“Freda Warrington doesn’t just write urban fantasy. She’s mastered it.” —Bookwormblues.net An Aetherial Tales novel that can be read as a stand-alone or as the third compelling volume following Elfland (winner of Romantic Times Best Fantasy Novel Award) and Midsummer Night. Grail of the Summer Stars is an eerie, spellbinding contemporary fantasy in which a small mystery builds to an epic confrontation. Stevie Silverwood’s quiet life as the manager of an arts museum is disrupted when a painting depicting haunting scenes of a ruined palace and a scarlet-haired goddess in a fiery city arrives with a cryptic note saying, “The world needs to see this.” Stevie soon realizes that Daniel, her ex-boyfriend from art school, painted the image, but her attempts to contact him reveal that Daniel has gone missing. Concerned, Stevie rushes to his studio where she bumps into a stranger, Mist—an Aetherial from the Otherworld—who has mysteriously risen from drowning in the depths of the ocean. Together they are determined to find out what has happened to Daniel—and the meaning behind the haunting image. Stevie and Mist must uncover their lost past in order to understand the greater secrets the painting holds, and what cataclysmic events it might portend. A twisty, perilous journey awaits as they encounter friends and enemies both old and new, charming and dangerous. Who can they trust? Entwined histories reel them towards a single path, a spire of ice and a conspiracy older than humankind. In Grail of the Summer Stars, a haunting, powerful tale of two worlds and those caught between, Freda Warrington weaves an exciting story of suspense, adventure and danger that fulfils the promise of the Aetherial Tales as only she can. Praise for Grail of the Summer Stars “A classy, beautifully rendered tale that persuasively builds from low-key beginnings into a complex enterprise with real heft, a rich back story and characters that grow with the narrative. A must for existing fans, while being easily accessible to newcomers.” —Kirkus Reviews “Each book is a stand-alone volume and an absolute delight.” —Charles de Lint “A story blending timeless fantasy tradition with fresh and vivid invention, written with such clarity and conviction to utterly engage the reader with each character and every twist of their intertwined tales.” —Juliet McKenna, author of The Green Man’s Heir “Freda Warrington deftly weaves together contemporary art and ageless magic in this vivid, atmospheric fantasy.” —Tricia Sullivan, author of Occupy Me “Freda Warrington spins another captivating and haunting tale in which the mystical, hidden world of the hauntingly beautiful Aetherials intersects with our own... New readers need feel no qualms about starting here as this page-turning fantasy can be read as a standalone–although fans of the two earlier Aetherial Tales will devour Grail of the Summer Stars.” —Sarah Ash, author of Lord of Snow and Shadows “I really loved it: great characters, terrific story, very moving and involving.” —Kari Sperring, author of The Grass King’s Concubine “Warrington is a gorgeous writer, a mistress supreme of syntax, style and pacing; be prepared to fall head-over-heels in love with her writing. Aetherial Tales, particularly The Grail of the Summer Stars with its unique mystery, left me enthralled.” —Nancy Kilpatrick, author of The Power of the Blood series “Warrington has perfected atmosphere and her characters fairly jump off the pages. Grail of the Summer Stars is full of adventure, misdirection, and plenty of very detailed and twisted history. There’s romance, friendship, betrayal, growth, revelations and much more. Basically, it’s anything anyone could possibly want in a book. I can honestly say the only other urban fantasy book I’ve enjoyed this much for many of the same reasons is Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht. These two authors know how to write an incredible story full of emotional drama, depth and amazing world building. Freda Warrington doesn’t just write urban fantasy. She’s mastered it.” —Bookwormblues.net “If you like your fantasy science fiction deeply layered, sparkling and ethereal, do I have a book for you... Written with lush, elegant prose, and filled with strong, engaging characters, Ms. Warrington has written a tale that is both universal and very personal.” —Litstack.com “I loved that this new world resembled nothing currently out there in the land of fiction. It is rare to come across true originality that is so well described that the reader does not find themselves confused by the new ideas... The plot starts as a small mystery that builds to an epic confrontation without losing the reader along the way. Grail of the Summer Stars was a truly enjoyable book.” —Literallyjen.com

A fantasy that includes mystery, myth, magic and the Holy Grail.After an archaeological dig at Glastonbury Tor in England uncovers the Holy Grail, Felicity and her mother, a professor of Arthurian literature, find that their destinies are linked across time with the Grail and the legendary King Arthur.

