Bound for Perdition

June 19, 2023
B

New magic brings new challenges.

Charged with creating a magical journal that would allow rapid communication during the Great War, Lynet has worked with a papermaker to overcome the technical challenges.

But brilliant magical innovation isn't enough.

When she returns from a leave after the death of her father, Lynet is told they have to make more journals, cheaper and faster. The last thing she needs is a set of unskilled hands assigned to help her at this impossible task, and she's dubious that a man will be more of a help than a hinderance given her ongoing problems with most of the men of the research department.

Reggie is recently invalided out of the Army but has no relevant skills other than being a magically trained Schola man. When he's assigned to help Lynet, he's not sure how much use he'll be. He’s soon swept up in Lynet’s ambitious project and fascinated by her skills and knowledge.

Together, Reggie and Lynet must figure out how to get the magical materials they need for the project and move forward despite unexpected obstacles. Their mission is quickly complicated by odd goings on with other research in the department, something that might change the War itself!

Bound For Perdition is the first book in the Mysterious Arts series. A cosy historical fantasy romance set in 1917 in the magical city of Albion, Britain’s magical community, it is a great entry to Celia Lake’s Albion books. Bound for Perdition is full of bookbinding, coming to grips with injury, navigating class differences, and making a new future in a rapidly changing world.

Content
The heroine's father dies just before the start of the book, from an extended illness. During the book, she is dealing with her grief, isolation, and some frustration. The hero has injuries he considers somewhat shameful/ignoble. Contains people acting from privilege and class without regard for others, and one very manipulative woman out for her own goals. Heroine is autistic, and the hero has had experiences in the war that have changed how he thinks and reacts to the world.

Want to learn more? Check out blog posts about Bound for Perdition.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Carillon family, Class and class differences, Cover - green, Crafters, Mental health conditions, Music and the arts, Neurodiversity, People who make things, Physical disabilities, Start of a series, The Great War

Begins: 1917-03

More about the Carillon family:
(My authorial wiki has additional information about characters, connections, and places.)

Upon A Summer’s Day

June 19, 2023
U

On the Summer Solstice of 1940, Gabe made a solemn oath. Two parts of it were easy enough, he was already doing them. The third part has haunted his every choice since.

When he is asked a question that August, Gabe knows he must answer yes. His answer will change him, his family, and everything around him. There is no other way through but keeping his word and dealing with the consequences.

No one said he had to do it the way anyone else expects.

Upon A Summer's Day is a novel that takes place in the autumn and winter of 1940 as World War II moves into a second year with the start of the Blitz. Join Gabe, his wife, his family, and their allies in unweaving a tangle of ancient magics, turning assumptions on their heads, and refusing to follow destructive traditions.

The fourth book in the Land Mysteries series, Upon A Summer's Day directly follows the events of Old As The Hills, and is best read in sequence.

Content
Direct sequel to Old As The Hills, and best read after it. ADHD central character, dealing with social and professional implications for his London-born Bengali wife. Takes place during the second half of 1940, during the Blitz, and includes the immediate aftermath of the bombing of Coventry (no explicit details). Involves varying levels of Albion's politics.

Want to learn more? Check out blog posts about Upon A Summer's Day.

Published:
Genres:
historical fantasy

Tags:
Carillon family, Character focused, Close friends, Council, Cover - green, Diverse backgrounds, Edgarton family, Fortier and Landry families, Guard and Penelopes, Land magic, Neurodiversity, Parents and children, Physical disabilities, Religion and the numinous, Second World War, Siblings

Begins: 1940-08

Old As The Hills

June 19, 2023
O

What would you risk so others could live?

It is the early months of WWII and Rathna already has an idea of how bad it might get. If she can make the final connections she needs to create a new portal in a matter of weeks rather than years, she might just be able to get a few more people out of Germany's ever expanding grasp. But she's also been asked to take on a new apprentice. Rathna has no idea whether he'll be willing to help, if she can trust him, or if he can trust her enough to do what needs to be done.

Her husband Gabe has a challenge that will use every single one of his skills and then some. He's been charged by the Council to coordinate magical responses to the war, not only in Albion itself, but among the many esoteric and occult groups of Great Britain. His own apprentice is brilliant, in a different way than Gabe, but this project will ask everything of them both.

Together, Gabe and Rathna have built their lives to bend their passions, talents, and magics to making things better for the world around them, including their three growing children. Now their war work is going to separate them, certainly for months, possibly for much longer. As they tangle with ancient magics, seeking new ways forward, there are more unanswerable questions, tremendous risks, and a few glimmers of hope.

