merlinscribe | Forthcoming Work: The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy

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Forthcoming Work: The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy

A reader writes:

"Dear Mr. Mallory,

Do you and Mercedes Lackey have plans for more books set in the World of Obsidian?

All the Best,

A. Reader"

I am pleased to announce that Ms. Lackey and I have just delivered to our publisher The Dragon Prophecy: Book One: Crown Of Vengeance. Tor has not scheduled it as of yet, but it is likely to be a Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 release.

The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy is set long before the events of The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy. It tells the story of the first war fought between the Children of Light and the Endarkened, of the Elves in a time millennia before they had the race of Men to aid in their fight, from a time before the Wild Magic -- and long before the High Magic had been thought of.

Near the end of Shadow Mountain: Book Three: When Darkness Falls, Kellen, Idalia, and Jermayan are sent by Ancaladar on a vision quest to find a force powerful enough to stop He Who Is from entering the world...

#

He was no longer Kellen Tavadon, Knight-Mage.

He was Vielissiar Farcarinon, Great Queen, victor of a thousand battles. Since she had been old enough to hold a sword, she had fought -- against the Centaurs, against the Minotaurs, against the Bearwards. She had fought the warring Elven tribes who would attempt to take her crown from her, and united them beneath her banner. She had brought her rule to the land from the Forests of Ulayna to the Golden Isles, and united the Hundred Houses. All of them had acknowledged her right to rule, for she was wise, favoring no House over another.

Then, in the moment of her greatest victory, when all the land was at peace, a new enemy had come. Not just an enemy of the Elves, but an enemy of all who walked beneath the Light.

The Endarkened.

#

He was no longer Jermayan, son of Malkirinath, Elven Knight, Ancaladar's Bonded.

He was Vielissiar Farcarinon, Great Queen, victor of a thousand battles, Elven Mage. Since she had been old enough to enter The Sanctuary of the Star, she had studied the mysteries of the Great Magic that bound the Children of Leaf and Star to the heartbeat of the world, and mastered all its secrets. With that power had come great wisdom, and so she had planned her battles carefully, knowing that the Elves must not forever expend their substance on petty wars between House and House, but must unite together beneath a strong ruler, and end their bickering forever. For there had been omens revealed in the stars at the moment of her birth that foretold that a great enemy was coming, and she knew that she must be there to meet it.

She labored long and bloodily, and at last there was peace. And then, as the prophecy foretold, the enemy came. Winged creatures of Shadow, with sorcerous powers greater than those of the greatest Elven Mage. Once more she rallied her armies beneath her banner, and found, to her horror, that all their power, all their magic was not enough.

But she had been planning for this day for a very long time, and she did not despair. She went into the deep earth, armed only with her wits, her magic, and her love, and found new allies.

The dragons.

There, she made a pact that would change the world forever. She made it willingly, knowingly, gladly, for the enemy they faced was worth any sacrifice.

But it was still not enough to save them.

#

She was no longer Idalia Wildmage, tool of the Wild Magic.

She was Vielissiar Farcarinon, Great Queen, victor of a thousand battles, Elven Mage.

With all the limitless power of a dragon to draw upon, she was still not the equal of the enemy she fought. She could destroy them one by one upon the battlefield, but the Power they served walked the land beside them, and its power was as much greater than Theirs as Leaf and Star was greater than hers.

It was that Power that she must seal away from the world, if all who walked beneath the Light were to survive -- and prevail.

There were yet Allies upon whom she might call. Those who loved her people well, who had answered their prayers upon a thousand battlefields, to whom offerings were made at the Nine Shrines in every season. Allies as bright and dangerous as a swordblade, as powerful as the lightning.

As powerful –- perhaps – as He Who Is.

#

Thousands of years before the race of Men existed, long before the Wild Magic was known, the Elves were great Mages who shared their world not only with other races ... but with a great enemy they had yet to meet.

