Blood Gift Chronicles is an award-winning fantasy book series published by Stairwell Books. The series begins with Return of the Mantra and The Warder, and features themes of wildlife and the environment, social justice and marginalisation, magic, animism, dragons, and being true to oneself.
The series is YA and appealing to a wide range of readers. Books one and two are part of a planned trilogy, and while each book can also work as a standalone, there is an overarching storyline that connects them. I am currently working on the third instalment.
Return of the Mantra and The Warder both won Firebird Book Awards in 2021.
Return of the Mantra: Blood Gift Chronicles Book One
***Firebird Book Award Winner*** Click here
Available in paperback or kindle from all good bookshops.
16-year-old Suni has always known she is different. She and her mother, Mata, live a secretive life on the edge of society, hidden from the tyrant King and his autocratic rule. Her father abandoned them to work in the King’s crystal mines.
In a land ravaged by drought, where the natural world is forsaken for profit, Mata follows the old ways of the Mantra, which the King has outlawed. When tragedy strikes, Suni is cut adrift. She sets off to find her father. Will she also find the destiny Mata wanted for her?
Return of the Mantra chronicles Suni’s experiences in the mines, how she escapes and the people she meets. Her journey is a search for justice and her own identity, and the story explores contemporary issues set in a real but remote culture.
The Warder: Blood Gift Chronicles Book 2
***Firebird Book Award Winner*** Click here
Available in paperback or kindle from all good bookshops.
The King is defeated, the spirit of the Mantra has been restored, Suni is reunited with her father and yet: all is not quite right.
Wanda and his cousin Luna live in the valley beyond the mountains: Luna dreams of dragons while Wanda, gifted with the ability to communicate with animals, struggles with his own shadow. Ntombi blames Wanda for Luna’s condition.
Meanwhile, in the town by the sea, Suni fears for her dear friends, and watches over them with her own gift. Many, including Suni’s father, suffer from a strange affliction. The townspeople blame the Mantra.
Then strangers arrive from the sea, bringing hope: but in this land of gifts and curses, is anything what it seems to be?
Praise for Return of the Mantra:
“This book has everything I look for within fantasy. Strong protagonists and antagonists, an equal split of genders, diversity, and story-lines that at times reflected a modern day Africa. This is a highly satisfying read with a well developed world, and magic system I cannot wait to see how it continues. 5 Stars.”
Dan Stubbings, Writer and Book Reviewer. Click here for full review.
Praise for The Warder
“This book is a charming story of loss, love and finding yourself in the most unexpected places. It is epic fantasy with a heart that will leave you scarred, but begging for more. A highly accomplished sequel. 5 stars.”
Dan Stubbings, Writer and Book Reviewer. Click here for full review.
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