Old As The Hills follows Gabe and Rathna's adventures from the autumn of 1939 through the summer of 1940, a time of desperate plans to save lives and hold back invasion. It is full of ancient fae magic, the power of place, urgent witchcraft rituals, and unexpected encounters. The Land Mysteries series explores the Second World War in the magical community of Albion and is best read in order.

You can find Gabe and Rathna's romance in The Fossil Door, set in 1922 in Scotland.

Content
Deals with the first year of World War 2, and the plot explicitly includes the invasions of multiple countries during that time, the evacuation of Dunkirk, and other events of the period. (Though not in graphic or close-up detail.) Death of a secondary character with ongoing appearances in the Albion books, due to the war, and some reference to grief. The plot also deals with the esoteric groups active at the time and with witchcraft.

Established couple, married with three children, who are separated during much of the book due to their different tasks. Hero has ADHD (very much on display in some spots), while the heroine deals with assumptions (and some bigotry) because of her Bengali background and brown skin. Some nastiness from minor characters, including the presentation of white feathers for cowardice to a secondary character.

Want to learn more? Check out blog posts about Old As The Hills.

Published:
Genres:
historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Class and class differences, Council, Cover - green, Diverse backgrounds, Edgarton family, Fatae and Cousins, Guard and Penelopes, Land magic, Mentorship, Neurodiversity, Parents and children, Physical disabilities, Religion and the numinous, Second World War

Begins: 1939-06

Nocturnal Quarry

June 19, 2023
N

The world keeps changing.

Alexander's world was upended three years ago when a spot of espionage had ripple effects that transformed every part of his life, even his relationship with his own magic. Now, he's compelled by politics to spend the summer of 1938 in America instead of with his family and friends. No problem, he can tend to loose ends, like a threat that's been looming over his chosen family for more than a decade.

Alexander knows his duties and his obligations. He's more than adept at the delicate dance of diplomatic parties and careful conversations with scientists and innovative magicians up and down the eastern seaboard.

He's not expecting who has been waiting for him in New York City. Nor how the past few years have changed everything about how he solves problems.

Nocturnal Quarry is a character-focused historical fantasy novella about how every change has consequences. Best read after Best Foot Forward, Nocturnal Quarry is full of ongoing conversations, art, shared myth and legend, and unexpected solutions to complicated questions.

Learn more about the art described in this book. 

Content
Best read after Best Foot Forward. A character-focused novella (no new romance or relationship) set in 1938 along the East Coast of the United States as the world hurtles towards a second world war with references to various real-world events of that year. The main character confronts part of his past, with conversations, confrontations, and significant decisions. (References to past violence and threats). No on-page sex.

Want to learn more? Check out blog posts about Nocturnal Quarry.

Published:
Genres:
historical fantasy

Tags:
1930s, Carillon family, Character focused, Council, Cover - purple, Diverse backgrounds, Fortier and Landry families, Land magic, Parents and children, Religion and the numinous

Begins: 1938-07

More about the Fortier and Landry families:
(My authorial wiki has additional information about characters, connections, and places.)

Best Foot Forward

June 19, 2023
B

The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.

Lord Geoffrey Carillon wants to do the impossible.

He needs to get an imprisoned alchemist doing key research out of Germany before the world gets even worse. Carillon's cover as a slightly daffy aristocrat will get him where he needs to be, but he can't do this mission alone. He has many magical skills, but not the ones he needs to free his friend.

Alexander is a stranger in his own land.

A skilled and powerful member of the Council, Alexander is responsible for tending the land magic of Albion. However, the Council uses him as their enforcer, adeptly doing terrible and necessary work from the shadows. When Carillon proposes the expedition into Austria and Germany, can Alexander carry off the subterfuge and still keep his hands clean and his inner self barricaded in enemy territory?

Any two professionals can tolerate each other in service of a goal.

That's true even if Carillon has excellent reason to distrust the Council, and Alexander has just as much reason to keep everyone at arm's length. When matters move from possible blackmail into a sought after invitation to a remote schloss, Carillon and Alexander find their lives entangled in ways neither of them had ever dreamed of.

Best Foot Forward takes place in 1935 in the magical communities of Great Britain, Vienna, and Berlin. It is an enemies to "it's complicated" M/M romance full of espionage, magic, extreme competence under pressure, music, and healing from the traumas of the Great War. It also contains an epilogue novella, Intimacies of the Seasons, following Alexander and Carillon through the next year of their lives, and as Carillon and Lizzie rearrange their lives to welcome Alexander.

Learn more about the music that features in this book (including a link to a playlist organised by chapter).

