Storm Constantine
Storyteller for the Millennium
Click on any book for more details
from Amazon.co.uk.
If a book is also available in the US,
a link to Amazon.com is provided too.
|
Three Heralds of the Storm | |
 |
Storm Constantine, best known for
her Wraeththu series from TOR, is back! We are proud to announce the first
of our Storm Constantine short story collections. Three Heralds of the
Storm contains three short stories by this peerless fabulist. This chapbook marks the first pubication anywhere of Such a Nice Girl, and the first U.S. appearances of Last Come Assimilation and How Enlightenment Came to the Tower. |
"Storm Constantine is a literary fantasist of
outstanding power and originality. Her work is rich, idiosyncratic and
completely engaging. Her themes, constantly explored and re-examined through her
novels, have much in common with Philip K. Dick - the nature of identity, the
nature of reality, the creative power of the human imagination - while her
sensibility reminds me of Angela Carter at her most inventive." - Michael
Moorcock
Three Heralds of the Storm is also
available from
Thin Air
Why dream of escape when you can escape into your dreams…?
Dex
has made it. A wildly innovative rock star with a conscience and a screw-you
persona, his fans adore him for his integrity and his record company loves him
for his phenomenal record sales.. So what makes Dex suddenly disappear…?
"a
haunting tale of excess, media manipulation and the corrupting nature of fame… a
story of escape, innocence rediscovered and the redemptive power of love."
The Magravandian
Chronicles
Sea Dragon Heir
Where
the wild mountains of Caradore, in the nothernmost part of Magravandias, reach
the ocean, there the sea dragons make their mournful lament...
In
the land of Caradore, the ruling family, the Palindrakes, are under siege from
the emperor, who seeks the powers and ancient wisdom which are channelled to the
eldest son of each generation through the sea dragons. Valraven Palindrake, the
young heir, is forced to submit to a rite by the emperor's mages which
surrenders his heritage to the fire god Madragore, and with that, the links
between the Palindrakes and the sea dragons are severed.
Though the
emperor has succeeded in subjugating the family, the women, knowing that one day
the power of the seas dragons will return, initiate the Sisterhood of the
Dragon. This secret female sect will keep alive the memory of the old rites and
ways until the time has come for a new Sea Dragon Heir to reclaim the powers of
his ancestors.
Now, three generations on, the twins Pharinet and
Valraven Palindrake are about to discover their heritage. Pharinet is initiated
into the Sisterhood of the Dragon and learns her brother is the dragon heir -
and the Sisterhood believes now is the time for him to take his rightful place:
as emperor of Magravandias, with all the mystical power of the sea dragons
behind him.
Sea Dragon Heir is the first in a glorious fantasy epic
of mystery and strangeness, power and imagination.
USA Edition available from Amazon.com
|
The Oracle Lips | |
 |
This collection includes the following
stories: 'Angel of the Hate Wind', 'As it Flows to the Sea', 'Blue Flame of a Candle', 'By the River of If Only in the Land of Might Have Been', 'Candle Magic', 'Change of Season', 'Curse of the Snake', 'The Deliveress', 'The Feet, They Dance', 'Fireborn', 'God Be With You', 'Heir to a Tendency', 'Immaculate', 'Nocturne', 'Of a Cat, But Her Skin', 'The Oracle Lips', 'Panquilia in the Ruins', 'Remedy of the Bane', 'Return to Gehenna', 'The Rust Islands', 'Sweet Bruising Skin', 'The Time She Became', 'The Vitreous Suzerain'. |
| "This is fantasy that lives
and breathes... [leaving] the reader a little wiser when the last page is
turned." - Faren Miller, Locus "Storm Constantine's vivid, exotic imagery, her flowing prose, bring an emotional substance to her work not commonly found in genre fiction... an authentic 21st century talent." - Michael Moorcock, from his introduction. | |
The Thorn Boy
Our party entered under the great arch of
the palace and, ahead of us, the sky was dominated by the monstrous temple of
Challis Hespereth, queen of heaven and earth, mother of all the gods. The fane
was constructed as a titanic likeness of its deity. Clouds of vividly-coloured
birds circled the mass of stone, released from on high by rejoicing priests and
priestesses.
We roamed across the lawns, beneath the spreading
branches of the trees. Peacocks drowsed on the grass, their folded tails
trailing on the early dew. Akaten went to one of the trees and leaned back
against it, gazing up through the sighing branches. So far, we had spoken
little. "So, tell me, how did you escape?" I asked him.
This
languidly erotic fantasy is both a tragic love story and a fascinating political
intrigue, set in a sensuous and suprising landscape of the
imagination.
"Storm is more polymorphously perverse than I am, or
maybe just more versatile. Still, I think she keeps a special place in her heart
for those slat-ribbed, kohl-eyed boys...
