Synopses & Reviews
In
A Turn of Light, veteran science fiction writer Julie E. Czernedas first venture into fantasy, she introduced readers to Marrowdell, a pastoral valley that is home to a small pioneer settlement of refugees, lush fields of grain, enigmatic house toadsand Jenn Nalynn, the millers daughter. Jenn Nalynnturn-born.
Though Jenn has always dreamed of venturing beyond this sheltered valley when she came of age, she is soon faced with the grim reality that for her, setting foot beyond Marrowdells borders in the normal way is impossible.
Then Bannan Larmensuthe truthseer who won Jenns heartlearns that his brother-in-law has disappeared in Channen, the capital of the mysterious domain of Mellynne. And when Bannans young nephews arrive in Marrowdell in the midst of a devastating storm, he fears that his sister has gone in search of her husband, leaving her sons in his care.
The law forbids the exiled Bannan from leaving Marrowdell and traveling to Mellynne to help his sister. At least, in this world. But as a turn-born, Jenn has the power to cross into the magical realm of the Vergeand take Bannan with her. Once there, they could find a way into Mellynne, if they survive.
The Verge is wild and deadly, alive with strange magic. Dragons roar and kruar wait in ambush, and not all the powerful turn-born who tend their world care for Jenn Nalynn. But Jenn is willing to try. Their friends Wisp and Scourgeand the house toadsoffer their help.
But what none of them know is that Channen is rife with magic that flows from the Verge itself. And not even a turn-born will be safe there.
Review
“An enchanting and gentle fable, rich with detail and characters you will love.”
Review
"Of the 80,000 books crammed into my house, twenty are favorites I re-read often, and love. Now I have twenty-one. A TURN OF LIGHT is deft, beautiful storytelling. Marrowdell is real, and full of ‘the country folks’ so often overlooked in favor of princes and knights in armor. This book shines, and I want sequels. Many sequels. One can never have too many classics.
Stars and spells and garters, this is good." Ed Greenwood, bestselling author and creator of The Forgotten Realms
Review
“A Turn of Light is a gorgeous creation. Julie Czerneda's world and characters are richly layered and wonderful—full of mystery, hope and, most of all, heart. Come spend some time in Marrowdell. It's worth the journey. And be polite to the toads.”
Review
"Infused with idyllic enchantment, Julie Czerneda weaves a heart-warming bucolic tale, packed with magic both wild and strange -- a top notch fantasy read!"
Review
"I was captivated by Julie Czerneda's A Turn of Light. Yep, she used her writerly powers and sucked me right in. Many fantasy novels out there are *about* magic. Few, like Julie's, embody it."
Review
"Luminous and beguiling. With Marrowdell and its enchanting inhabitants, Julie Czerneda has conjured a world that readers can sink into and disappear. I lost myself to this tale that is, by turns, lovely, lyrical, and thrilling. This book is a feast for the mind and the heart."
Review
"A warm and intricate fantasy opus with large themes woven into a charming story."
Review
“Science fiction author Czerneda will charm fantasy readers with multidimensional characters, a vivid setting, and powerful themes of hope and renewal.”
Review
"Known for her powerful and insightful sf novels, Czerneda brings the same exacting sensibility to her brilliant fantasy debut. Her characters are both charming and believable, and Jenn, her friend Wisp, and the soldier Bannan stand out as memorable and utterly real. While this can be read as a stand-alone, there are plenty of possibilities for more stories in the world outside Marrowdell. Fans of L.E. Modesitt Jr. and Charles de Lint will love this fantastic and magical fable."