In this ancient age, Elvenkind is still treacherous, bloodthirsty, and cruel, waging constant wars among itself and against every living thing in Jer-a-kalaliel, the Strong-Hearted Land. There are a hundred Elven courts, and the War Prince of each battles to claim the Unicorn Throne of High King Amrethion Aradruiniel -- and with it, sovereignty over all Elvenkind. But Celephriandullias-Tildorangelor fell ten thousand years before. All that remains of those days is a series of poems called The Song of Amrethion Aradruiniel...

And a prophecy:

For twice upon five hundred lives, the Throne of Shame shall sleep unknown
And Celephriandullias-Tildorangelor a haunt of shadows lie
The Happy Lands shall ring to battle through the wheel of years
While all who husband hidden secrets die.

Though many seek to gain the golden crown, no worthy hand shall gain its light
And brother vie with brother for a prize no House can claim
While Darkness breeds in lands unknown and armies bought with mortal blood
Will rise upon the day false promise is made true.

When stars and clouds together point the way
And of a hundred deer one doe no longer counted be
When peace is bought with maiden mother's blood
And those so long denied assert their ancient claim
When scholar turns to sword, and warrior to peace
And two ford rivers swelled with mortal gore
When two are one, then one may speak for all
And in that hour claim what never has been lost.

Vieliessar of Farcarinon is lucky to be alive. Orphaned, her House erased by the War Princes who betrayed her father, she lives as a servant in the Sanctuary of the Star, knowing her life is forfeit the moment she leaves.

She's the only one who believes The Song of Amrethion is more than a series of meaningless riddles...

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I would just like to extend my gratitude to both Mr. Mallory, and Ms. Lackey. The obsidian trilogy was one of my favorite, and i've read it thrice over. Ive recently just finished your second trilogy and immediately after doing so went in search hoping that there where plans for a new addition. Thanks again and rest assured ill have it the day its published and released.

Dear Anon:

Thank you so much for your very kind words. It is always heartening to know our work is read and enjoyed.

Mr. Mallory, I love the Obsidian Trilogy as well as the Enduring Flame trilogy. The characters draw me in and I feel emotionally connected to them on an almost embarrassing level! :) Is there any update on when Crown on Vengeance will be published? I'm eagerly awaiting it! When I realized the story would be continued on, I was absolutely thrilled. Kellen is such an amazing character and the world you and Ms. Lackey have created is a fantasy but has so many concepts of reality as we know it.

Thank you so much for writing the series!

I very much hope you will enjoy the Dragon Prophecy series as well. It has a tentative publication date of Fall, 2012: I am currently performing the final revisions on the manuscript. I am pleased to report that due to the need to cut substantial material, there will be a significant number of "value added" snippets making their way into the wild during this coming year.

All the best to you for 2012.

I CANT WAIT!!! I love these series!

Thank you. I am delighted to hear it. I very much hope the newest work will be enjoyable to you.

All of the books in this series are some of the best I've read in a long while. It has also rekindled my interest to continue writing my book. Thank you so much for continuing the series. I look forward to the next installment.

Spencer

Dear Spencer:

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am told that the next book will be released in November of this year. I believe there will be a free prequel novella released just before. I hope you will enjoy them both.

James Mallory

The series are amazing. I have already read crown of vengeance four times. Ad am dying to knw when to expect the next book

Anonymous, I think you speak for a lot of fans of Mallory and Lackey's collaboration - so when will the next book be released and what will its title be?

Just awaiting SCOURGE OF FATE WITH BATED BREATH. HOPE DEEPLY WON'T BE CRUSHED BY THE COVENANT BREAK WITH READERS. G.R.R.Martin is permanently boycotted by me for his callous treatment of his fans. Have read every book in Obsidian universe. Thoroughly enchanchanted. Really want Scourge... please?

I don't think they answer. He hasn't answered in ages!!

Dear Friend:

I'm sorry to be giving you this form response, but so many of the posts in my inbox are asking pretty much the same question, and after my long absence, I cannot quite be certain you will see it otherwise. You certainly have every right to have given up expecting an answer, after all.

