Carol Berg – författare

Brutal imprisonment has broken Aidan McAllister. His music is destroyed, and with it the visions he once gave a kingdom ravaged by dragon war. Now, he risks his hard-bought freedom to uncover the truth behind his incarceration-and to meet his enemy face-to-face...

The rebellious scion of a magical dynasty may hold the key to bring peace to his world in the first entry of this epic fantasy adventure duology.

As the son of a long line of magically gifted, pureblood cartographers and diviners, Valen knows his path in life is predetermined by his family and society. On his seventh birthday, his own parents even went so far as to predict his death. He thought rebellion might steer him clear of his family’s legacy, but the life of a thief was not the best choice. Wounded during a heist, Valen is abandoned by his partner in crime and left for dead in the freezing rain with only a worthless book of maps.

Offered sanctuary in a nearby monastery, Valen is soon drawn into a secret society concerned with the fall of civilization. With civil war looming, a dark age looms on the horizon, and Valen’s seemingly worthless book may be the key to saving the kingdom. Unfortunately for him, that means it’s time to stop running and embrace his destiny . . . 

The two books of the Lighthouse Duet—Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone—jointly received the 2009 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award 

“Engrossing. . . . Vividly rendered details give this book such power.” —Sharon Shinn, national bestselling author of Troubled Waters and Mystic and Rider

“Berg creates a troubled world full of politics, anarchy and dark magic. It is the growth in Valen’s character that brings heart to this work. . . . The magic is fascinating. . . . This fast-paced novel captivated me, and I am looking forward to Breath and Bone, the concluding volume to the series.” —SFRevu

A rebellious sorcerer risks it all to save his protégé, deliver justice, and protect his kingdom in this finale of the epic fantasy adventure duology.

As civil war and winter lay waste to Navronne, Valen finds himself in high demand. The young monk is currently bound in service to a prince who steals dead soldiers’ eyes and souls. There’s also a fanatical Harrower priestess hellbent on destroying the world. The fairylike Danae guardians are after him as well. And he must also worry about the Pureblood Registry, always eager to maintain their control of every pureblood sorcerer.

Torn between evil forces and fighting his addiction, Valen must risk body and soul to rescue one child, seek justice for another, and restore the rightful king to the dying land. With few he can trust, Valen ventures from monasteries to dungeons to the very heart of the world. In the twilight of a legend, he discovers some hard truths about his world . . . and about his past.

The two books of the Lighthouse Duet—Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone—jointly received the 2009 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award 

“The narrative crackles with intensity against a vivid backdrop of real depth and conviction, with characters to match. Altogether superior.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The sequel to Flesh and Spirit builds upon the first book’s events and illuminates the complex intrigues that mark the land of Navronne. Berg’s lush, evocative storytelling and fully developed characters add up to a first-rate purchase for most fantasy collections.” —Library Journal 

A struggling sorcerer is caught in a web of murder, mystery, and corruption in this epic fantasy series opener set in the world of Flesh and Spirit.

Civil war robbed Lucian de Rememni-Masson of most of his family and his fortune. As a pureblood sorcerer, he has a remarkable gift for portraiture and currently supports his surviving sister through painting for the Registry. But a brief dalliance in his past has returned to haunt Lucian. It was only an hour of youthful folly, but in that time, Lucian spoke with an ordinary, a young woman not of his own kind, allowed her to see his face, and performed magic for her. 

Now, the Registry has contracted Lucian out to a common coroner. Instead of painting living sorcerers, he must use his gift to help identify dead ordinaries hauled in from the streets. But having the power to capture the truth of dead men’s souls brings forth troubling consequences for Lucian. Especially when the dead have secrets worth killing for . . .

“A tale of magic and politics, of intrigue and betrayal. Set in a rich world, told through the eyes of a compelling and sympathetic hero, her story twists and turns, building to a conclusion that satisfies while hinting at more adventures to come. I eagerly await the next Sanctuary novel.” —D. B. Jackson, author of the Thieftaker Chronicles

“[A] captivating and satisfying fantasy epic, the first of a pair. . . . With an impressive command of language, sure-handed plotting, and perceptive characterizations, Berg traces the arc of Lucian’s arduous quest to solve the murders of several illegitimate royals.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 “A powerful, involving fantasy.” —Locus

 “With a plethora of fascinating characters and intense drama, Dust and Light is outstanding.” —RT Book Reviews(Top Pick)

In this epic fantasy sequel to Dust and Light, a man without a past must restore his memory to save his kingdom.

As a candidate for knighthood in the Order of the Equites Cineré, Greenshank had to give up his memory. It also means thinking of the past makes his head ache, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting in two years of rigorous training. He is almost ready to embrace the order’s mission—to use selfless magic to heal the fractured kingdom of Navronne. Still, trouble arises on his first solo assignment when he encounters a mysterious woman who brings his past rushing back . . . 

