The Iron Tree (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781923212558)

Jarred, a young man of the desert people, longs to know the history of his mysterious father, who departed years earlier, leaving behind a token - an amulet for Jarred that he has worn always. Some say it brings more than a bit of good luck his way, for no harm has ever befallen the boy.

The young man journeys into the world to seek his fortune and perhaps along the way find news of his father. In his travels he will come to a place so unlike his own as to boggle his mind--a region of immense tracts of waterways and marshes, where the very air seems to teem with magic and a people surrounded by creatures fey and not, with enough strange customs and superstitions to make his head swirl.

And to the beautiful Lilith, a woman who will haunt his dreams and ultimately steal his heart...who perhaps can provide a key to his heritage.

Author's Note:

Do you love to become lost in fantasy realms where every object, tradition, and belief is meticulously crafted from the ground up? Then settle in. 'The Iron Tree' isn't a fast-paced romp across familiar fantasy landscapes. Instead, it's a deep, immersive dive into a magical, pre-industrial society.

You'll discover a world built not just on epic plotlines, but on the details that make a society feel real. That's why you might find a football described as 'a goat-skin stuffed with fibrous material'. Sound a bit over-accurate and nerdy? That's because it is. Grounding the story in culturally relevant terms offers a richer, more authentic experience.

If you enjoy intricate world-building and deep-seated lore, you will find your home among the people of Tir.

CRITICAL REVIEWS:

'Cecilia Dart-Thornton exhibits strong and authentic evidence of having visited some of the more exotic comers of Faerie . . . Crucially for readers, she proves she's able to bring the unicorn back alive, netted in golden prose . . . Dart-Thornton conjures up her world of Tir in the luminous yet hard-edged manner of Jack Vance and Mary Gentle.'

THE WASHINGTON POST