£3.99 – £8.99
“Whether you like action, magic, romance or mystery there is something for you here. I never had a reason to put the book down. I am very eager to read the third book in the series.”
– Mazarkis Williams, author of the Tower & Knife series
The continuing adventures of Mal Catlyn and company, as the swashbuckling swordsman sets sail for a showdown with destiny in the city of Venice.
File Under: Fantasy [ Skrayling Dreams | Pound of Flesh | Venice in Peril | The Dark Lady ]
The Second Book in the Night’s Masque Series
| Publication date | 2012-12-18 |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Angry Robot Books |
| Brand | Angry Robot |
| Cover Art | Larry Rostant @ Artist Partners ; http://www.rostant.com/ |
| Series | Night's Masque |
| The Merchant of Dreams | Paperback, Ebook |
| Paperback ISBN | 9780857662774 |
|---|---|
| EBook ISBN | 9780857662798 |
Anne Lyle was born in what is known to the tourist industry as “Robin Hood Country”, and grew up fascinated by English history, folklore, and swashbuckling heroes. Unfortunately there was little demand in 1970s Nottingham for diminutive female swordswomen, so she studied sensible subjects like science and languages instead. It appears that although you can take the girl out of Sherwood Forest, you can’t take Sherwood Forest out of the girl. She now spends every spare hour writing (or at least planning) fantasy fiction about spies, actors, outlaws and other folk on the fringes of society. Her Night’s Masque series is set in an alternate history Elizabethan England, where the Virgin Queen married and had children while fanged and tattooed creatures from the New World walk the streets of London. Anne lives in Cambridge, a city full of medieval and Tudor buildings where cattle graze on the common land much as they did in Shakespeare’s London. She prides herself on being able to ride a horse (badly), sew a sampler and cut a quill pen but hasn’t the least idea how to drive one of those new-fangled automobile thingies.
“I loved everything about The Merchant of Dreams: it is exciting, thrilling and Lyle’s gorgeous prose drives the story elegantly forwards towards a goal … A fantastic example of historical fantasy going all the way and holding nothing back, The Merchant of Dreams is complex and exciting.”
– Leo Elijah Cristea
“The exploration of gender, relationships (both political and personal) and sacrifice continue in a historical fantasy that is as light-hearted and entertaining as it is deep. Perhaps its most admirable quality is Lyle’s willingness to explore and represent the minority in a realistic and unashamed manner.”
– Elloise Hopkins
“This may be one of the best historical fiction/fantasy novels of 2012. Venice, Pirates, Skraylings, politics and some epic action scenes in sixteenth century Europe make sure that The Merchant of Dreams is a worthy successor to The Alchemist of Souls.”
– Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
“Where Lyle excels is with the amount of accurate historical detail she peppers the book with. She’s careful about using period expressions and terminology, making the book feel authentic.
– Jessica Strider, Sci-Fi Fan Letter
“The Merchant of Dreams is a fantastic sequel to The Alchemist of Souls … Lyle is a master of blending historical fact and fantastic fiction and she’s only gotten better with her second book.”
– Mieneke van der Salm, A Fantastical Librarian
“Full of vitality and some spectacular sequences, The Merchant of Dreams is simply fantastic.”
– Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields
“beautifully written … The Merchant of Dreams will most likely enthrall any reader who loves history.”
– Tammy Sparks Books, Bones & Buffy
“One of the things I enjoyed most in this novel was its complexity. Just when you think you know who the bad guy is, it turns out to be someone else. There’s very little good and evil, but almost everyone is wearing a mask of one sort or another and there’s much fun to be had figuring out what’s behind all of them.”
– Ros Jackson, Warpcore SF
“It’s a heady world of politics, intrigue, and xenophobia, and Lyle makes creating a vivid and grimy Elizabethan background look easy … I love any book that can combine my loves of both historical and fantasy fiction.”
– Aoife, Footnotes
“If you’ve read the first book, this escalates the world and mythology. If you are new to this world, you can read this independently, but if were you, I would buy both books. They are simply brilliant, and I can’t wait for the next installment.”
– Theresa Derwin, Terror-Tree