Greenshank discovers he was once a sorcerer with a different name. One whose gifts threaten the safety of the kingdom and the world. Now to unravel the mysteries of his past and his powers, he must trace a path of corruption that leads into some unexpected—and dangerous—places . . . 

“Berg has an artist’s touch with fantasy worlds and scenes.” —RT Book Reviews

“With this masterful opening . . . the story grabs you by the hand, plunging you headfirst into a world of magic and war, where nothing is quite what it seems.” —San Francisco Book Review 

As a kingdom hangs in the balance, a librarian investigates an attempted murder in this quasi-Renaissance epic fantasy trilogy debut.

The power of magic is declining in Sabria. Natural science is overtaking sorcery, placing the kingdom on the verge of a renaissance and stirring up potential for a bloody rivalry . . . 

Portier de Savin-Duplais once dreamed of being a great mage, but not having any talent for magic forced him to consider a different option. As a librarian at Sabria’s last Collegia Magica, he is at least able to find solace in scholarship. And now, thanks to his studies, the chance for greatness may be at hand—the King of Sabria needs Portier’s help. 

Someone tried to kill the king, and evidence implicates ties to magic. Portier is tasked with rooting out the mysterious enemy. But to do so, he must team up with a foolish dandy from the royal court and a brilliant, yet dangerously irascible, mage. Together the trio must navigate a treacherous landscape of conspiracy, betrayal, unholy magic, and murder if they hope to save the king and prevent an even bloodier war . . .

“[A] superbly realized leadoff to Berg’s quasi-Renaissance fantasy trilogy. . . . Berg shapes the well-worn elements of epic fantasy into a lush, absorbing narrative. Even her minor characters, caught up in fiendish plots and deathly secrets, ring regally true, and Portier oscillates between rueful, reluctant, ethics-bending service and painful but necessary revelations while his old world collapses and a new one struggles to be born.” —Publishers Weekly(starred review)

“An infectiously enjoyable series opener that fans of thought-provoking fantasy and intriguing mystery should appreciate.” —Library Journal

“An archetypal mystery and a genuine page-turner that should please both mystery and fantasy fans.” —Booklist 

“Berg is a master world builder that novice fantasy authors would do well to study. Her characters are well rounded, and her created environment becomes as familiar as one’s own backyard. The fantastic elements of the story are normal—not ordinary, just a natural part of the world. Plus, the plot is nuanced and detailed. This first installment . . . is a winner.” —RT Book Reviews

A scientific young woman probes the mysterious death of her magically gifted sister in this quasi-Renaissance epic fantasy sequel to The Spirit Lens.

Anne de Vernase is fighting to hold herself together as scandal and tragedy tear her family apart. Her father remains at large, convicted of treason and murder thanks to her own testimony—and his pursuit of depraved sorcery. Her mother has gone insane, and her brother is a prisoner. Her sister, a talented sixth-year student at the Collegia Magica, has recently died under mysterious circumstances. And now the man she despises, Portier de Savin-Duplais, arrives with a foreboding summons from her godfather, the king.

Once in Merona, Anne finds herself in a city besieged by dark sorcery and in a royal court full of treacherous machinations. Disturbing rumors surround the queen’s volatile sorcerer, while the queen’s mother is waging a manipulative game. And when a killer strikes, Anne questions what really happened to her sister. With no talent for magic and few allies to protect her, Anne begins a perilous search for the truth that will shake up a kingdom . . . 

“A compelling and altogether admirable work.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Lavish. . . . Berg’s characters return to vivid life. . . . Berg refreshes and reinvigorates the familiar trappings of epic fantasy, shaping a novel that rings true both linguistically and imaginatively. This is one to savor.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Berg brings life and grace to a story of magic and politics that should appeal to the author’s fans as well as lovers of Renaissance-style fantasy.” —Library Journal 

A violent fugitive who cannot speak, who has no past.

A disgraced noblewoman who would rather forget her past.

And a world of magic that has turned against both of them.

Seriana Marguerite, daughter of a warrior house, once believed that intelligence, determination, and love could avert the consequences of youthful rebellion.

She was wrong.

Violating the singular tenet of the Four Realms—that sorcery and all who practice it must be reported and exterminated—brought torment and death to those closest to her. Only her family’s influence preserved her own life, a mercy for which she has never been thankful.

Over the years Seri has adapted to poverty and exile, far from royal intrigues and the politics of power. But her bitter peace collapses on the day she encounters a half-mad fugitive—a man incapable of speech, yet skilled at violence.

The discovery that one of his dead-eyed pursuers is the man responsible for the horrors of her past forces Seri onto a path of anguished memory and ancient riddles, a race to unravel the mysteries of the fugitive’s identity, his mission, and a looming danger that could shatter the very foundation of the world.

"Berg exhibits her skill with language, world-building, and the intelligent development of the magic that affects and is affected by the characters. The first book of the Bridge of D'Arnath launches a promising new multivolume work that should provide much intelligent entertainment."—Booklist

"This is excellent dark fantasy with a liberal dash of court intrigue. Highly recommended."—Broad Universe