#maradaine

[effervescentnonsense]

Alright Book Lovers

I have a series recommendation for all of you.

If you like:

- Second World fantasy (as in, not our world)

- Magic

- Edwardian/Victorian aesthetics

- Complex stories that will have you cracking out the Red String Board

- Canonically/explicitly Queer characters (including Shield Lesbians, Ace detectives, Bisexual retired spies, healthy polyamorous relationships involving 7 or more people, and even trans characters!)

- So many female characters that one of the books even fails the Reverse Bechdel Test

- a wide array of sub-genres

Then may I present to you,

The Maradaine Saga

The Maradaine Saga is 14 core books that take place in the city of Maradaine, plus two novellas and one full length novel taking place in other parts of the same world. AND COUNTING (this series is still ongoing!)

The core 14 books contain Four main casts and their respective genres:

The Thorn of Dentonhill stars Veranix Calbert, magic student by day, vigilante hero by night, determined to rid his neighbourhood of efitte, the toxic drug sold by crime lord Willem Fenmere, who killed Veranix's father, and deliberately overdosed his mother. Aided by Kaiana, whose father also succumbed to efitte, and Delmin, his fellow magic student, and his cousin Colin, the street gang member.

A Murder of Mages follows Minox Welling, an inspector for the Maradaine Constabulary, a genius, if socially awkward, and considered a jinx around the station, because he is secretly an untrained mage. Assigned to be his partner is Satrine Rainey, mother of two, struggling to make ends meet with her husband who was gravely injured in the line of duty. Formerly of Druth Intelligence, she is 15 years out from her time as a spy, and forges her paperwork to get the only job she can do that will pay the bills- becoming the first woman inspector on the force.

The Holver Alley Crew- when Holver Alley goes up in flames, killing dozens of people and destroying the homes and businesses of many more, brothers Asti and Verci Rynax discover it was arson, and are determined to use their skills as thieves to track down who destroyed their neighbourhood. Asti, a former spy for Druth Intelligence, retired because of his recent escape from an enemy prison where he was tortured until it broke his mind, and Verci, husband and father and inventor of all sorts of gadgets. Recruiting old friends and new, they set to perform daring heists to make the arsonists pay.

The Way of the Shield- Dayne Heldrin is easy to spot in a crowd- towering at 7ft tall, and in his blue Tarian Uniform- he is a veritable Knight of the Modern era. He is a candidate in the Tarian order, a historic organization upholding values of Chivalry and Defending the Innocent, Shield on arm. He has just returned from being overseas, where his mentor was killed by the Gearbox Killer, a maniacal murderer who builds elaborate clockwork contraptions, designed to kill. Dayne barely survived, and his advancement to an Adept Tarian is in doubt. He befriends a young Initiate, Jerinne, and begins to mentor her, pushing her to be stronger, and uphold the values of the Tarians. Political Conspiracy is afoot, however, as a shadowy organization has fashioned themselves after the Grand 10, ten historic figures that helped turn the country of Druthal into what it is today.

All of these books take place in the same city, at the same time, and as the series goes on, recurring characters and crossovers begin to appear as these ragtag bunch of do-gooders find allies in each other.

I cannot stop talking about this series, its so good! The worldbuilding is immaculate (after all, the author, Marshall Ryan Maresca, is one of the hosts of the podcast Worldbuilding for Masochists), the pacing will keep you gripping your seat for dear life!

[eridanidreams]

The Maradaine Saga

Reposting this from my bluesky account. If you're looking for some hella good fantasy, check these books out! If you liked HP back in the day, but you want something that hasn't been eaten by the TERF braineater? These are fantastic! Want some hard-nosed crime drama? How about a heist or two?

Marshall Ryan Maresca has it all, my friends! I was privileged to attend his very first reading of A Thorn of Dentonhill at Armadillocon lo these many moons and mango seasons ago, and I was hooked with the first book. I've gotten them all as they've come out and haven't regretted a thing. His worldbuilding is ambitious and his storytelling is gripping!

On top of all that, he has an amazing worldbuilding podcast that's been nominated for another Hugo!

Check him out at his blog!

[miraculoustrashblogger]

Alright, in the wake of the boops having dragged my dead blog back to life...