When Taliessin through Logres was published in 1938, it received widespread critical acclaim. Alongside its partner companion The Region of the Summer Stars, it stands as one of the most profound and challenging works in Williams' body of work--and one of the most important to understanding him fully. In this new edition, both Taliessin through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars are found together, with a new introduction by Williams scholar SOrina Higgins. Taliessin through Logres is designed to reward multiple readings. The poetry is technically virtuosic, musically beautiful, and conceptually complex. It is densely packed with layers of symbolism and rich imagery that are not initially easy to understand, but that scintillate with ever greater brilliance upon repeated readings. --from the Introduction by SOrina Higgins Some of the most fascinating poetry written in our time. Taliessin through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars contain (Williams') Grail poems, a reworking of the theme of the Holy Grail into a poetic myth of unusual wisdom and contemporary significance. It is a unique handling, a fresh vision, of an old subject-matter which has been almost completely neglected in English literature." --C.P. Crowley The more I read Taliessin through Logres and The Region of the Summer Stars, the more rewarding I find them.... Charles Williams has his own mythology which a reader must master. --W.H. Auden

Thirteenth century France. Bridget has grown up mastering the mystical gifts of her ancestor, Mary Magdalene, whose unbroken female lineage has kept a legacy of wisdom alive for a thousand years. But the all-powerful Catholic Church has sworn to destroy Bridget for using her healing talents and supernatural abilities. Bridget's duty to continue the bloodline leads her into the arms of Raoul de Montvallant - a Catholic. But when the Church's savage religious intolerance causes Raoul to turn rebel, a terrible vengeance is exacted by Simon de Montfort, the unstoppable Catholic leader of a crusade against peaceful 'heretics'. As war rages on, it is the children of these passionate souls, Magda and Dominic, who must strive to preserve the ancient knowledge for future generations - and find the love and courage to endure...

In this fascinating work, Barber traces the history of the legends surrounding the Holy Grail, beginning with Chrtien de Troyes's great romances of the 12th century and the medieval Church's religious version of the secular ideal.

Why do the powerful medieval Knights Templar, the famed warriors of the Crusades, still intrigue many today? A secret society long shrouded in mystery, the Templars were believed to conduct mystical rituals, to guard the Holy Grail, and to possess the priceless treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem. Did they bring their treasure to North America, as some legends say? This definitive work about the Templars and their presumed hidden knowledge addresses many such fascinating questions, with rare photos from the Rosslyn Chapel Museum (Scotland) included.

A tale of passion, betrayal... and blood... On a First World War battlefield vampire Karl von Wultendorf struggles to free himself from his domineering maker, Kristian. The Neville sisters flourish in decadent, hedonistic London society in 1923: champagne, parties and the latest illegal substances. All except Charlotte, the middle of the three sisters who hides in a corner wishing she were back in Cambridge helping her professor father with his scientific experiments. When Charlotte meets her father's new research assistant Karl, it is the beginning of a deadly obsession that divides her from her sisters, her father and even her dearest friend. What price are they willing to pay to stay together? "Not merely one of the finest fantasy novels of recent years, but one of the finest ever. Should not be missed." Brian Stableford "A cross between Anne Rice and some of the more edgy modern paranormal romances, only with Freda Warrington 's incredible voice... This author truly has a gift for story telling." Not Your Ordinary Book Banter

The first English translation of the book that reveals the Cathar stronghold at Montségur to be the repository of the Holy Grail • Presents the history of the Papal persecution of the Cathars that lies hidden in the medieval epic Parzival and in the poetry of the troubadours • Provides new insights into the life and death of this gifted and controversial author Crusade Against the Grail is the daring book that popularized the legend of the Cathars and the Holy Grail. The first edition appeared in Germany in 1933 and drew upon Rahn’s account of his explorations of the Pyrenean caves where the heretical Cathar sect sought refuge during the 13th century. Over the years the book has been translated into many languages and exerted a large influence on such authors as Trevor Ravenscroft and Jean-Michel Angebert, but it has never appeared in English until now. Much as German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann used Homer’s Iliad to locate ancient Troy, Rahn believed that Wolfram von Eschenbach’s medieval epic Parzival held the keys to the mysteries of the Cathars and the secret location of the Holy Grail. Rahn saw Parzival not as a work of fiction, but as a historical account of the Cathars and the Knights Templar and their guardianship of the Grail, a “stone from the stars.” The Crusade that the Vatican led against the Cathars became a war pitting Roma (Rome) against Amor (love), in which the Church triumphed with flame and sword over the pure faith of the Cathars.