The Frewyn Herald: Home of the Haanta Series

While there are many fantasy books and many authors of speculative fiction, very few with legendary status ever live so long, and if they do, they often leave their fantastic worlds earlier than situation and health allows. Pratchett unfortunately died early, Eddings abandoned his original universe to fly to more scientific heights, White traded Arthur for Lilliput, and Howard was swept away by mental illness before he could see his Hyborean Age leap to international and universal acclaim, but amongst the Great Men of speculative fiction, there are few women who invade the scene, women who have laid siege to the tree fort and camped near the gatehouse of literary exclusivity. Ursula K. LeGuin was the shield maiden of her day. She never won a Nobel Prize, refuse to accept the title of 'fantasy writer' when she was a distinguished novelist, and raged against an industry that made itself a bastion against women in writing. She did not change nor abbreviate her name for the sake ...

As Ailineighdaeth, the Frewyn winter holiday and beginning of the new year, comes to an end, there is much the residents of the keep have to be grateful for--  least of all being the absence of a certain God at their holiday celebrations: Mr Craw donning his holiday hat A las dair directed the children, giving them the laurels and festoons Pastaddams made in honour of the holiday. “One end over here near the counter, that’s right, and the other in the inlet. Pin it there, and then you can continue without having it stretch over the beam.” He watched them and gave their work an approving nod. “Good. Now you can go on to the other side of the room.” He turned toward the table momentarily, and found Boudicca eyeing him with secretive delight. “What?”                   “I love when you delegate with your hands on your hips,” she said, smiling at him. “You are one dishrag over the shoulder away from ...

As much as everyone loves Shayne, he's a bit 'out in the fields' when it comes to going anything other than his leatherwork:      T he order was made, and with the gingerbread pieces packed, they returned to the keep, Rautu satisfied with his schemes and Boudicca interested to see how much of the gingerbread village would be built before her mate should come to stake his claim on a farm or a latrine. The giant went off on his afternoon hunt in the Royal Wood, to wait until the gingerbread houses were built before insisting upon eating them, and Boudicca moved toward the kitchen, where the children were sat round the table, making decorations for the tree that was to come later in the evening. Hathanta and Baronous were sat with them, Hathanta looping silver threads through the glass globes of the sealrealta, and Baronous relating the Ailineighdaeth story, a history, though well-known to everybody in Frewyn, always entertaining.      ...