Antlered Crown
Page 8
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Cast of Characters
The Wild Hunt & Family:
Angel Jackson: Ember’s best friend, a human empath, Angel is a member of the Wild Hunt. A whiz in both the office and the kitchen, and loyal to the core, Angel is an integral part of Ember’s life, and a vital member of the team.
Charlie Darren: A vampire who was turned at 19. Math major, baker, and all-around gofer.
Ember Kearney: Caught between the world of Light and Dark Fae, and pledged to Morgana, goddess of the Fae and the Sea, Ember Kearney was born with the mark of the Silver Stag. Rejected by both her bloodlines, she now works for the Wild Hunt as an investigator.
Herne the Hunter: Herne is the son of the Lord of the Hunt, Cernunnos, and Morgana, goddess of the Fae and the Sea. A demigod—given his mother’s mortal beginnings—he’s a lusty, protective god and one hell of a good boss. Owner of the Wild Hunt Agency, he helps keep the squabbles between the world of Light and Dark Fae from spilling over into the mortal realms.
Rafé Forrester: Brother to Ulstair, Raven’s late fiancé; Angel’s boyfriend. Was an actor/fast-food worker, then worked as a clerk for the Wild Hunt. Dark Fae. Deceased.
Talia: A harpy who long ago lost her powers, Talia is a top-notch researcher for the agency, and a longtime friend of Herne’s.
Viktor: Viktor is half-ogre, half-human. Rejected by his father’s people (the ogres), he came to work for Herne some decades back.
Yutani: A coyote shifter who is dogged by the Great Coyote, Yutani was driven out of his village over two hundred years before. He walks in the shadow of the trickster, and is the IT specialist for the company.
Ember’s Friends, Family, & Enemies:
Aoife: A priestess of Morgana who guards the Seattle portal to the goddess’s realm.
Celia: Yutani’s aunt.
Danielle: Herne’s daughter, born to an Amazon named Myrna.
DJ Jackson: Angel’s little half-brother, DJ is half Wulfine—wolf shifter. He now lives with a foster family for his own protection.
Erica: A Dark Fae police officer, friend of Viktor’s.
Elatha: Fomorian King; enemy of the Fae race.
George Shipman: Puma shifter. Member of the White Peak Puma Pride.
Ginty McClintlock: A dwarf. Owner of Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill.
Louhia: Witch of Pohjola.
Marilee: A priestess of Morgana, Ember’s mentor. Possibly human—unknown.
Meadow O’Ceallaigh: Member of the magic-born; member of LOCK. Twin sister of Trefoil.
Myrna: An Amazon who had a fling with Herne many years back, which resulted in their daughter Danielle.
Sheila: Viktor’s girlfriend. A kitchen witch; one of the magic-born. Geology teacher who volunteers at the Chapel Hill Homeless Shelter.
Trefoil O’Ceallaigh: Member of the magic-born; member of LOCK. Twin brother of Meadow.
Unkai: Leader of the Orhanakai clan in the forest of Y’Bain. Dark Fae—Autumn’s Bane.
Raven & the Ante-Fae:
The Ante-Fae are creatures predating the Fae. They are the wellspring from which all Fae descended, unique beings who rule their own realms. All Ante-Fae are dangerous, but some are more deadly than others.
Apollo: The Golden Boy. Vixen’s boytoy. Weaver of Wings. Dancer.
Arachana: The Spider Queen. She has almost transformed into one of the Luo’henkah.
Blackthorn, the King of Thorns: Ruler of the blackthorn trees and all thorn-bearing plants. Cunning and wily, he feeds on pain and desire.
Curikan, the Black Dog of Hanging Hills: Raven’s father, one of the infamous Black Dogs. The first time someone meets him, they find good fortune. If they should ever see him again, they meet tragedy.
Phasmoria: Queen of the Bean Sidhe. Raven’s mother.
Raven, the Daughter of Bones: (also: Raven BoneTalker) A bone witch, Raven is young, as far as the Ante-Fae go, and she works with the dead. She’s also a fortune-teller, and a necromancer.