Content
M/M enemies to "it's complicated", with one aromantic and asexual protagonist and one bisexual allosexual protagonist (also polyamorous - no cheating, full awareness of all parties). Takes place in 1935, including in Nazi Germany. Contains mentions of past deaths, trauma from the Great War, emotional neglect in various forms, as well as injuries and PTSD. Both characters have moments of emotional crisis in the book. References to the current state of minorities in Germany in 1935, including homosexual men. Only one bed trope. One character is French-Egyptian, with references to the implications while in Germany. On-page sex in the included epilogue novella, Intimacies of the Seasons but not in the novel itself.

Want to learn more? Check out blog posts about Best Foot Forward.

Published:
Genres:
historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1930s, Carillon family, Council, Cover - red, Diverse backgrounds, Fake relationship, First relationship, Fortier and Landry families, Great place to start, Land magic, Late in life romance, LGBTQIA+, Mental health conditions, Music and the arts, Only one bed, Parents and children, Physical disabilities, Religion and the numinous, Start of a series

Begins: 1935-02

More about the Carillon family:
(My authorial wiki has additional information about characters, connections, and places.)

Ancient Trust

June 19, 2023
A

Ancient Trust is a free novella available when you sign up for my newsletter. (Also the way to get other extras and treats and all my latest news.) You can also get it by joining our Discord or becoming a patron on Patreon at any level. Those first two options are free!

Geoffrey Carillon has spent much of his life both before and after the Great War travelling the world.

In February of 1922, his older brother's sudden and unexpected death calls him back to Albion to take up his ancestral obligations to the land magic. Naturally, Carillon relies heavily on his loyal and exceedingly competent valet, Benton.

Carillon discovers that much has changed in his time away, and he desperately needs allies to help him navigate the world as it is now. Benton, for his part, is focused on bringing the estate into better working order, in a number of ways he expected and quite a few he did not.

This prequel takes place in 1922 (directly overlapping the events of Outcrossing). Both Carillon and Benton have their romances in later books (and not with each other!), but this story covers a particular moment in their history as well as explaining Carillon's connections to many other people and places in my books. Enjoy!

Find Geoffrey's romance in Goblin Fruit and Benton's in On The Bias, and check out the other books relating to the Carillon family for more about Temple, Geoffrey, Benton, and others.

Content
Begins with the death of one POV character's older brother, in what turns out to likely be murder. Many unanswered questions about why, how, and the reasons for the neglect of the land magic. Not a romance, introduces a number of other characters appearing in multiple books. One of the POV characters (Benton) is autistic. One (Carillon) is bisexual, though not in a relationship during this book.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Ancient Trust.

Published:
Genres:
historical fantasy

Tags:
1920s, Carillon family, Class and class differences, Close friends, Cover - yellow, Great place to start, Land magic, Mental health conditions, Neurodiversity, People who make things

Begins: 1922-02

More about the Carillon family:
(My authorial wiki has additional information about characters, connections, and places.)

Sailor’s Jewel

June 19, 2023
S

Rhoe agreed to this trip for her own reasons.

About to take up a new and challenging position as a healer, Rhoe agreed to a trip with her brother on a luxurious ocean liner. She plans to spend the voyage reading, relaxing, and ignoring the social duelling of the first class passengers.

It's not that simple. Nothing with her brother ever is.

Hugh wants to find his place.

Hugh's family made their name offering safe, luxurious shipping and ocean travel for magical and non-magical passengers alike. Now that his older half-brother has inherited the business, Hugh needs to know where he stands. He expects this transatlantic trip to be about soothing ruffled feathers over minor difficulties, and keeping the first class passengers properly entertained.

When Rhoe's brother reveals he is transporting a powerful magical aquamarine, it becomes clear this will not be a simple voyage. Something is lurking below, the pelagic mermaids are scattering, and Rhoe, Hugh, and their allies must find a way to calm the waters.

Sailor's Jewel is a standalone novel of 90,000 words. It is full of ocean travel, mermaids, last minute rituals, and of course a magical gem. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1901 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Main character is a healer: discussion of her work (without extensive medical detail) throughout. A secondary character is a widower whose much-loved wife died in childbirth. Nasty gossip and references to bigotry about characters who are not entirely human, or do not fit neatly into societal expectations.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Sailor's Jewel.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Council, Cover - blue, Edwardian, Great place to start, Healers and healing, Magical beings, Religion and the numinous, Siblings

Begins: 1901-11

Pastiche

June 19, 2023
P

Alysoun wants more than duty.

Born into the aristocratic circles of Albion’s upper class, Alysoun has done everything expected of her. She has married well, produced two healthy children, and handled her social obligations with grace.

