Synopses & Reviews
Times are truly desperate within Averalaan's hundred holdings, and Jewel MArkess and her den are finding it hard to survive. Then suddenly their mentor Rath orders them to avoid the ancient Undercity beneath Averlaan's streets, cutting them off from their main source of income. Yet Rath himself refuses to heed the warnings of Jewel's seer dreams. Instead, he allies with the mages of the Order of Knowledge in a secret war against demonic foes, knowing he'll be targeted for death-or worse. In a last attempt to protect Jewel and her den, he writes a note of introduction to the head of House Terafin-the sister he's sworn never to contact. For only within then Terafin manse would the den stand a chance of escaping the unnatural forces reaching out to claim them...
Review
Praise for
Battle:
"This is the reason I fell in love with the books set in the Essalieyan universe." —Dear Author
"Richly and superbly detailed. Her characters live and sing." —Examiner
Praise for Skirmish:
"West is able to develop in the reader a true sense of emotional connection to the characters. These are people who've been in my life since the late '90s and, like George R.R. Martin's characters, they feel like family. I'm much closer to Sagara's characters, but that's not surprising since that emotional attachment and the growth and development of the characters is central to the story of struggle.... I loved this book, as I've loved all of her books. If you're new to this kind of writing and have read George R.R. Martin's series and enjoyed it, I highly recommend these books." —Chaotic Compendium
Praise for House Name:
"Lush, richly intricate, heartbreaking.... West has a brilliant hand in detail, in weaving in background to fuel the story without being clunky and boring, and in creating a luxuriously textured world that is at once familiar and strange. Some say Michelle West has been propelled into the ranks of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb—I say that she's been there all along and it's about time she was noticed as such." —Night Owl Reviews
Praise for City of Night:
"[City of Night] is a super action-oriented, investigative fantasy in an incredible world as Michelle West makes her empire and capital seem as if it comes from ancient history books rather than her imagination." —Alternative Worlds
Praise for The Hidden City:
"This is a compelling story with riveting and finely wrought characters that will keep you up well into the night. This story will go down as one of the best novels in its genre, propelling West into the ranks of Robin Hobb and George R.R. Martin. It's simply a great read; don't miss it." —The Maine Edge
Synopsis
THe Hosue War is the story of the battle for control of the most powerful of the ruling Houses in the Essalieyan Empire -- House Terafin. But it is also the tale of Jewel Markess.
Rescued from her precarious existence as an orphan in the slums of the capital city, Averalaan, by Rath -- a recluse whose family is powerful within House Terafin -- Jewel is gathering together children less fortunate than herself, creating her own den.
But now times are truly desperate within Averalaan's hundred holdings. Street children are disappearing, theft and violence are increasing, and even Jewel's den is finding it hard to make ends meet.
They've been living on their own for some time, but Rath is still their mentor and continues to sell items they find in the ancient undercity hidden beneath the streets of Averalaan. Then suddenly, Rath orders them to avoid the undercity.
Yet Rath himself refuses to heed the warnings of Jewel's seer dreams. Instead, he allies with the mages of the Order of Knowledge in a secret war against demonic foes, knowing he'll be targeted for death -- or worse. In a last attempt to protect Jewel and her den-kin, he provides a note of introduction to the head of House Terafin -- Rath's sister, whom he'd sworn never to contact.
For only withing the well-guarded Terafin manse will the den stand any chance of escaping the unnatural forces reaching out to claim them...."
Synopsis
In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats.
Times are truly desperate within Averalaan's hundred holdings. Street children are disappearing, theft and violence are increasing, and even Jewel Markess's den is finding it hard to make ends meet.
Demonic activity has escalated in both the Undercity and the mortal surface level city as the worshipers and servants of the Lord of the Hells strive to complete the rituals that will return their god to the mortal realm. As Rath joins with mages and the Twin Kings' agents to wage a secret battle against this nearly unstoppable foe, he gives Jewel and her den of orphans the opportunity to escape the chaos by providing them with a note of introduction to the head of House Terafin, where Jewel will discover her destiny.
Synopsis
Oracle is the richly intricate sixth book in Michelle West's House War epic fantasy series.
About the Author
Michelle West is the author of three interconnected series: The Sacred Hunt duology, the six-volume Sun Sword series, and The House War novels. She has published numerous short stories, as well as fantasty novels, under her maiden name, Michelle Sagara. She was a two-time nominee for the Campbell Award. She works part-time at BAKKA Books, one of Toronto's larger bookstores, and writes a column for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She can contacted via her website, michellesagara.com.