Claudie Arseneault – författare

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi's sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah's dream, hoping for answers about the elf's past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers and react to Aliyah's presence.When the Archivists—a mysterious organization that has trailed the crew from the very start—capture everyone but Aliyah, however, their journey grinds to a halt. Still reeling from revelations about themselves, Aliyah must infiltrate the Archivists' base to rescue their group. The place is half ruined city, half magical wonder—a labyrinth to navigate which will require the help of two unlikely allies: Fragment motes from past citizens willing to guide Aliyah.To confront the Archivists is to uncover more of the inextricable truths between Aliyah and the Fragments. With every new revelation, the fractures in the Wagon crew's cohesion and Aliyah's determination widen. Before they can travel onward, they will need to find the strength to bear the weight of their ruined history.-----Ruined History is the sixth of a series of fantasy adventure novellas wrapping the high stakes of epic fantasy in the warmth of quieter gaming scenes, all imbued with an aspec-focused queernormative world and strong platonic bonds.

Clémence Voyer's one and only priority is Alain, ols five-year-old brother. Ol had been ready to kill countless witches to keep him safe. With Montrant Industries' crimes exposed, Clémence is freed from their clutches and under witness protection, granting ol a rare opportunity to give the boy a sense of normalcy and indulge his bird obsession. The city of Val-de-mer is left with one obvious problem, however: over a thousand witches trapped in exocores need to be transferred safely into new bodies, and ols involvement in the creation of exocores is not so easily forgotten—not by the lovely Emmanuelle Duclos, the scientist in charge of devising the exocore transfer, not by the witch community ol betrayed, and not by Montrant Industries, who needs ol dead to protect itself. Mired in the middle of the exocore restoration project, Clémence is forced to face the people ol harmed. Ol will need to learn to trust again determine what it means to be accountable if ol wants to move forward and finally give Alain the idyllic life he deserves.---Painted Flock is the second fantasy novel in a series meant to reframe romance tropes within non-romantic relationship and centering aromantic characters. Those who enjoy quiet healing, tricky redemptions, and unusual families should enjoy this story.

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi's sentient self-propelling wagon. Their travels across a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers, has brought many answers about Aliyah's past, her strange abilities, and the Fragments themselves.Only one obstacle remains between them and the forest of Aliyah's dreams: a cursed marsh filled with ever-shifting terrain and thick Fragment storms. When Keza spots the sacred flowers of her people, however, she drags Horace deep into the marsh, to a crumbled monastery. Nothing is left of its previous inhabitants but the angry Fragmented remains of an Inae Earth Master.The master is desperate to pass on their knowledge, a technique far different from Keza's water dance, but in order to do so, they require a body to possess and a worthy heir.  Horace provides a perfect host, but Keza—abrasive, uncouth, and exiled from her own clan—is far from the ideal student. Sparks fly between mentor and pupil, and Keza will need to rein in her natural snark if she wants to free her friend and inherit her people's lost traditions.

Isandor, City of Spires. A hundred and thirty years have passed since Arathiel last set foot in his home city. Isandor hasn't changed—bickering merchant families still vie for power through eccentric shows of wealth—but he has. His family is long dead, a magical trap has dulled his senses, and he returns seeking a sense of belonging now long lost. Arathiel hides in the Lower City, piecing together a new life among in a shelter dedicated to the homeless and the poor, befriending an uncommon trio. When one of them is accused of Isandor's most infamous assassination of the last decade, what little peace Arathiel has managed to find for himself is shattered. In order to save his friend, Arathiel may have to destroy the shreds of home he'd managed to build for himself. Arathiel could appeal to the Dathirii—a noble elven family who knew him before he disappeared—but he would have to stop hiding, and they have battles of their own to fight. The idealistic Lord Dathirii is waging a battle of honour and justice against the cruel Myrian Empire, objecting to their slavery, their magics, and inhumane treatment of their apprentices. One he could win, if only he could convince Isandor's rulers to stop courting Myrian's favours for profit. In the ripples that follow Diel's opposition, friendships shatter and alliances crumble. Arathiel, the Dathirii, and everyone in Isandor fights to preserve their homes, even if the struggle changes them irrevocably.--------City of Strife is the first installment of the City of Spires series, a multi-layered political fantasy led by an all-queer cast. Fans of complex storylines criss-crossing one another, elves and magic, and strong friendships and found families will find everything they need within these pages.

