The first lesson Eilean MacAlistair learned in blacksmithing: First, you harden, and then you temper. Otherwise, your metal will break. The same is true with life.A few years back, Eilean didn’t temper herself, and she broke someone. Badly. Hospital badly. Her family had to flee Scotland because of her, but now they’ve returned, and 17-year-old Eilean’s life feels like a forge with the temperature rising around her. Mamó is sick, her family is straining at the seams, and magic is real! An Otherworld has been calling to her from beneath Loch Lomond. When she answers, Eilean discovers a world of blacksmiths in ballgowns, cruel cyclopses, and chronically critical kelpies. Because she didn't have enough problems to deal with already. Will Eilean be able to temper herself against everything in this strange new world, and withstand the weight of her past? Or will she break once again? Find out in the first adventure of Eilean in the Otherworld, The Spiral of Life, a young adult fantasy inspired by Celtic folklore.
Author
Francesca McMahon is a romance, fantasy and horror writer best known for her work with Call of Cthulhu. Since they were very young, Francesca has had a love and fascination for writing. This fascination continued with her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University. There, they branched out into screenwriting and games writing, particularly tabletop RPGs. From there, she gained the opportunity to be an intern for Crooked Dice where she helped design their game 7TV Pulp. They were also shortlisted for the Dame Janet Suzman Playwriting Award. Since graduating, Francesca has worked consistently in publishing while working on her writing of fantasy, horror and romance fiction, as well as various tabletop RPGs and screenplays. As a queer person, her work is dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community, and she hopes that anyone who needs it will find a home in her imaginary worlds.