I am back, I am at work on the third book in the Dragon Prophecy Trilogy (the title has been changed from "Scourge of Fate" to "Wings of Fate" because after all: dragons), and will be posting the opening chapters on my blog's other site

merlinscribe_library. The first chapter is already up.

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to see you at

merlinscribe soon. Thank you so much for your patience.

Very Truly Yours,
James

merlinscribe_library. The first chapter is already up.

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to see you at

merlinscribe soon. Thank you so much for your patience.

Very Truly Yours,
James

Tor, Mercedes, and I are currently hoping that "Blade of Empire" will see a 2014 release...

That, I am afraid, is now in Tor's hands. The book has been delivered...

I am so looking forward to the second book in this trilogy. Surely there is an editor I can write to to beg?

Any letter written to "Dragon Prophecy Editor" c/o Tor Books will reach the right person.

I am curious about the release date on the next book as well! I loved Crown of Vengeance. I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you! We hope to have "Blade of Empire" out as a 2014 release...

I LOVE this world you and Ms. Lackey have created. The Obsidian trilogy is one of my all-time favorites. But I was pretty lost trying to figure out who was who, and what house they belonged to. Any chance the next book will contain a family tree of sorts along with the world map?

I might be able to persuade my long-suffering editor to put a Cast of Characters at the front: I will certainly ask. If I can't, well... I can always post one here...

Very Truly Yours,

James Mallory, Writer

merlinscribe@gmail.com http://merlinscribe.com/ http://merlinscribe.dreamwidth.org/

I have only now found this blog, but I am glad I did find it. I purchased Crown of Vengeance for my husband as a gift, and he is already looking forward with great enthusiasm to the next book! It is very rare for him to get so excited for a book to this level. I wanted to say to you - and to Mercedes as well - thank you for the wonderful and rich world you've created for this tale - and for the other trilogies. My husband and I both have greatly enjoyed not only the tales themselves, but your descriptions and hints of the greater world beyond the story's immediate events have given us hours of pleasure in contemplating, imagining, speculating about what other things might go on out there. The best sort of stories for us are the ones which provide us a "playground for the mind" (to quote Niven), and you both have done that for us.

So thank you! And we will be among the many who will grab this book as soon as it hits shelves!

-fans in Mississippi US

Thank you so very much! I am delighted to hear it, and I know Ms. Lackey will be as well.

The one problem I have in writing stories set in the World of Obsidian is that the world I "see" is much vaster than the one I can put on the page. For example, there's the story of Arilcarion and Mosirinde, which takes place thousands of years before Vieliessar's story, and there's the story of how the Elves first came to Jer-a-Kalaliel from the East.

But even if those stories don't make it onto the page, I think both the writer and the reader sense their presence.

Dear Mr. Mallory, Do you know now when Blade of Empire may be published? I'm so excited for the next part; I just finished reading book 1 for the 6th time. If you know, please tell us. My sincerest thanks to you and Ms. Lackey for creating this world.

Thank you so much! I'll pass your thanks on to Ms. Lackey: I know she'll be delighted to hear how much you have enjoyed the book. As for an ETA on BLADE, I think I’ve answered your question here.

Dear Mr. Mallory,

I have been a fan of the Obsidian and Enduring Flame trilogies for years, reading them since the beginning of my middle school career many times over. I was absolutely delighted to discover this next series, and did so only recently. I haven't had to wait quite so many years as the others who knew about this series from the start, but already I am very excited. Is there and ETA on publishing?

Thank you so much for reading! I think I’ve answered your question here.

I am in complete awe of Book one of the Dragon Prophecy. I am dying to continue the series. Please, when will book 2 be available? I absolutely love Vielle, and although I know it is not possible, I wish that she and Runecar will be Bondmates!!!! But please please this book soon, or I may go mad!!!