Straff: Blackthorn’s son, who suffers from a wasting disease requiring him to feed off others’ life energies and blood.
Trinity: The Keeper of Keys. The Lord of Persuasion. One of the Ante-Fae, and part incubus. Mysterious and unknown agent of chaos. His mother was Deeantha, the Rainbow Runner, and his soul father was Maximus, a minor lord of the incubi.
Vixen: The Mistress/Master of Mayhem. Gender-fluid Ante-Fae who owns the Burlesque A Go-Go nightclub.
The Vulture Sisters: Triplet sisters, predatory.
Raven’s Friends:
Elise, Gordon, and Templeton: Raven’s ferret-bound spirit friends she rescued years ago and now protects until she can find out the secret to breaking the curse on them.
Gunnar: One of Kipa’s SuVahta Elitvartijat—elite guards.
Jordan Roberts: Tiger shifter. Llewellyn’s husband. Owns A Taste of Latte coffee shop.
Llewellyn Roberts: One of the magic-born, owns the Sun & Moon Apothecary.
Moira Ness: Human. One of Raven’s regular clients for readings.
Neil Johansson: One of the magic-born. A priest of Thor.
Raj: Gargoyle companion of Raven. Wing-clipped, he’s been with Raven for a number of years.
Wager Chance: Half-Dark Fae, half-human PI. Owns a PI firm located in the Catacombs. Has connections with the vampires.
Wendy Fierce-Womyn: An Amazon who works at Ginty’s Waystation Bar & Grill.
The Gods, the Luo’henkah, the Elemental Spirits, & Their Courts:
Arawn: Lord of the Dead. Lord of the Underworld.
Arianrhod: The Goddess of the Silver Wheel; Lady of Reincarnation and the Stars
Brighid: Goddess of Healing, Inspiration, and Smithery. The Lady of the Fiery Arrows, “Exalted One.”
The Cailleach: One of the Luo’henkah, the heart and spirit of winter.
Cerridwen: Goddess of the Cauldron of Rebirth. Dark harvest mother goddess.
Cernunnos: Lord of the Hunt, god of the Forest and King Stag of the Woods. Together with Morgana, Cernunnos originated the Wild Hunt and negotiated the covenant treaty with both the Light and the Dark Fae. Herne’s father.
Corra: Ancient Scottish serpent goddess. Oracle to the gods.
Coyote, also: Great Coyote: Native American trickster spirit/god.
Danu: Mother of the Pantheon. Leader of the Tuatha de Dannan.
Ferosyn: Chief healer in Cernunnos’s Court.
Herne: (see The Wild Hunt)
Isella: One of the Luo’henkah. The Daughter of Ice (daughter of the Cailleach).
Kuippana (also: Kipa): Lord of the Wolves. Elemental forest spirit; Herne’s distant cousin. Trickster. Leader of the SuVahta, a group of divine elemental wolf shifters.
Lugh the Long Handed: Celtic Lord of the Sun.
Mielikki: Lady of Tapiola. Finnish goddess of the Hunt and the Fae. Mother of the Bear, Mother of Bees, Queen of the Forest.
Morgana: Goddess of the Fae and the Sea, she was originally human but Cernunnos lifted her to deityhood. She agreed to watch over the Fae who did not return across the Great Sea. Torn by her loyalty to her people and her loyalty to Cernunnos, she at times finds herself conflicted about the Wild Hunt. Herne’s mother.
The Morrígan: Goddess of Death and Phantoms. Goddess of the battlefield.
Pandora: Daughter of Zeus, Emissary of Typhon, the Father of Dragons.
Sejun: A counselor in Cernunnos’s employ. Raven’s therapist. Elven.
The Fae Courts:
Navane: The court of the Light Fae, both across the Great Sea and on the east side of Seattle, the latter ruled by Névé.
TirNaNog: The court of the Dark Fae, both across the Great Sea and on the east side of Seattle, the latter ruled by Saílle.