Review
“An enchanting and gentle fable, rich with detail and characters you will love.” - Charles de Lint
"A warm and intricate fantasy opus with large themes woven into a charming story." - Charlaine Harris
“Science fiction author Czerneda will charm fantasy readers with multidimensional characters, a vivid setting, and powerful themes of hope and renewal.” - Publishers Weekly
"Known for her powerful and insightful sf novels, Czerneda brings the same exacting sensibility to her brilliant fantasy debut. Her characters are both charming and believable, and Jenn, her friend Wisp, and the soldier Bannan stand out as memorable and utterly real. While this can be read as a stand-alone, there are plenty of possibilities for more stories in the world outside Marrowdell. Fans of L.E. Modesitt Jr. and Charles de Lint will love this fantastic and magical fable." - Library Journal
"I was captivated by Julie Czerneda's A Turn of Light. Yep, she used her writerly powers and sucked me right in. Many fantasy novels out there are *about* magic. Few, like Julie's, embody it." - Kristen Britain
"Luminous and beguiling. With Marrowdell and its enchanting inhabitants, Julie Czerneda has conjured a world that readers can sink into and disappear. I lost myself to this tale that is, by turns, lovely, lyrical, and thrilling. This book is a feast for the mind and the heart." - Lesley Livingston
“A Turn of Light is a gorgeous creation. Julie Czerneda's world and characters are richly layered and wonderful—full of mystery, hope and, most of all, heart. Come spend some time in Marrowdell. It's worth the journey. And be polite to the toads.” - Anne Bishop
"Infused with idyllic enchantment, Julie Czerneda weaves a heart-warming bucolic tale, packed with magic both wild and strange -- a top notch fantasy read!" - Janny Wurts
"It contains some of the most lyrical, breathtakingly beautiful writing I have run across in my many years writing reviews." —Bookworm Blues
Synopsis
Winner of the 2014 Prix Aurora Award For Best English Novel The village of Marrowdell is an isolated pioneer community, but it is also the place where two worlds overlap, and at the turn of light--sunset--the world of magic known as the Verge can briefly be seen.
Jenn Nalynn belongs to both Verge and Marrowdell, but even she doesn't know how special she is--or that her invisible friend Wisp is actually a dragon sent to guard her... and keep her from leaving the valley. But Jenn longs to see the world, and thinking that a husband will help her reach this goal, she decides to create one using spells. Of course, everything goes awry, and suddenly her "invisible friend" has been transformed into a man. But he is not the only newcomer to Marrowdell, and far from the most dangerous of those who are suddenly finding their way to the valley...
Synopsis
The village of Marrowdell is an isolated pioneer community, but it is also the place where two worlds overlap, and at the turn of light--sunset--the world of magic known as the Verge can briefly be seen.
Jenn Nalynn belongs to both Verge and Marrowdell, but even she doesn't know how special she is--or that her invisible friend Wisp is actually a dragon sent to guard her... and keep her from leaving the valley. But Jenn longs to see the world, and thinking that a husband will help her reach this goal, she decides to create one using spells. Of course, everything goes awry, and suddenly her "invisible friend" has been transformed into a man. But he is not the only newcomer to Marrowdell, and far from the most dangerous of those who are suddenly finding their way to the valley...
Synopsis
The pastoral valley of Marrowdell is home to a small pioneer settlement of refugees, lush fields of grain, enigmatic house toadsand Jenn Nalynn, the miller's daughter. Life here is full of laughter and peace, as well as hard work, and no one bothers overmuch about the outside world.
Except Jenn Nalynn.
Jenn longs to travel, to seek what's missing in her life. Not that she's sure what that is, but since this summer began, she's felt a strange and powerful yearning. She's certain she'll find what she needs, if only she can leave the valley.
But she must not.
Jenn is turn-born and cursed, born by the light of two worlds and bound to both. For the valley is more than it seems. Long ago, a cataclysm of misused power pinned Marrowdell to the Verge, a place of wild magic, home to dragons and even stranger creatures. Should Jenn step beyond Marrowdell, she will pull the worlds asunder.
To prevent this, powers from the Verge have sent a guard to watch over her, a disgraced dragon Jenn knows as Wisp, her invisible playmate. Wisp's duty is to keep Jenn in Marrowdell.
By love, if he can. By her death, if he must.
But time is running out. What Jenn unknowingly feels is the rise of the Verge's magic within her, a magic that will threaten her and those she loves. Worse, this summer will end with a Great Turn, and strangers seeking power at any cost have come to Marrowdell to try to force an opening into the Verge, to the ruin of all.
About the Author
Julie E. Czerneda is a biologist and writer whose science fiction has received international acclaim, awards, and best-selling status. She is the author of the popular "Species Imperative" trilogy, the "Web Shifters" series, the "Trade Pact Universe" trilogy and her new "Stratification" novels. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her stand-alone novel, In the Company of Others, won Canada's Prix Aurora Award and was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished SF. Julie lives with her husband and two children in the lake country of central Ontario, under skies so clear they could take seeing the Milky Way for granted, but never do. You can find her at www.czerneda.com.