I would love to know when book 2 will be out. I've been a fan of every book in this "universe". Trying to wait patiently... XD

As you have already realized, they ARE Bondmates, and will be facing a certain amount of trouble directly related to that.

Mr. Mallory...
I just this past 10 minutes finished reading "Crown of Vengeance". I thoroughly enjoyed it and wondered why I had not already read any of yours and Ms. Lackey's works before now. Seems I have been missing out on some really well-crafted, well-written reading. I so look forward to the next installment of the Dragon Trilogy, "Blade of Empire" Today is October 27, 2015 and I am hoping that "Blade of Empire" will be published soon. I really want to complete this prequel before I read The Obsidian Trilogy but I'm almost positive I cant or wont wait to do so. I do hope for the second book that you implemented some quick spell or slight act of magery to make the names of the Alfaljodthi easier to read or pronounce. :) Thank you for the great read.

Dear Reader:

If you look through other posts to this journal, you will discover precisely the pronunciation guide that you desire. The rest of the story....ah, that is another matter entirely.

Very Truly Yours,

James Mallory, Writer

merlinscribe@gmail.com http://merlinscribe.com/ http://merlinscribe.dreamwidth.org/

Oh please Mr. Mallory, please tell us there is a publication date set for Blade of Empire!! It's been 4 months since the last post. This world is one I love to visit again and again!!

Holly Hummel

Alas, I cannot tell you there is a publication date. But I can tell you the book has been turned in.

I was so excited to find The Dragon Prophecy Book 1. I loved both the other series from this great world you and Mercedes Lackey have created. I read through this one in hopes that the others would be waiting for me as well, but alas we must wait. Bring on the Unicorns.

Consider them brought! But you'll have to wait until next year to meet them....

Oh my God! I can't wait for the next book after the Blade of empire you and Ms lackey have written the best book ever
Please is there a third book on the way?

There is a third book on the way. I will be turning it in to Tor in a few months, and I will ask them if I may post excerpts here.

I just finished book 2 of the Dragon Prophecy and needless to say, am waiting with baited breath for the next one!! Such depth in all of your books makes them new every time I read them!

Sharill

merlinscribe_library. The first chapter is already up.

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to see you at

merlinscribe soon. Thank you so much for your patience.

Very Truly Yours,
James

I love this series!! I have read these books and the Obsidean Mountain series over and over again - each time noting something I had not noticed before. They are complicated books, but I especially enjoy the crown of vengence. I think its because of the challenges she faces in different phases of her life. I love the different personality changes that Vieliessar goes thru, and then you repeat the process in the next book for her mate. Fantastic Writing!!
Is the terrain the same for both series? Or is this taking place in two different parts of their world? I lent the books to my son who became just as hooked as I am (had to demand them back!) and he thinks its the same area; I do not. The maps are totally different with no links in the names or terrain that I can see. But he has a point an elf told Kellen that his ancestors used to fish where the human city was built..

I am every so contrite for the delay in responding to your post. I am back, I am at work on the third book in the Dragon Prophecy Trilogy (the title has been changed from "Scourge of Fate" to "Wings of Fate" because after all: dragons), and will be posting the opening chapters on my blog's other site

merlinscribe_library. The first chapter is already up.

I apologize for the extremely terrible map in BLADE: I sent Tor a perfectly nice map and that's how they chose to redraw it. To answer your question, CROWN and BLADE take place in the same area, known to the Elves of that time as the Western Reaches and the Western Shore. Kellen knows the Western Shore and Delfiriarathadan Flower Forest as Armethalieh (Daroldan) and Delfier Forest (names change a lot in 12,000 years). I hope this answers your questions and those of your son.

I absolutely love your books alongside Ms. Lackey, is the third book in The Dragon Prophecy still being worked on?

I too would like to know! I just learned recently about the Dragon Prophecy trilogy and can't wait to see it completed(though I have just ordered the first 2 books).

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Forthcoming Work: The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy

Crown of Vengeance

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Next book

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Character map?

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Dragon prophecy

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Wings Of Fate

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