Synopses & Reviews
The young shari'a witch Brierley once thought that she was the last of her kind, powerful witches who lived in peace and harmony, using their powers for good. Only the women of her people had the gift and they ruled wisely and well. Her people had flourished for millennia, guided by the elemental beings who embodied the very forces of nature and who could tame the world.
But then the fierce Allemani people came from beyond the sea. Newly settled in the land, they at first dwelt in peace with the shari'a. But trust turned to hate and the fear that the Allemani had for the witches soon boiled over into genocide. The Allemani decimated the shari'a out of fear of their differences.
And so Briarly hid in the shadows, keeping her healing powers a secret-but she was compelled to use them when necessary, and these actions caused her to be discovered. When she was forced to flee the only home she had ever known, she did not go alone, for she had captured the heart Duke Melfallan, and though he is Allemani, he vows to attempt to change the Law condemning any shari'a to death because he has come to know that the shari'a are not monsters...and they can bring a great joy to the world.
As she makes her way out into the world to hide while Melfallan fights to save her, Brierley discovers that she is not the last of her kind. That there are many, like her, who managed to stay in the shadows, generations of shari'a who have kept quiet, hid their powers and have waited. And that not all of whom share Brierley's good heart.
The time of reckoning is at hand, the forces that the shari'a once controlled are being summoned once more, and Brierley finds that the hatred that fueled the Allemani ages past is still very much alive.
Will Brierley have to sacrifice her life (and that of her unborn child) to save an entire world and make things right for her people?
Review
"Marcellas provides solid feminist fantasy, firmly in the tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley's
Mists of Avalon."--
VOYA
"Marcellas's lyrical, spellbinding debut, with its full-blooded characterizations, sidesteps the common pitfalls of 'witch' fiction."--Publishers Weekly on Mother Ocean, Daughter Sea
"A hauntingly beautiful story, rich in texture and language, with a fascinating mythos and well-drawn, compelling characters. Riveting!"--Elizabeth Haydon on Mother Ocean, Daughter Sea
Synopsis
Brierley thought she was the last of the shari'a, a race of witches who lived in peace--until the Allemani people decimated them out of fear of their differences. Brierley hid in the shadows, keeping her healing powers a secret, even as she fell in love with a nobleman--but she was compelled to use them when necessary, and those actions caused her to be discovered. As she makes her way to safety, Brierley discovers that she is not the last of her kind. There are many who stayed in the shadows and survived. The time of reckoning is at hand--and some of her people are not committed to peace. Will Brierley have to sacrifice the love of her life to save an entire world?
About the Author
A native of Oregon,
Diana Marcellas lives in a small resort town, Pinetop-Lakeside, in northeastern Arizona. She recently left her dayjob as director of Legal Aid for the White Mountain Apache to reenter private law practice, and continues to teach history and legal advocacy part-time at the local community college. A fan of SF and fantasy since sixth grade, she began writing SF and fantasy during law school over twenty years ago, published several science-fiction novels in the early 90s, and is currently writing fantasy forTtor. Her first book in "the witch of two suns" series, Mother Ocean, Daughter Sea, appeared in September 2001, and the second book, The Sea Lark's Song, was published in December 2002, with the third book, Twilight Rising, due out in August 2004. She is currently working on the next book in her series as well as other writing projects.
"My life is an interesting combination," she says, "of the very prosaic and people-oriented practice of law and the more solitary daydreaming of writing fantasy. My Apache friends are often after me to write "Apache Tony Hillerman" mysteries, but my first love is fantasy and SF, which I began reading as a girl and have never stopped. I first thought up my shari'a witch, Brierley Mefell, while in college, and she has lived in my imagination for over thirty years, much beloved, always fascinating. Other characters have appeared over the years to join the collection of people in my head, but Bri has been with me since the beginning and hers is a story I always wanted to write. Now, thanks to Tor, I have the wonderful privilege of living in Brierley's world, as least vicariously, as I write her ongoing story."
Diana's interests include medieval history, practicing Wicca as a solitary witch, Apache tradition and culture, Zebra finches (she has a flock of fourteen), and needlework.