Hello friends! Many of you followed me because of my Miraculous Ladybug ficlets while we desperately awaited season 2 to drop. I've falled off the MLB train, but I am not out of the fandom scene yet

Mostly, I'm gonna start using this blog for my new Fandom Fixation

The Maradaine Saga by Marshall Ryan Maresca

Its a book series, and if you like:

- second world fantasy

- miss the days of reading about magic school students (and are intrigued by a magic student who goes vigilante hero on drug dealers in dark alleys)

- enjoy Procedural detective stories

- knights, Shield Lesbians, and political intrigue and conspiracies

- reformed thieves being forced back into performing heists to find out who burned down their neighbourhood

It has all of the above. There are 15 books and 3 novellas (and counting!) in this world. 4 main casts that the books follow, alternating, and slowly we begin to see their lives collide and they meet and interact! Its such a good series! It also gets Queerer and Queerer as the story goes on (i cant even count the number of queer characters, theres so many)

Book 1 is The Thorn of Dentonhill, which stars Veranix the magic student vigilante hero.

I'm obsessed with this series and I hope you'll join me!

[kestrellady]

March 2023 Reading Wrap Up

I really hit all the genres this month, huh?

Stand Out Books from March The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal This is a sci-fi mystery on a cruise ship headed to Mars. I loved the little touches that make this feel based in reality, like an increased time lag for phone calls as they get farther from Earth and variable gravity depending on where in the ship they are.

The Way of the Shield by Marshall Ryan Maresca This is book 1 of the Maradaine Elite, but book 4 of the larger Maradaine world. This is a fascinating exploration of how a knightly order functions in a world that doesn't really need or want them anymore. Also, loved getting the trolley problem in a fantasy world, and a character that has the same answer I do!

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell This is technically book 2, but works as a stand alone. This was amazing! I am a sucker for figuring out romance around power dynamics and social hierarchy and this hit all the sweet spots for me. The world building is also just incredible.

What I'm Reading Now I wanted something a little on the weird side, so I picked up Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge and it's scratching the itch beautifully. I also just started The 1619 Project (the book based on the New York Times issue)

What I'm Looking Forward to in April The first Scholomance book just came in from the library! I've had those books recommended to me by multiple people, and I've loved Naomi Novik's other books, so I'm sure they'll be great. I'm also hoping for the next T. Kingfisher horror novel, A House with Good Bones to come in this month. I've been weeding my TBR a bit, and putting some books that have been on there forever on my up next list. So I'm planning to get back to the Laurie R. King Mary Russell series after I catch up with Anna Lee Huber's Verity Kent mysteries.

Reading Challenges I'm flying through the Book Riot 2023 Read Harder challenge, which is nice! I'm in the middle of The 1619 Project to count for 12. a nonfiction book about BIPOC/queer history and Braiding Sweetgrasss for 9. an independently published book by a BIPOC author. I'll also probably pick up Frederica by Georgette Heyer for 2. one of your favorite author's favorite books, using Naomi Novik as a favorit author. I love Georgette Heyer and this is one I haven't read yet, so it's a win all around!

Follow me on The StoryGraph!

[paulsemel]

In my new interview with author Marshall Ryan Maresca, he discusses the newest installment of his epic fantasy series "The Maradaine Saga," the side story novella "The Royal First Irregulars." https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-the-royal-first-irregulars-author-marshall-ryan-maresca/ 📖⚔️

[thetireddmsblog]

Chapter one, session one

So, we just wrapped up our first session and needless to say, it went surprisingly well! Everyone enjoyed it and had fun and they actually got things done!

They met up with Cain, their good old friend and accepted a quest to take a painting of an angel from Maradain to the Tomb of the Angels in Osterz.

Oyam spent some time flirting with an old fling which raised Nudalims eyebrow as he tried to figure out just how close Oyam and Cain were. Skittles sat on a table eating cheese and drinking milk like the little guy he is.

They all accepted the quest and received the mark of Dmitri, angel of end times on their hands then swiftly left the tavern with the painting.

As they left, they found themselves in a fight with two drow sorcerers from a cult assisted by two City guards who were under a spell.

Skittles was the party mvp, turning into a rat monkey and absolutely destroying the sorcerers. As soon as both the drow women died, the guards were free of the spell and quickly ran off.

Once the coast was mostly clear, Oyam checked on Skittles and they each searched the bodies meanwhile Nudalim collected some blood to be dealt with later.

They then stole the carriage belonging to the drow women and left down, following the river along to where they need to be.

Eventually, they crossed the river, catching a glimpse of what would be assumed to be a ghost before continuing and finding a town wiped out by the plague.

Upon entering this town, they were met with the same woman they saw on the bridge who Skittles promptly ran up to and hugged. Meanwhile, Nudalim shotted the blood from earlier.

She was cold cold as ice, her face covered and her robes tattered. They found out she was there to help the souls of the dead move on, they did not ask her name but they did find out she doesn't work with a church and that she does have a group she sticks to.

