"The skillful first collection by prolific New Zealand fantasist Marillier (the Bridei Chronicles and others for adults and teens) includes 14 short stories, as well as an introduction by Sophie Masson and detailed author’s notes. The book starts well with “Prickle Moon,” a tale of the wise forced to choose between moral compromises, and mostly maintains a consistent level of quality throughout. Of particular interest are “The Angel of Death,” about a veterinarian whose compassion for hopeless animals is often at odds with her duty to them, and “By Bone-light” and its embrace of secret magic. Marillier’s fans will be delighted to see that her skills are as applicable to the short form as they are to the novel, and will particularly appreciate “’Twixt Twilight and Water (A Tale of Sevenwaters),” which ties in to her well-regarded Sevenwaters series." -Publishers Weekly
Authors
Born in Indonesia of French parents, Sophie Masson was sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Toulouse, France, when she was just a baby and lived there till she was nearly five, when her parents came back from Indonesia and took her to Australia. All the rest of her childhood, the family stayed in Australia, with frequent trips back to France, and this dual heritage underpins a good deal of Sophie's work. Sophie's first book appeared in 1990 and since then she has published more than seventy books, for children, young adults and adults. Her books have been published in Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. She has also had many short stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online journals. Sophie holds a BA and M.Litt in French and English literature, and a PhD in Creative Practice. A former Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, she is the current Chair (2021) of the New England Writers' Centre and of the Small Press Network. She is also the President committee of the New England and North West sub-branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, NSW branch. Sophie has received several awards for her creative work, including the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and the YA category of the Aurealis Awards. In 2019 she received an AM in the Order of Australia for her significant service to literature as an author, a publisher, and through service to literary organisations. Sophie's website is at www.sophiemassonauthor.com She has a writing blog at www.firebirdfeathers.com Her You Tube channel, with trailers to many of her books, is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLa... She is also a regular contributor to the popular authorship blog Writer Unboxed, www.writerunboxed.com