Innkeep, hunter, blacksmith, nurse—Horace has apprenticed for every clan in the domed city of Trenaze, and they've all rejected em. Too hare-brained. Too talkative. Too slow. Ever the optimist, e has joined Trenaze's guards to be mentored. Horace has high hopes to earn eir place during eir trial at the Great Market. That is, until the glowing shards haunting the world break through the city's protective dome, fused together in a single, monstrous amalgam of Fragments. Armed with a sword, a shield, and far too little training, Horace doubts eir ability to defend the market-goers. But eir last stand is interrupted by a mysterious elven figure who can dissipate the Fragments with a single, strange sentence: your story is my story. From the moment it is uttered, Horace knows the sentences holds true for em, too—and when the elf collapses in the middle of the market, e carries them to safety, to recover away from the panicked crowd and inevitable questions from eir fellow guards. It could cost em eir apprenticeship—eir last chance to find eir place in eir home city—but Horace cannot resist the pull of this mystery elf and the call of a new friend. Aliyah has but one desire: to leave Trenaze's safe boundaries and find the forest that haunts their dreams. After an afternoon of board games in their quiet, sharp-witted company, Horace is ready to follow, confronting Fragments and other dangers of the road to understand what happened that day, hear Aliyah's laugh again and finally feel like e belongs. ----Awakenings is the first of nine novellas in a fantasy adventure blending cozy fantasy vibes and D&D style side-questing, imbued with an aspec-focused queernormative world and strong platonic bonds. ---Praise for Awakenings"e;Awakenings masterfully combines adventure, coziness, friendship, and board games--all the major food groups! If you've been pining for books that center friendship instead of romance, you're going to want this on the very top of your read list. An absolute delight from start to finish, and I'm stoked as hell that this series is only beginning."e; - Nicole Kornher-Stace, Author of Firebreak"e;One of the most heartfelt, engaging and fun series starters I've read in a while. Worldbuilding that's instantly compelling, and a found family to fall in love with as they bond with each other. Count me in for wherever Horace, Aliyah and Rumi's journey takes them next."e; - Brandon Crilly, IPPY Award-winning author of Catalyst"e;Nerezia has me hooked and wanting more. With a lively and well-realized world full of colorful and endearing characters, and *several* intriguing mysteries at its core, this queer friendship-focused traveling tale promises to be a fun and emotionally satisfying ride."e;  - RoAnna Sylver, Author of Chameleon Moon"e;Come for the magical mysteries, stay for the sentient wagon. Awakenings will delight readers of cozy fantasy with its charming characters and whimsical world. For lovers of found family and platonic bonds that transcend tradition, their story is our story."e; - Rosiee Thor, Author of Fire Becomes Her

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, and Aliyah together in Rumi's Wandering Wagon of Wonderful Wares, a sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah's dream, hoping for answers about their past and their unique abilities—but for that, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers. With the Fragments in the wilderness, banditry was the last danger Horace had expected on the road—but not even that could stop Keza Nesmit. Swift and deadly with a staff, Keza drops on the Wagon crew, claiming most of their provisions before vanishing back into the Tesrima Ridge. As if to compound their bad luck, the tunnel that serves as the only pass through the mountain is flooded and impassable. Keza reappears, and she's willing to show them the source of the flooding, a waterway blocked by Fragments, in the hopes that they can unblock it—and just like with the stolen food, she won't answer any questions about her motives, no matter how friendly. Abrasive, confident, and eager to bicker, Keza makes for a thorny companion, but they'll need to work together to free the pass and continue their travel. As they unravel the Fragments' blockage, so, too, do they chip away at Keza's walls. But the cost of breaking both is far higher than anticipated, and Horace is about to learn that some secrets are better left untouched.

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi's sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah's dream, hoping for answers about the elf's past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers. Their journey has brought them to Alleaze, a coastal city from which they hope to book passage across the ocean. But Alleaze's regular life has stopped, giving way to the excitement of the Sea Spirit Festival, a weeks-long event. Forcefully grounded, the Wagon crew is more than happy to partake in the local festivities, brimming with games, seaside delicacies, and legends about the Bay. But the Festival is more than one big celebration: it is a crucial time during which the Bay's Spirit guides its residents to their new life path and chooses a Storm Catcher, a divine hero meant to revitalize the Spirit's strength. When the Festival winds down and no Storm Catcher has been chosen, panic washes over Alleaze and the Wagon crew finds itself embroiled in the subsequent chaos. In order to help Alleaze find its local hero and be allowed to sail out, they will need to confront the truth behind the legend of the Sea Spirit—and survive it. ---The Sea Spirit Festival is the third of nine novellas in a fantasy adventure wrapping the high stakes of epic fantasy in the warmth of cozy fantasy, all imbued with an aspec-focused queernormative world and strong platonic bonds.

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi's sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah's dream, hoping for answers about the elf's past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers and react to Aliyah's presence. They finally leave the coast to undertake a long ocean crossing filled with the sailors' brand-new games and fearsome myths, but no one expects the latter to come to life. At sea, the Fragments that roam the world have coalesced into a gigantic beast—the kraken of legends—and unfortunately, it shares its landbound cousins' obsession with Aliyah. The crew may have bested countless storms, but no amount of sea-worthiness can save the ship from the wrath of its colossal tentacles. If they want to escape the kraken and continue their journey, the wagon's team will need to unravel more of the Fragments' mysteries, and learn to listen beyond the murmur of the sea.

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi's sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah's dream, hoping for answers about the elf's past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers and react to Aliyah's presence.They've reached Virze, a marvel of art and engineering and a city in which all acts of creation are beloved. A perfect occasion to explore and rest before the next leg of their journey… except that Rumi desperately wants to avoid his hometown and the demons of his past. When the Wagon crew realises half of those might be fears of his own making, however, they refuse to leave.But between the curse that ran him out of town and the source of his engineering skills, Rumi has been keeping even more secrets than they'd expected. He'll need all their support to face the loved ones left behind and prove to all, himself first and foremost, what he is truly capable of.