A Choir of Lies
Saga Press (Forthccoming, Fall 2019)
Three years ago, Ylfing watched his master-Chant tear a nation apart with nothing but the words on his tongue. Now he's all alone somewhere new, broken-hearted and grieving but a Chant in his own right, employed as a translator to Sterre de Waeyer, a wealthy merchant of luxury goods, while he struggles to come to terms with what his master did, with the audiences he's been alienated from, and with the stories he can no longer trust himself to tell.
That is, until Ylfing's employer finds out what he is, what he does, and what he knows. At Sterre's command, he begins telling stories once more, fanning the city into a mania for a few shipments of an exotic flower. The prices skyrocket, but when disaster looms – a disaster that only the two of them recognize – Ylfing has to face what he has done and decide who he wants to be: A man who walks away and lets the city shatter, as his master did? Or... something else?
A story can be powerful enough to bring a nation to its knees, certainly. But in the right hands, a story can rebuild a broken dam, keep the floodwaters back, and save a life – or ten thousand lives.
"Rowland unleashes formidable skills in this worthy follow-up to 2018’s A Conspiracy of Truths.... Rowland’s characters are consistently surprising and supremely empathetic, and the footnotes, worldbuilding details, and tales sprinkled throughout create a full and complex reality for readers to wander at will. This is a wise, moving, and captivating adventure."
A Conspiracy of Truths
Saga Press
In a bleak, far-northern land, a wandering storyteller is arrested on charges of witchcraft. Though Chant protests his innocence, he is condemned not only as a witch, but a spy. His only chance to save himself rests with the skills he has honed for decades – tell a good story, catch and hold their attention, or die.
But the attention he catches is that of the five elected rulers of the country, and Chant finds himself caught in a tangled, corrupt political game which began long before he ever arrived here. As he’s snatched from one Queen’s grasp to another’s, he realizes that he could either be a pawn for one of them… or a player in his own right. After all, he knows better than anyone how powerful the right story can be: Powerful enough to save a life, certainly. Perhaps even powerful enough to bring a nation to its knees.
"...[A]n impressive and thoroughly entertaining fantasy that isn’t afraid to pull back the curtain on its craft, providing an insightful commentary about the art of storytelling and the dangerous, enchanting power that stories have to change reality itself....a world of words that readers will be loath to leave."
--Publishers Weekly
In the End
(2012, self-published)
The Fallen Angel Lucien never expected the world to end. Inconveniently enough, it did. He and Lalael, an angel of the Higher Realm, are abandoned to make their way in what’s left of the world.
It has changed, however. Uncountable humans have died or vanished, and leftover groups are determined to survive however they can, fighting off new dangers and killing anything they do not understand.
But demons were not the only thing released into the world at the End: A strange new power fills the world, and no one knows what this might bring.
"...[A]n abundantly creative and intelligent work... It is sophisticated entertainment."
--Heather McNamara, book blogger
Alexandra Rowland grew up on a sailboat in the Bahamas and then in a house in Florida. Sick to death of the tropics, they attended Truman State University in northern Missouri, where they studied world literature, mythology, and folklore. They now live in western Massachusetts where they work as an (occasional) bespoke seamstress and writer under the stern supervision of their feline quality control manager. They can be found on Twitter as @_alexrowland.
They are represented by Britt Siess of Martin Literary Management.
Alexandra Rowland is also one of the hosts of the podcast, Be the Serpent, along with fellow authors Freya Marske and Jennifer Mace.
Be the Serpent has new episodes every other Wednesday, discussing books, media, and particularly the role of fanfiction as an integral part of the literary conversation. It's available for free on Spotify, iTunes, and wherever podcasts are found.
Worldbuilding for Masochists is exactly what it says on the tin! Join professional fantasy authors Rowenna Miller, Alexandra Rowland and Marshall Ryan Maresca (and the occasional glamorous guest star) as they do a deep dive on every aspect of worldbuilding. Yes, EVERY aspect.
Episodes air every other Wednesday, available wherever podcasts are found.
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