Storm's love for her characters,
their love and lust for one another, and her celebration of their beauty fairly
drips from her pages." - Introduction, Poppy Z. Brite
The Grigori
Trilogy
At this late stage of the
Twentieth Century, one of our cultural obsessions is the impending Millennium,
which cannot be ignored in the western world if only because the date stares us
in the face daily, whether we are Christian or not. At the same time, the last
few years have seen an upsurge of interest in angels; books and images abound,
many of them saccharine. Interest in the dark angel is also rife; from role
playing games and films to vampire novels, the dark side is arguably more
prevalent than the chubby cherub.
Storm Constantine’s recently completed
trilogy comprising: Stalking Tender Prey
(Signet 1995) Scenting
Hallowed Blood, (Signet 1996)
and Stealing Sacred Fire (Penguin 1997) explores the ancient mythology of the
Nephilim in the light of the approaching Millennium.
 |
 |
 |
|
Artwork by Anne Sudworth |
Briefly: In the earliest days, the
Anannage, known as the Sons of God, used humans as a labour force; humanity was
relatively primitive. The Anannage had superior knowledge and technology, and
their own laws forbade any sharing of knowledge with humans. Led by the rebel
prince, Shemyaza, some of the Anannage rebelled, took human wives and shared
with them secrets of their race. Shemyaza’s human partner was Ishtahar.
Retribution was dire; some were buried alive, Shemyaza’s body was burned and his
soul imprisoned in the constellation of Orion for eternity. The angels fell. In
this century, all that remains of the Anannage are human/ Nephilim hybrids. The
Grigori.
Eternity in the case proves to be measured in millennia. Close
to the year 2000, angels walk the earth again. The idea of the fallen angel is
one of enduring appeal; Milton made Lucifer his most sympathetic character in
Paradise Lost. The Grigori are angels from a different branch of mythology;
nonetheless we recognise them because their characteristics are similar. (It
could be argued that they both spring from the same root.)
The author
puts her finger on the prevailing twentieth century obsession with
psychoanalysis, and the idea of the divided self. The protagonist, Peverel
Othman, is a figure we can understand if not sympathise with; the individual who
lacks self-knowledge in the most profound sense, who is unaware of who he is, or
what he is capable of.
By making this a contemporary series, Constantine
is able to explore the idea of angels on earth in both the present and the past.
The ancient story is told in flashbacks, which inform present-day events; in
this way the reader is able to follow both threads and enjoy the dramatic irony
that the reader often knows more than the characters.
Another cherished
idea of the last several hundred years is explored in the relationships; love
that can transcend death, endure millennia and cross incarnations. Not only
romantic love, but familial love as well. In addition to love from the past,
injustice and pain span the generations to affect the present.
The
Grigori are strange and terrible, dark and beautiful, but they are also a
controlling force in the human world and can be mercilessly destructive. They
have occult powers. Their sexuality is different; they make no distinction
between heterosexual and homosexual relationships. For the humans in the story,
to have sex with a Grigori is to be irrevocably changed; to become a dependant,
unlikely to ever want a sexual relationship with another human again.
The
Grigori are different things to different people; to the fundamentalist
Christians in the story, they are incarnations of devils; to some humans, hope
of longevity and beauty. Possibly even the salvation of the planet itself. In
the Christian tradition, people have always feared the end of the world; we now
have the technology to make it happen, but this makes us no different from a
medieval person being certain that God could destroy everything tomorrow. It
could be argued that this is one of the main stresses of the approaching
Millennium, that associated with Armageddon, it could herald the end of the
world. To the rare optimist, maybe a new beginning.
Constantine weaves
all these late twentieth century concerns into a tapestry of desire, faith and
power. Her darkly erotic prose is captivating; the breadth of her vision
astonishing; from middle eastern despots to Cornish witches, her characters are
as well-rounded as they are different.
Originally published in Vector, The Critical Journal of the BFSA, May/June 1998 © Helen Knibb 1998
|
The Grigori Trilogy: USA Editions from Amazon.com | |
 |
 |
| Stalking Tender
Prey (The Grigori Trilogy #1) |
Scenting
Hallowed Blood (The Grigori Trilogy #2) |
The Wraeththu
Trilogy
Now available in one
edition
| The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit | |
|
The Wraeththu were a mutation: quasi-human, strikingly beautiful, telepathic and enmeshed in strange and exotic rituals. Spurning the degenerate society that spawned them, they challenged Mankind's waning supremacy to the limits, and fought for a future that promised justice and equality - their justice, their equality. Pellaz - naive, adolescent - refused to believe the Wraeththu existed. Until exotic, striking-looking Cal 'called' him. Under Cal's spell, Pellaz abandoned home and family, and set off on a bizarre odyssey, both physical and spiritual, into the very heart of the Wraeththu mystery. And it soon became very clear that a special destiny awaited Pellaz. |
| The Bewitchments of Love and Hate | |
|
Swift is Wraeththu. He lives in Forever, a rambling mansion which guards hs youth and adolescence from most of the turbulence that attends the first years of Wraeththu pre-eminence. His family is a paradigm of the struggles within nascent culture: Terzian, his father, and leader of the Varrs, has begun to slaughter all non-Varrs barbarically. Cobweb, his 'mother', has retreated into mysticism and mind-power in horrified reaction to his consort's brutality. And then Cal returns to stir up the long-buried past. Swift is confronted with responsibilites he is unused to, as he is caught up, first in a bitter family struggle, and later in a journey that will end by changing the Wraeththu dominions irrevocably. |
| The Fulfilments of Fate and Desire | |
 |
Wraeththu are the hermaphrodite successors to Mankind, who now control the land. In this, the final volume of Storm Constantine's strangely beautiful trilogy, we are re-introduced to Cal, a pivotal character in the previous books. Down on his luck, Cal wanders from town to town and finally, in extremity, is forced into becoming a whore to survive. Escaping from the brothel with Panthera, a Wraeththu to whom he has become attached, Cal's journey becomes a rite of passage, always leading towards Immanion, the mystical city, where his old lover Pellaz rules, and the mysterious Thiede waits to pull all the threads of his plan together. |
This marks the conclusion of a towering, totally original conception which has been masterfully executed by one of Britain's most talented young writers.