She blessed a building for them for the night and swiftly left.

Nudalim explored a little, looking around in some of the other houses before returning to the party to find Skittles fast asleep and Oyam looking around.

Nudalim explained to Oyam that he has been inflicted with vampirism and that Oyam need not worry.

Then, at they were settling in for the night, Oyam heard a whisper in his ear - 'don't trust them'

Nudalim saw the face of a man he didn't recognise.

Skittles saw the abandoned, tattered frame of a painting in his sleep.

And we ended it there, allowing them some much needed rest after all this info :)

[effervescentnonsense]

I personally recommend it if you enjoy hearing authors talk about their works, and also just nerdy people nerding about their niche interests, the weird and real parts of our world, and how all of it can be written into worldbuilding for stories!

Also the discord is full of more people who are also gamers, avid readers, and creative folks. Its a great place!

You followed my sideblog (miraculoustrashblogger), and i'll be posting about Maradaine there mostly, but if you see this blog in your notes instead, this is my main, and thats why LOL

Do you listen to the podcast Maresca is in? Worldbuilding for Masochists. It has a discord server that he's very active in! Theres a handful of us doing a bookclub as two of us introduce (read: force others to read) the series to the rest of the club

I have not, though i have heard of it

My partner has actually met him a few times at cons and such!

[maradainemaresca]

Thirty days until PEOPLE OF THE CITY! The massive Maradaine Crossover Event!  Today's champion is tinkerer and gadgeteer extraordinaire, Verci Rynax!

[thehuddledmasses]

The book series that got me back into reading again

I used to devour books. Not a day would go by where I wasn’t reading something even, and especially, to the detriment of my sleeping schedule. I always had a book with me. (Bless Miss Ross in Algebra 2 for never once reprimanding me for reading in class instead of listening to the lesson)

Then.... events happened. The internet makes it so easy for me to be distracted by mindlessly scrolling and looking at funny pictures of cats. I also had depression and didn’t do anything I enjoyed. I worked weird/long hours and was too tired to focus on anything. Eventually, I fell out of the habit of reading all the time. Books didn’t really grab me as much. 

Yet I still kept buying books and trying, because my love never truly faded. I just couldn’t get invested in most stories, and so unread masses were left to collect dust on my bookshelf. It was a tragic sight to behold.

But a couple years ago while once again wandering the bookshelves at a local bookstore, one in particular caught my eye. A Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca. The title piqued my interest, as is usually the start. The summary: even better. 

Satrine Rainey is a wife and mother of two who fakes her way into the Maradaine Constabulary as an Inspector (a staunchly male career, but an ex-spy raised by the harsh streets knows how to work the system). Minox Welling is an Uncircled mage (but that’s not something we talk about in polite company). Jinx, as the other Inspectors call him. Too smart, too  obsessive for his own good. Why not throw the outcasts together to try and solve ritual murders of Circled mages?

A blend of crime drama, fantasy, and political intrigue, I was hooked from page one. I read an entire book in a matter of a couple days instead of struggling for weeks to get through one chapter. Satrine and Minox wormed their way into my heart and, more importantly, my brain. I needed to know more. About the characters. About Maradaine. About everything. 

And wasn’t I just lucky enough that the sequel was right there waiting for me and my ability to click 1-day shipping on Amazon?

An Import of Intrigue continued to enthrall, this time delving into the wider cultures of Maradaine and its surrounding countries. Diplomacy and foreign relations are at stake when a foreign dignitary is murdered. Satrine has been exposed as a fraud, though with the success of the last case, she gets to stay on as an Inspector. Minox is confronting more what it means to be Uncircled and his powers may be getting too much for him to handle.

While Maradaine itself has a sort of fantasy England feel to it, none of the cultures feels like a direct counterpart to any real place. Whether they be Racquin, Fuergan, or Kieran, each culture is inspired by real places and cultures, but is entirely unique to this world. Maresca’s world building is such an incredible thing. Nothing feels like it’s been left out and I’d completely trust the author to teach a detailed history class on how Maradaine came to be, and leading up to where we are now in the story. A class I would thoroughly enjoy, much like the protagonist, Dayne, from Maresca’s Maradaine Elite series.

Yes. There are several connected series all taking place in Maradaine, and while focusing on the specific protagonists, do intertwine with each other at times. Minox meeting the mage college student/vigilante Veranix from the Maradaine series was a subtle yet impactful moment. I had originally just planned to only read the Maradaine Constabulary series. I didn’t want to go too crazy thinking I could actually read books again like I had before. So I didn’t seek out his other work at first, obstinately avoiding them.