The Force Majeure:
A group of legendary magicians, sorcerers, and witches. They are not human, but magic-born. There are twenty-one at any given time and the only way into the group is to be hand chosen, and the only exit from the group is death.
Merlin, The: Morgana’s father. Magician of ancient Celtic fame.
Taliesin: The first Celtic bard. Son of Cerridwen, originally a servant who underwent magical transformation and finally was reborn through Cerridwen as the first bard.
Ranna: Powerful sorceress. Elatha’s mistress.
Rasputin: The Russian sorcerer and mystic.
Väinämöinen: The most famous Finnish bard.
The Dragonni—the Dragon Shifters:
The Celestial Wanders (Blue, Silver, and Gold Dragons)
The Mountain Dreamers (Green and Black Dragons)
The Luminous Warriors (White, Red, and Shadow Dragons)
Ashera: A blue dragon.
Aso: White dragon, bound to Pandora, twin of Variance
Echidna: The Mother of Dragons (born of the Titans Gaia and Tartarus)
Gyell: Shadow dragon, working with Aso and Variance to bring chaos to Seattle
Typhon: The Father of Dragons (born of the Titans Gaia and Tartarus)
Variance: White dragon, bound to Pandora, twin of Aso
Timeline of Series
Year 1:
May/Beltane: The Silver Stag (Ember)
June/Litha: Oak & Thorns (Ember)
August/Lughnasadh: Iron Bones (Ember)
September/Mabon: A Shadow of Crows (Ember)
Mid-October: Witching Hour (Raven)
Late October/Samhain: The Hallowed Hunt (Ember)
December/Yule: The Silver Mist (Ember)
Year 2:
January: Witching Bones (Raven)
Late January–February/Imbolc: A Sacred Magic (Ember)
March/Ostara: The Eternal Return (Ember)
May/Beltane: Sun Broken (Ember)
June/Litha: Witching Moon (Raven)
August/Lughnasadh: Autumn’s Bane (Ember)
September/Mabon: Witching Time (Raven)
November/Samhain: Hunter’s Moon (Ember)
December/Yule: Witching Fire (Raven)
February/Imbolc: Veil of Stars (Ember)
October/Samhain: Antlered Crown (Ember)
Playlist
I often write to music, and ANTLERED CROWN was no exception. Here’s the playlist I used for this book.
Air: Moon Fever; Playground Love; Napalm Love
Airstream: Electra (Religion Cut)
Alexandros: Milk (Bleach Version); Mosquito Bite
Android Lust: Here & Now; Saint Over
The Black Angels: Currency; Hunt Me Down; Death March; Indigo Meadow; Don’t Play With Guns; Always Maybe; Black Isn’t Black
Black Mountain: Queens Will Play
The Bravery: Believe
Broken Bells: The Ghost Inside
Crazy Town: Butterfly
Danny Cudd: Double D; Remind; Once Again; Timelessly Free; To the Mirage
DJ Shah: Mellomaniac
Eastern Sun: Beautiful Being
Eels: Love of the Loveless; Souljacker Part 1
FC Kahuna: Hayling
The Feeling: Sewn
Fluke: Absurd
Foster The People: Pumped Up Kicks
Garbage: Queer; Only Happy When It Rains; #1Crush; Push It; I Think I’m Paranoid
Gary Numan: Hybrid; Cars; Petals; Ghost Nation; My Name Is Ruin; Pray for the Pain You Serve; I Am Dust; Betrayed; The Gift; I Am Screaming; Intruder; Is This World Not Enough; A Black Sun; The Chosen; And It Breaks Me Again; Saints And Liars; Now And Forever; The End of Dragons; When You Fall
Godsmack: Voodoo
The Gospel Whisky Runners: Muddy Waters
Hang Massive: Omat Odat; Released Upon Inception; Thingless Things; Boat Ride; Transition to Dreams; End of Sky; Warmth of the Sun’s Rays; Luminous Emptiness
The Hu: The Gereg; Wolf Totem
Imagine Dragons: Natural
In Strict Confidence: Snow White; Tiefer; Silver Bullets; Forbidden Fruit
J Rokka: Marine Migration
Jethro Tull: Dun Ringill; Old Ghosts
Lorde: Yellow Flicker Beat; Royals
Loreena McKennitt: The Mummers’ Dance
Low: Witches; Nightingale; Plastic Cup; Monkey; Half-Light
M.I.A.: Bad Girls
