The city-state Sirapirat once knew only warmth and monsoon. When the Winter Queen conquered it, she remade the land in her image, turning Sirapirat into a country of snow and unending frost. But an empire is not her only goal. In secret, she seeks the fragments of a mirror whose power will grant her deepest desire.
At her right hand is General Lussadh, who bears a mirror shard in her heart, as loyal to winter as she is plagued by her past as a traitor to her country. Tasked with locating other glass-bearers, she finds one in Nuawa, an insurgent who's forged herself into a weapon that will strike down the queen.
To earn her place in the queen's army, Nuawa must enter a deadly tournament where the losers' souls are given in service to winter. To free Sirapirat, she is prepared to make sacrifices: those she loves, herself, and the complicated bond slowly forming between her and Lussadh.
If the splinter of glass in Nuawa's heart doesn't destroy her first.
"A fairy tale, beautiful like an ice crystal, and razor sharp."
--Silvia Moreno-Garcia, World Fantasy Award-winning co-editor of She Walks in Shadows
"Winterglass is rich with diamondine prose, a scintillant retelling of the Ice Queen that challenges Occidental aesthetics, colonial mentality, and personal identity."
--Cassandra Khaw, author of Hammers on Bone, BFA & Locus Award nominee
"An exquisite gem of a novella. Politics, relationships, and combat presented as a matryoshka, the beauty of which is there's no easy way of telling which shells are within which. Sriduangkaew's sensuous metaphors and elegant imagery are never less than a pleasure to read. Thoroughly recommended. "
--Jonathan L. Howard, author of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer
**
Review
"Sriduangkaew's poetic prose fairly sings, and this retelling of the Snow Queen legend is a dark delight."
--Barnes and Noble Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog
"With gorgeous prose and a refreshing perspective on fantasy in general, Sriduangkaew's unique take on a classic tale creates a captivating narrative with twists, turns, and deadly secrets."
--Skiffy and Fanty
"The world created through Sriduangkaew's incredible artistry is one that, despite the icy domination of winter, is much freer than most fantasy stories in its exploration of racial, sexual, and gender identities. Winterglass is highly recommended to anyone looking to experience some of the most exciting and breathtaking fantasy and SF writing out there."
--IndiePicks Magazine
About the Author
Benjanun Sriduangkaew writes love letters to strange cities, beautiful bugs, and the future. Her work has appeared on Tor.com , in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Clarkesworld, and year's best collections. She has been shortlisted for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her debut novella Scale-Bright has been nominated for the British SF Association Award.
Description:
The city-state Sirapirat once knew only warmth and monsoon. When the Winter Queen conquered it, she remade the land in her image, turning Sirapirat into a country of snow and unending frost. But an empire is not her only goal. In secret, she seeks the fragments of a mirror whose power will grant her deepest desire.
At her right hand is General Lussadh, who bears a mirror shard in her heart, as loyal to winter as she is plagued by her past as a traitor to her country. Tasked with locating other glass-bearers, she finds one in Nuawa, an insurgent who's forged herself into a weapon that will strike down the queen.
To earn her place in the queen's army, Nuawa must enter a deadly tournament where the losers' souls are given in service to winter. To free Sirapirat, she is prepared to make sacrifices: those she loves, herself, and the complicated bond slowly forming between her and Lussadh.
If the splinter of glass in Nuawa's heart doesn't destroy her first.
"A fairy tale, beautiful like an ice crystal, and razor sharp."
--Silvia Moreno-Garcia, World Fantasy Award-winning co-editor of She Walks in Shadows
"Winterglass is rich with diamondine prose, a scintillant retelling of the Ice Queen that challenges Occidental aesthetics, colonial mentality, and personal identity."
--Cassandra Khaw, author of Hammers on Bone, BFA & Locus Award nominee
"An exquisite gem of a novella. Politics, relationships, and combat presented as a matryoshka, the beauty of which is there's no easy way of telling which shells are within which. Sriduangkaew's sensuous metaphors and elegant imagery are never less than a pleasure to read. Thoroughly recommended. "
--Jonathan L. Howard, author of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer **
Review
"Sriduangkaew's poetic prose fairly sings, and this retelling of the Snow Queen legend is a dark delight." --Barnes and Noble Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog
"With gorgeous prose and a refreshing perspective on fantasy in general, Sriduangkaew's unique take on a classic tale creates a captivating narrative with twists, turns, and deadly secrets." --Skiffy and Fanty
"The world created through Sriduangkaew's incredible artistry is one that, despite the icy domination of winter, is much freer than most fantasy stories in its exploration of racial, sexual, and gender identities. Winterglass is highly recommended to anyone looking to experience some of the most exciting and breathtaking fantasy and SF writing out there." --IndiePicks Magazine
About the Author
Benjanun Sriduangkaew writes love letters to strange cities, beautiful bugs, and the future. Her work has appeared on Tor.com , in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Clarkesworld, and year's best collections. She has been shortlisted for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her debut novella Scale-Bright has been nominated for the British SF Association Award.