I started in on a different book series by a different author and found that I could read that one just as well. (Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. This time a YA novel. Still fantasy. Still full of that sweet, sweet political angst that I love) I managed to read a couple other books. Different authors. Different genres. Fiction and nonfiction. I felt like myself again. I was actually reading again. Didn’t matter if it was physical or e-reader. I was there.

I’ve since delved into all the other Maradaine novels. (I’m working my way through Way of the Shield before I start in on A Parliament of Bodies) There is so much life and love put into all of his works and it shows. It’s apparent that Maresca cares deeply about what he’s saying about people in his novels and the kinds of representation he puts in his novels. Minox and Veranix are mixed race. Satrine and Kaiana (a close friend to Veranix) have their own agency and are often more competent than their male counterparts.

Which is another thing I’d like to briefly touch upon. The women in all of the books are so varied in terms of personality and goals, and it’s so refreshing to see so many well-rounded female characters when so often there are only three different two-dimensional archetypes to choose from. Even those that have smaller roles shine through, and Maresca’s use of POV characters works instead of feeling like I’m being jerked around from character to character.

There’s a lot I could say about the individual books, and I barely touched on the other series, but I highly suggest any and all of them to put on your reading list. You won’t be disapointed. And maybe, like me, you’ll be reminded why you love reading so much.

[puzzlepaws]

#PeopleOfTheCity drops in the morning! I wrote an epic #overview of the #MaradaineSaga. bit.ly/2G1nGTI #bookblogger #series #seriesoverview #Maradaine #greatreads #act1 #mystery #fantasy #crimefictionbooks #sff #epicreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CG1SA02hdOP/?igshid=1sugzw45qc0lf

[velvetblush]

The Thorn of Dentonhill (Maradaine) by Marshall Ryan Maresca

“But you will go after him.”

“Like fire and blazes. As long as he’s poisoning the streets.”

[stealmethenight]

"noooo!!! i havent keep up with maradaine series but i’ll definitely read the fenmere job for vee" I am crazy excited for it but also I hope you catch up so I can hear your thoughts on ALL THE THINGS especially Jerinne Fendall, Shield Lesbian.

i’m trying anon i’m trying ;~;

[miraculoustrashblogger]

Just finished reading Murder of Mages by Marshall Ryan Maresca (book 2 of the Maradaine Saga, book 1 of the Maradaine Constabulary collection)

Second time reading this book, and so many of the plothooks i didn't grasp the first time fell into place here.

Spoilers ahead, you've been warned.

Still love my boys Evoy and Minox. And i remember why i started shipping Minox and Joshea. Minox being a Sherlock clone means he is also Autistic Ace coded, socially awkward but brilliant at pattern recognition and solving puzzles. Evoy even more so, being a shut-in too. Minox being the one person his cousin Evoy talks to just tears me apart. No one gets how deep into the red strings Evoy is, that its not madness of the hallucinatory variety, but that he is hyperfocused on these trails of a conspiracy in Maradaine and forgets to take care of his own needs in the process. Reading this the second time, hearing the pieces he is learning about and puzzling out, I can see it. The Grand Ten, the Brotherhood of Nine, missing women and children, etc. I know a lot of these pieces now and see that Evoy is laying groundwork of foreshadowing. Minox gets it, he sees some of the same pieces. He knows Evoy's work is digging up ugly and dangerous schemes beneath the city.

Minox being an uncircled, untrained mage, in a constabulary family that knows but doesnt talk about it. And Joshea being from a hyper-masculine military family that has no idea he is a mage. Both are such queer coded stories. The gay son that everyone knows is gay, and its the elephant in the room. The closeted gay son who is desperately hiding the truth from his father and brothers. And then Joshea's family being butchers now and (insert meat jokes here). Its just too easy 😂

Satrine. Satrine. Spitfire Satrine "Tricky" Rainey. Plucked from her life as a street kid and turned into a spy in the Waish nobility, still ready to brawl at a moment's notice. Her husband in his vegetative state. Her teenage daughters. Desperate to provide for them, when the only skills she has were a position she retired from 15 years ago, in a field she can't go back into. So she takes up the mantle her husband had, or tries anyways. Constabulary. Detective work. She's got the mind and skills for it. She's fast and eager to chase down fleeing criminals, and definitely too quick to beat them into submission. She's angry and could probably do with a therapist tbh. Its a bit refreshing to see a woman get to be angry and violent and not be forced into some ideal of decorum or "ladylike"-ness, and she's the first to break the nose of anyone who tries.

