Council of Fire

A new entry in the Dragon Award-winning Arcane America series from New York Times -bestselling alternate history master Flint. The passage of Halley's Comet in 1759 is catastrophic. The comet appears to strike the Earth, sundering the New World from the Old. The comet has also unleashed magic forces, which soon spread everywhere.

About the author

Eric Flint was the creator of the New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series, the best-selling alternate history series of all time. Beginning with 1632, Flint—along with dozens of cowriters—chronicled what happened when the 20th-century town of Grantville, West Virginia, was transported through time and space to 17th-century Europe. In addition, Flint was the author, with New York Times best seller David Weber, of the Crown of Slaves Saga, as well as the Belisarius series with best-selling author David Drake. Flint was the editor of Jim Baen’s Universe, as well as numerous short story anthologies. Before becoming a writer, Flint worked as a trade union organizer, longshoreman, truck driver, auto worker, steel worker, oil worker, meatpacker, glassblower, and machinist. Eric Flint passed away in 2022.

Summary

NEW ENTRY IN THE DRAGON AWARD–WINNING ARCANE AMERICA SERIES from New York Times best-selling alternate history master Eric Flint. 

THE GREAT SUNDERING HAS ARRIVED

Halley’s Comet, 1759. The comet veers and strikes the Earth with nature-altering force. The New World splits from the Old. A chain of mountains rises in the Mid-Atlantic. No ship from the New World can find a passage to the Old. Those who try . . . simply disappear.

But the greatest change the comet has wrought is the dawn of real magic—and very real monsters. A kraken in the Atlantic, revenants in Jamaica, Dry Hands and Floating Heads in the Hudson Valley, African ogres and worse set loose in the streets of New York.

Plus, the political situation has utterly shifted. The powerful Iroquois Confederacy disintegrates. Seneca and Cayuga follow a nefarious shaman and war leader, while the Mohawks ally with the English. What’s more, the English and the French in North America must contemplate what had been unthinkable: unification behind a young Englishman prince, now the only person of royal blood left in the New World. In this transformed land of magic, royal blood brings unexpected powers. Yet if Prince Edward cannot master those powers, they may lead to his own destruction—and to a New World ruled by monsters. 

About Council of Fire:
“Historical figures such as George Washington and Paul Revere are actively involved in the story, giving this alternate history a sense of what the colonies could have become with a bit of magic involved.”—Booklist

"Readers will enjoy the smart worldbuilding and historical details of colonial shipping, political conflict, race relations, and Native cultures. . . . [an] impressive adventure."—Publishers Weekly

About Uncharted:
"History and mythology meld admirably, leading to a satisfying conclusion. This hardy adventure establishes a world ripe for many more rousing stories."—Publishers Weekly

"With a light and brisk narrative that propels its heroes through a number of increasingly dangerous situations, this combination of alternate history and fantasy should appeal to fans of Eric Flint, Harry Turtledove, and historical fantasy in general."—Booklist

“While delivering plenty of action that approximates the best of cinematic fantasy, Hoyt and Anderson also strive for—and achieve—a kind of gravitas that suitably reflects the majesty of an untrammeled continent. Their descriptions of raw nature and its emotional repercussions on the humans are subtly poetic without being overblown. The native tribes are depicted in authentic ways, especially the people of Sacagawea. . . .The characterization of all the cast members is deep and revelatory of human nature. . . . There is also humor amidst the seriousness . . . [Anderson and Hoyt’s] prose is a clear-eyed, sturdy naturalism meshed with flights of vivid unreality . . . filled with not only slambang adventures but also a kind of rational optimism that has become rare in genre works these days. . . Hoyt and Anderson, a kind of de Camp and Pratt for the twenty-first century, convey these ideals without lectures or sermons, embodying them in principled people doing exciting things.”—Locus

About Eric Flint:

“This alternate history series is … a landmark…”—Booklist

“[Eric] Flint's 1632 universe seems to be inspiring a whole new crop of gifted alternate historians.”—Booklist

“…reads like a technothriller set in the age of the Medicis…”—Publishers Weekly

About Walter H. Hunt: "A compelling and immersive novel in which every word feels authentic and every chapter draws the reader deeper into the dark and terrifying power of the mind.”—New York Journal of Books

Product details

• Authors: Eric Flint, Eric Hunt Flint, Walter Hunt, Walter H Hunt, Walter H. Hunt
• Publisher: Baen Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.11.2019
• EAN: 9781982124151
• ISBN: 978-1-982124-15-1
• No. of pages: 368
• Dimensions: 162 mm x 240 mm x 35 mm
• Subject: Fiction > Science fiction, fantasy