A single edition
of the Wraeththu Trilogy is also available from
| Hermetec | |
 |
hermetech or hermetechs n.
the science of orgasmic energy potential, esp. within fixed unit (within
time, space), adj. of or relating to properties of orgasmic energy
[C20, Gk L of Hermes traditionally inventor of magic
seal]. |
| The daughter of one time
Tech-Green wunderkind, Ewan Famber, Ari is the product of a
ground-breaking experiment that has left her genetically dead and sexually
confused. Ewan has no answers; he is dead. But in Arcady, Tammuz Malamute
lives on - with memories of creations he'd rather forget . . . Seven years ago, Leila Saatchi, leader of Star Eye, promised Ewan that she would find his daughter when the time was right; protect Ari from those who might misunderstand and misuse her. But the natro group are about to take on something neither they nor the Tech-Greens would have imagined possible . . .
| |
| Burying The Shadow | |
 |
Rayojini lives an idyllic life
amongst the soulscapers of Taparak until she herself reaches the age at
which she will be initiated into their ranks. Her scaping rite, though it
follows the traditional pattern of thousands of others, is different in
one vital respect. The guardian pursuers that are invoked to watch over
Rayojini's progress are real... |
| They have
been virtually immortal - thanks to the protection of the patrons who
exchange their life's blood for culture - but now the artisans are
beginning to die and to die in despair. Gimel and Beth Metatronim, an actress and a painter, set out to find a Tappish soulscaper who will be proficient enough to enter the racial soulscape of the eloim, track down the cause of the Fear and erradicate it. The soulscaper of their choice, Rayojini is puzzled that her guardian pursuers should be so much more real than those of other soulscapers. Then, as she delves deeper into the cause of the terrible non-death, a mysterious affliction akin to the Fear, their attentions become unavoidable...
| |
| Calenture | |
 |
Casmeer is the last living keeper of the dead,
deserted city of Thermidore. Immortal chronicler of the city, he is the
guardian of its crystalline inhabitants. Their sparkling remains are
looted by the scavenging plumosites - a strange hybrid of monkey and bird
- who cast the broken pieces into an underground river. |
| As they journey on, both
Finnigin and Ays are haunted by a mysterious figure, a man who seems to
know more about them than they themselves do. Ays and Finnigin find their
paths linked, before they come to the final terrifying and liberating
climax of their travels.
| |
| Sign For The Sacred | |
 |
The Church of Ixmarity is under
siege - the followers of the maverick prophet Resenence Jeopardy are
winning new converts daily and their heresy threatens the state itself, as
well as the wealth and position of those who govern it, particularly the
ecclesiarch, Wilfish Implexion. Implexion is determined to stamp out the
Jeopardites by any means at his disposal, no matter how ruthless. But the
Jeopardites are nomadic, flitting from sanctuary to sanctuary, constantly
evading the forces of Ixmarity. Implexion is not alone in his determination to seek out the elusive heretic - four others are desperate in their desire to find Jeopardy... Lucien... a former colleague of Resenence Jeopardy, a vibrancer of the Church of Ixmarity, a man who would have |
| dedicated his life to the
dance in respectable slavery had it not been for the love of the prophet
to be. Cleo... the child-bride of a poisoner. When the beautiful Inky, one of Jeopardy's illegitimate offspring, is brought to her house for disposal, she falls in love - with the boy and his sire. Delilah and Trajan... brought together by death and disease. Deliliah is orphaned by Trajan's violent attack on her village, and she's the only one not prey to either his wrath or the pernicious plague he carries. Delilah promises to watch over Trajan as he returns to the sanctuary of the Jeopardite camp - he believes Resenence is his only possible saviour from the terrible curse he carries.
| |
| Kiss Booties Night-Night |
| is featured in |
 |
| Cybersex |
| An Anthology of Aliens, Neurosex and Cyborgasms |
| Available from Amazon.Com |
Book notes taken with permission.
| back to |
|
Dark Bookshelf |
|
|
BACK
TO
HELL HOLE
