Death in Harmony
Death in Harmony
Introduction and Navigation
Death in Harmony
The Fifth of The Tales of The Lesser Evil
No one will take her child from her—it is always best to run but, to defend the innocent, sometimes you must fight.
Flin knows stories. She knows songs. Give her an instrument and she’ll play it. She can lead dances slow and dances fast, make grown men and women weep, make them laugh. Her teacher told her she was the best he had ever seen. But all Flin wants is to find the home she lost.
She certainly did not mean to have a baby.
Now alone in the world but for Kadan, Flin knows almost constant fear, but she will never give up. Somewhere, in a high village deep in the woods, far away from the big cities, her family—and safety—await. Nothing will stop her: not the ghosts in the mountains, not wolves or lions, not magic, man, or death itself.
And nothing will take her baby. Not again.
Set at two pivotal points, Death In Harmony weaves together strands of Flin’s life, connected by her powerful determination, her will to survive, and the need to protect Kadan, no matter the cost—and the cost can be very high indeed.
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Following Only One Death, Dust and Death, Death and Taxes, and A Clean Death, this tale—Death in Harmony—introduces new locations and characters to the reader, all the while adding fresh levels of intrigue and mystery to The Tales of The Lesser Evil.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Death in Harmony builds on the other Tales, adding layers to the overarching story of The Lesser Evil, with certain plot points crucial to the longer work ahead, some of which will reward those of you who have already read the previous stories.)
Each Tale (there are currently six, with a final two on their way) is essentially standalone, but each also features returning characters or locations which give the reader a deeper experience when read in order. They are a part of what became a rather long prologue to a trilogy of epic fantasy novels, outlined and currently being (tentatively) drafted.
The serialisation (I’m from Scotland, hence the spelling) of this novella will be released from April to October, 2024. It will initially be free to read, with a new episode in your inbox every Friday, at one minute to midday, French time. At some point after this, once complete, the archive will be only be available for paying subscribers, with additional download options also made available.
If you love the story too much to wait each week, you can also buy the ebook of the novel, as you can the preceding four Tales (available in an omnibus edition).
The next Tale, Dancing With Death, will follow in November, 2024.
Contents:
To read more about my map making process, click here.
Episode One: A Cold Tang of Utter Fear
Episode Two: A Belief in Ghosts
Episode Three: A Dangerously Stupid Idea
Episode Four: Ancient Curses, Shambling Monsters, Hungry Demons
Episode Five: The Maze Fighter
Episode Six: The Danger of Theories
Episode Seven: Madness and Pandemonium
Episode Eight: The Way of Song and Story
Episode Twelve: A Good Cast of the Bones
Episode Fourteen: Silent Prayer
Episode Fifteen: A Tough and Painful Life
Episode Sixteen: Too Many Ripples
Episode Seventeen: Paid With Blood
Episode Eighteen: She Who the Dark Fears
Episode Nineteen: The Effects of Arrows
Episode Twenty: Twists and Turns and Fear
Episode Twenty-One: A Long Way to Go
Episode Twenty-Two: Waking Dreams
Episode Twenty-Three: A Certainty of Death
Episode Twenty-Four: A Sense of Dark Horror
Episode Twenty-Five: A Long, Eventful Night
Episode Twenty-Six: Dark Places
Episode Twenty-Seven: Snatched Away in a Blink
Episode Twenty-Eight: Flickering Thoughts
Episode Twenty-Nine: Stupid Mistakes, Foolish Choices, Dangerous Decisions
Don’t miss a chapter!
And, if you know someone who you think would enjoy this slice of dark fantasy, do please share!