The Land Mysteries series explores Albion as we move into the Second World War. They’re about the land magic, about chosen family, and the many kinds of relationships we have in our lives – though there’s plenty of romance in the mix too! (In other words, not every book in this series is a romance.)
You can read the books in any order, but there is an overall arc reflecting changes in approaches to the land magic and the ties and associations between a number of characters. I recommend reading Old As The Hills and Upon A Summer’s Day in order: they’re two halves of a particular question.
- In Best Foot Forward, Lord Geoffrey Carillon needs help to get an alchemist’s research out of Germany in 1935. Alexander Landry has the skills, but it means Carillon must trust someone on the Council. (An enemies to “it’s complicated” romance, no cheating involved.)
- Nocturnal Quarry finds Alexander in America in 1938, bringing home just how much has changed in his life, including how he solves problems. (A character-focused novella.)
- Old As The Hills challenges both Gabe and Rathna to bring their own particular talents to the opening year of the Second World War. (An established loving marriage negotiating new demands.)
- Upon A Summer’s Day forces Gabe to answer a question that’s been looming over him since June 1940. The question is how he’ll answer. (Character focused novel in the second half of 1940.)
- In Illusion of a Boar, four magical specialists are pulled together in the spring of 1944 for an absolutely secret mission as part of preparations for D-Day. (Novel, with a romance.)
- Three Graces finds Lizzie, Alysoun, and Thesan tackling an unanswered question: what led to Temple Carillon’s death in 1922? (Character focused novella in the spring and summer of 1945.)
- The Magic of Four is a school story told through four students at Schola in the 1946-1947 school year. Besides the usual challenges of school – classes, sports, other students – it’s the year the secret societies at Schola choose new members. (School story – no romances – of second year students)
Showing books 1-7 of 7
Period: 1930s
Romance: M/M, Late in life romance, Asexual, Bisexual, Polyamorous
Content notes: Click here to reveal
Period: Second World War
Romance: M/F, M/M/F, Established relationship
Content notes: Click here to reveal
Showing books 1-7 of 7
Content notes
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.
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.
At the same time, the end of the war in Europe means that a number of patterns and usual supports aren’t available, and the three women have to navigate some new situations. However, there’s no violence on the page, and discussions of the eventual outcome focus on character’s feelings rather than descriptions of the details. Of note for representation: Alysoun lives with what we’d call fibromyalgia and routinely uses a cane, and Thesan is autistic.