It’s not enough. Her husband is kind but distant, and she lives with ongoing mysterious pain. Worst of all, she is frankly bored. When Alysoun spots something odd in a stained glass exhibition at the museum, she seizes the opportunity. Perhaps it will finally give them something to talk about.

Richard lives for honour.

As a captain of Albion’s Guard, he spends his days solving problems. As Lord of the land, he makes sure his estates in England are thriving. It leaves little time for anything else, even his wife or children. He’s sure they understand. He was brought up the same way.

When Richard’s mentor is injured, the ground collapses under his feet, shaking up all of his assumptions about how his marriage, his oaths, and his life work. The question is, can he figure out how to juggle his responsibilities and two different investigations in time?

Pastiche is a standalone novel of 90,000 words. It is full of stained glass, living with chronic illness, an arranged marriage turned love match, and family of choice. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1906 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Arranged marriage to lovers trope. Main character dealing with what we would call fibromyalgia (and they called fibrositis). Main character who is part of the Guard, Albion’s equivalent of a police force (among other things) and ongoing discussion of his current work and duties. Duelling. Secondary character who is an amputee due to war injuries. 

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Pastiche.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Chronic health, Cover - green, Edgarton family, Edwardian, Gentle, Great place to start, Guard and Penelopes, Land magic, Music and the arts, Parents and children, Physical disabilities

Begins: 1906-06

Winter’s Charms

June 18, 2023
W

Celebrate the winter with three novellas about love, family, and what it means to be home after the Great War.

(Explore the links to each novella for tags and additional information.)

Casting Nasturtiums brings a family together.

Seth has no idea what's happened to Golshan since that awful day in the trenches in 1918. Now he's demobbed, Seth can track down Golshan, love Dilly (his wife), and get back to his woodwork. Of course, it's never that simple. Seth has to fight a bureaucracy, Golshan needs to reclaim his life, and all three of them need to figure out how their lives work now. (Polyamorous MMF romance set in 1919.)

Country Manners finds Kate and Giles happy in the life they are building together.

When the winter holidays require a visit to his family estate, Giles and Kate make the best of it. Fortunately, they stumble into a mystery along the way, inspiring Kate to take a new approach in dealing with his family's disapproval of just about everything. (This tale takes place in December 1921, between their engagement and wedding.)

Thesan, Isembard, Ibis, and Pross find themselves Chasing Legends during the winter holidays at Schola.

It's long past time to revive some of Schola's older traditions. As a few staff and guests settle down for a feast, a resounding knock on the door brings a knight out of ancient tales and a challenge that will need every one of their combined skills. (December 1926, on the anniversary of Thesan and Isembard's wedding.)

All three novellas in this collection can be enjoyed on their own without reading other books of Albion. However, they do contain some spoilers for the events of those books. Kate and Giles meet and fall in love in Wards of the Roses. Thesan and Ismebard's romance can be found in Eclipse, and Pross and Ibis's can be found in Magician's Hoard.

Come enjoy all the delights of winter with Winter's Charms! Get your copy now for enchanting holiday reading full of kindness, magic, and love.

Published:
Tags:
Cover - blue

Begins: 1920-06

Chasing Legends

June 18, 2023
C

Found in the Winter's Charms novella collection.

It's long past time to revive some of Schola's older traditions. As a few staff and guests settle down for a feast, a resounding knock on the door brings a knight out of ancient tales and a challenge that will need every one of their combined skills. When Thesan, Isembard, Pross, and Ibis investigate, they find themselves deep in Schola's most ancient mysteries.

It takes place in December 1926, on the first anniversary of Thesan and Isembard's wedding. Thesan and Isembard's romance is in Eclipse, and Pross and Ibis fall in love in Magician's Hoard.

Content
Established relationships (Two characters from Eclipse, two from Magician’s Hoard, brief references for events of those books.) Includes stigmatised abilities, guilt and shame about actions during the War, and rebuilding community. One point of view character is autistic (Thesan).

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Chasing Legends.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Character focused, Diverse backgrounds, Education and research, Fortier and Landry families, Gentle, Land magic, Magical beings, Neurodiversity, Previously married, Religion and the numinous, Shapeshifting

Begins: 1926-12
By Celia June 18, 2023

New and exciting!

The cover of Upon A Summer's Day shows a man in a suit silhouetted over a map of northern Wales in a muted green. He is gesturing, holding his cane in one hand, a cap on his head. Behind him is an astrological chart, with Jupiter and Saturn highlighted in the sign of Taurus.

Upon A Summer's Day

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