues.net An Aetherial Tales novel that can be read as a stand-alone or as the third compelling volume following Elfland (winner of Romantic Times Best Fantasy Novel Award) and Midsummer Night. Grail of the Summer Stars is an eerie, spellbinding contemporary fantasy in which a small mystery builds to an epic confrontation. Stevie Silverwood's quiet life as the manager of an arts museum is disrupted when a painting depicting haunting scenes of a ruined palace and a scarlet-haired goddess in a fiery city arrives with a cryptic note saying, "The world needs to see this." Stevie soon realizes that Daniel, her ex-boyfriend from art school, painted the image, but her attempts to contact him reveal that Daniel has gone missing. Concerned, Stevie rushes to his studio where she bumps into a stranger, Mist-an Aetherial from the Otherworld-who has mysteriously risen from drowning in the depths of the ocean. Together they are determined to find out what has happened to Daniel-and the meaning behind the haunting image. Stevie and Mist must uncover their lost past in order to understand the greater secrets the painting holds, and what cataclysmic events it might portend. A twisty, perilous journey awaits as they encounter friends and enemies both old and new, charming and dangerous. Who can they trust? Entwined histories reel them towards a single path, a spire of ice and a conspiracy older than humankind. In Grail of the Summer Stars, a haunting, powerful tale of two worlds and those caught between, Freda Warrington weaves an exciting story of suspense, adventure and danger that fulfills the promise of the Aetherial Tales as only she can. Praise for Grail of the Summer Stars "A classy, beautifully rendered tale that persuasively builds from low-key beginnings into a complex enterprise with real heft, a rich back story and characters that grow with the narrative. A must for existing fans, while being easily accessible to newcomers." -Kirkus Reviews "Each book is a stand-alone volume and an absolute delight." -Charles de Lint "If you like your fantasy science fiction deeply layered, sparkling and ethereal, do I have a book for you… Written with lush, elegant prose, and filled with strong, engaging characters, Ms. Warrington has written a tale that is both universal and very personal." -Litstack.com

Winner of the 2009 Romantic Times Award for BEST FANTASY NOVEL "Even the most jaded fantasy reader will quickly fall under the spell of her characters and the warm, intimate voice Warrington uses to tell their stories. Highly recommended." -Charles de Lint, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction Rosie Fox is a daughter of Aetherials, an ancient race from the Spiral-the innermost realm of the Otherworld-who live secretly among us. Yet she and her kind are bereft of their origins, because on Earth, in a beautiful village named Cloudcroft, the Great Gates between worlds stand sealed. Her parents, Auberon and Jessica, are the warm heart of her loving family. But on the hill lives the mysterious, aloof Lawrence Wilder, Gatekeeper to the inner realms. Tortured by private demons, he is beset by trouble on all sides; his wife has vanished and his sons Jon and Sam are bitter and damaged. Lawrence is duty-bound to throw open the Gates for the Night of the Summer Stars, a ritual granting Aetherials connection to their mystical heritage. But when he bars the Gates-haunted by fears of a deadly menace within the Spiral-he defies tradition and enrages the Aetherial community. What will become of them, starved of their essential life force? Is Lawrence betraying them-or protecting them? Growing up amid this turmoil, Rosie and her brothers, along with Sam and Jon Wilder, resign themselves to living as humans. Yet they know their elders have denied them their birth right, harbouring dark secrets in a conspiracy of silence. When Sam is imprisoned for an all-too-human crime, age-old wounds sunder the two families… yet Rosie is drawn into his web, even as she fears the passions awoken in her by the dangerous Wilder clan. Torn between duty and desire, between worlds, Rosie unwittingly precipitates a tragedy that compels her to journey into the Otherworld, where unknown terrors await. Accompanied by the one man most perilous to her, she must learn hard lessons about life and love in order to understand her Aetherial nature… and her role in the terrifying conflict to come. Praise for Elfland "A glittering treasure trove and a stunning read for Warrington's multitude of fans." -Tanith Lee, author of The Silver Metal Lover "A literally enchanted story of magic, love, loyalty and hope." -Liz Williams, author of The Ghost Sister "Sensuous and intense – buy it, read it, love it." -Melanie Rawn, author of Fire Raiser "Elfland is an absorbing and gripping journey into a world where the otherworldly shivers alongside us, unseen… Sensitive characterisation and evocative scene-setting draw you into the tale; you won't want to leave it." -Storm Constantine, author of the Wraeththu Chronicles "A heady cocktail of urban fantasy and wild romance, invigorating and intoxicating. Warrington's writing has lyrical beauty, and her characters are a delight to discover." -Justina Robson, author of Glorious Angels "Romantic in every sense, richly imagined and richly told, Elfland is a complex fantasy of the heart, the faerie heart; and it's a delight. Immediately engaging and intensely satisfying, this is a class act from a fine writer." -Chaz Brenchley, author of The Books of Outremer