When magic suddenly stops, there’s more at stake than the livelihood of the last surviving sorcerers

In book 1 of Juliet Kemp’s new fantasy series, sorcerer Reb realises something is wrong when the city-angel turns up at her door. Marcia, Heir to House Fereno stumbles on the same truth. Together they must discover who is responsible and stop them.

DARTFORD, KENT – 21 May 2018 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce that they have signed with author Juliet Kemp for the first book in a gripping new fantasy series. Juliet has had short stories published in anthologies and online magazines, and has a novella due out later this year. But The Deep and Shining Dark is Juliet’s debut novel, launching straight into the political intrigues and magical shenanigans in the city-state of Marek, for which the series is named.

There had, once, been an overland trading route between mainland Teren and neighbouring Exuria, up and through the mountain passes. Its increasing unreliability had been what drove an expedition into the swamps, just over 300 years ago, seeking a route around the mountains. What they’d found was the outlet to the Oval Sea, which was even better. They made an agreement with an angel to ensure that magic within their new city worked without the need for bloodletting, and that political stability would be protected from magical influence. Then along came the Salinas, with their ships, their extensive trading partnerships around the Oval Sea, and their very reasonable carrier prices. Fairly soon, as Marek traded and became wealthy, it grew from being merely a city and chief trading- port of Teren into a semi-independent city-state. Most sophisticates no longer even believed in magic or the city-angel.

In The Deep and Shining Dark, Reb, one of the two sorcerers who survived a recent plague that wiped out virtually all of the rest, discovers that magic has suddenly stopped working. Someone has deposed the city-angel, but has been unable to replace it. Marcia, Heir to House Fereno, and one of the few in high society who is well-aware that magic still exists, stumbles across that same truth.

Meanwhile Council members connive and conspire, unaware that they are being manipulated in a treacherous political game that threatens the peace and security of the entire Oval Sea. Reb and Marcia must discover who is behind the plot, in order to stop the impending disaster. But first they must try to decide whom they can really trust.

Complementing Juliet’s story is a beautiful cover with artwork by renowned artist, Tony Allcock, which captures the essence of Marek and the outlook across the Oval Sea while conjuring up the intrigue that underlies the city itself. On seeing the cover for the first time Juliet’s response was “That’s absolutely gorgeous!”

The Deep and Shining Dark will be available on all popular eBook platforms from 6th July 2018. It will be available in paperback on 24th September 2018.

Notes for Editors

About Juliet Kemp

Juliet Kemp lives by the river in London, with partners, child, dog, and too many fountain pens. With an employment history that variously includes working as a cycle instructor, sysadmin, life model, researcher, permaculture designer, and journalist, Juliet still finds time to write. When not writing or parenting, Juliet goes climbing, knits, reads way too much, and drinks a lot of tea. Having had stories published in several anthologies and online magazines, Juliet was delighted to sign with Elsewhen Press to publish The Deep and Shining Dark.

About Tony Allcock

Tony Allcock lives in Hertfordshire and has been both a Research Scientist and a Fine Artist for 40 years. He has exhibited watercolour and oil paintings in galleries and exhibitions in the UK, France and Italy. More recently he has also been painting digitally, illustrating music CD covers and book covers. Under the internet name of 888toto he has been developing digital painting brushes and techniques that have been downloaded by many hundreds of artists around the world.

Visit bit.ly/DeepShiningDark