Many Rivers Ensemble: Blood Moon; Oasis; Upwelling; Emergence
Marconi Union: First Light; Alone Together; Flying (In Crimson Skies); Always Numb; Time Lapse; On Reflection; Broken Colours; We Travel; Weightless
Matt Corby: Breathe
Pati Yang: All That Is Thirst
Rue du Soleil: We Can Fly; Le Francaise; Wake Up Brother; Blues Du Soleil
Screaming Trees: Where the Twain Shall Meet; All I Know
Shriekback: Underwater Boys; Over the Wire; This Big Hush; Agony Box; Bollo Rex; Putting All The Lights Out; The Fire Has Brought Us Together; Shovelheads; And the Rain; Wiggle & Drone; Now These Days Are Gone; The King in the Tree
Tamaryn: While You’re Sleeping, I’m Dreaming; Violet’s in a Pool
Thomas Newman: Dead Already
Tom Petty: Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Trills: Speak Loud
The Verve: Bitter Sweet Symphony
Wendy Rule: Let the Wind Blow
Biography
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over seventy-five books, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, the Indigo Court Series, and the Otherworld Series, among others. She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her Website at Galenorn.com. You can find all her links at her LinkTree.
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Indie Releases Currently Available:
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Moonshadow Bay Series:
Starlight Web
Midnight Web
Conjure Web
Harvest Web
Shadow Web
* * *
Hedge Dragon Series:
The Poisoned Forest
The Tangled Sky
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Nightqueen Series:
Tattered Thorns
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The Wild Hunt Series:
The Silver Stag
Oak & Thorns
Iron Bones
A Shadow of Crows
The Hallowed Hunt
The Silver Mist
Witching Hour
Witching Bones
A Sacred Magic
The Eternal Return
Sun Broken
Witching Moon
Autumn’s Bane
Witching Time
Hunter’s Moon
Witching Fire
Veil of Stars
Antlered Crown
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Lily Bound Series
Soul jacker
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Chintz ‘n China Series:
Ghost of a Chance
Legend of the Jade Dragon
Murder Under a Mystic Moon
A Harvest of Bones
One Hex of a Wedding
Holiday Spirits
Well of Secrets
Chintz
‘n China Books, 1 – 3: Ghost of a Chance, Legend of the Jade Dragon, Murder Under A Mystic Moon
Chintz ‘n China Books, 4-6: A Harvest of Bones, One Hex of a Wedding, Holiday Spirits
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Whisper Hollow Series:
Autumn Thorns
Shadow Silence
The Phantom Queen
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Bewitching Bedlam Series:
Bewitching Bedlam
Maudlin’s Mayhem
Siren’s Song
Witches Wild
Casting Curses
Demon’s Delight
Bedlam Calling: A Bewitching Bedlam Anthology
The Wish Factor (a prequel short story)
Blood Music (a prequel novella)
Blood Vengeance (a Bewitching Bedlam novella)
Tiger Tails (a Bewitching Bedlam novella)
* * *
Fury Unbound Series:
Fury Rising
Fury’s Magic
Fury Awakened
Fury Calling
Fury’s Mantle
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Indigo Court Series:
Night Myst
Night Veil
Night Seeker
Night Vision
Night’s End
Night Shivers
Indigo Court Books, 1-3: Night Myst, Night Veil, Night Seeker (Boxed Set)
Indigo Court Books, 4-6: Night Vision, Night’s End, Night Shivers (Boxed Set)
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Otherworld Series:
Moon Shimmers
Harvest Song
Blood Bonds
Otherworld Tales: Volume 1
Otherworld Tales: Volume 2
For the rest of the Otherworld Series, see website at Galenorn.com.
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