She respects Minox. She sees his intelligence and his eccentricities. She can keep up with him. She doesn't call him Jinx like everyone else, and he doesn't call her Tricky like everyone else. He sees her capability and fire and isn't bothered by the fact that she's the only woman inspector in the city, or that she had to forge her papers to get this position. And she doesn't care that he's a mage. He's still bothered when she uses his first name though- boy is nothing if not an adherent to manners!

Corrie. My girl Corrie. First in line to call her brother Minox on his shit. Her and Satrine sizing each other up in their first meeting by cussing up a storm was *chefs kiss*. Love her so much

Rian and Caribet. Satrine's daughters. Rian being into the boy, fine, sure, glad she saw the light that he was a shitter. Knowing what I know about her now? Even worse, yeah, no wonder Satrine lost her mind when she saw them on a date. Rian, girl, you got better things coming your way, and she's actually your age, unlike him ;) Caribet is such a sweet girl, just trying to hold her family together as her mom and sister fight and her dad is a vegetable.

Mirrell and Kellman. These two oafs. Idiots and bastards, but ready to crack the heads of their fellow (corrupt) officers given the chance too, and eventually overlooking Satrine's forgeries to save Minox. Theyre incompetent and sexist and racist (look, ACAB, but i love a good detective procedural story, so sue me), and yet. Kellman is quiet and indifferent, he does mean well but I know from later books he is trouble. Mirrell is upfront about his assholery, but even though he verbally is rude to Minox and Satrine, he knows they are good at their jobs and "have hearts of Green and Red". He knows they have the calling to be inspectors. I'm still glad Satrine broke his nose for being a jackass.

Rereading Thorn of Dentonhill, there was a lot of groundwork laid, but this one laid almost as much! Gods i love these books. They just get better and better as the story progresses.

Thats all for now, onto rereading Holver Alley Crew next week!

[kestrellady]

January 2023 Reading Wrap Up

Whoo starting the year off strong! I've been really leaning into reading whatever I feel like, and it's been really nice not forcing myself to read. Also, check out that StoryGraph dark mode!

Stand Out Books from January Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty This book was kind of bonkers. A very realistic treatment of what would happen to all those cozy murder mystery protagonists, except sci-fi! There are a ton of concurrent plot lines and the story jumps from present to backstory, so I got a little lost sometimes, but I'm really looking forward to the next one!

Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews (Innkeeper Chronicles #5) I love this series so much. In this book, Dina the innkeeper and her werewolf boyfriend have to host an intergalactic Bachelor competition and they are determined to get through it without anyone dying. I also love how some side characters from Andrews' The Edge series show up.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks Despite the clickbait-y cover and title, this was a fairly straight fantasy romance. It's a well developed world with interesting characters. I felt like there were a couple of dropped plot points, but I'm not totally sure those won't be picked up in the sequels.

What I'm Reading Now I'm doing a reread of my favorite Jane Austen book, Persuasion. Weird when you realize you're older than Austen's oldest protagonist. I'm also reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer and loving it. I'm taking it pretty slow so I can soak it in. It's a lovely exploration of the ways that science and indigenous knowledge complement and conflict and how to bring them together for a fuller understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month I finally got the next Maradaine novel from the library, so I'm ready to dive back into that series with The Holver Alley Crew. I also found out there's a new book in the Lotus Palace Mysteries by Jeannie Lin, Red Blossom in Snow, so I can't wait to return to that Tang Dynasty mystery/romance series. I've got the first Naomi Novik Scholomance book, A Deadly Education, on hold, but I'm not sure it'll come in this month.

Reading Challenges For Book Riot's 2023 Read Harder Challenge, I've got Braiding Sweetgrass, which will count for either 3. a book about activism or 9. an independently published book by a BIPOC author, I haven't decided which. I've got the first volume of The Sandman on hold for 8. a graphic novel/comic/manga that's a different genre than you normally read. I've also got The Makioka Sisters, which will count for 15. a historical fiction book set in an Eastern country (I assume they mean Asian? But why not just say that?) that will also complete the Jun'ichirō Tanizaki prompt for my Bungo Stray Dogs reading list.

Follow me on The StoryGraph!

[elise-nic]

Verci "I broke my leg so it's handwalking time" Rynax and Veranix "God I hope this assassin isn't from my circus" Calbert are going to get along so well, eventually.

[paulsemel]

After writing a dozen novels about the city of Maradaine, fantasy writer Marshall Ryan Maresca is taking a road trip in his new dieselpunk fantasy novel "The Velocity Of Revolution." To learn more, check out this Q&A.

📖🏍️

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