.
An elf afraid of opening his heart, and a human who is heir
to an awesome power:
Only by embracing their shared destiny can they save
Iceland…and each other.
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FalconSaga
by Robert Winter
Genre: Epic Fantasy
In modern-day Iceland, a place of glaciers, volcanoes, and
legends, the Norns have foretold a sorcerous invasion that could destroy
everything.
Magnús, an elf of the huldufólk, is driven by the murder of his human lover a
century ago to save those humans he can, and to figure out what is behind
recent troll attacks on tourists. But the Norns have spoken. He must protect
Altair, a young human from Boston, who is bringing a dangerous magical force to
Iceland. If Magnús fails to keep Altair safe, the country will fall to a
sorcerer called the Black Priest. Yet if Altair lives, Magnús will meet his
doom.
For his part, Altair is a graduate student bullied to visit Iceland by mentors
who seem to have their own agenda. He knows nothing of elves, sorcerers or
prophecies. Suddenly, the handsome, mysterious Magnús is guiding Altair around
Reykjavik and into danger. A witch, a berserker, and more elves are along for
the quest across Iceland’s forbidding landscape. And why does everyone keeps
calling Altair “the Falcon”?
An elf and a human with a shared destiny. Will they solve the mystery linking
their fates before it is too late for all Iceland?
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“Ah, the traitor pays a visit,” a voice sneered from behind Magnús, drawing him to an abrupt stop. “Killed any more of our native creatures? Are you here to find victims to persecute in your humans-first campaign?”
Magnús’s jaw tightened as he turned to face the speaker. “Lars Berkisson. You must be desperate if you’re grubbing for supporters here.”
Lars gave Magnús a tight smile, his steel-gray eyes narrowing. “I came to offer comfort to Vörður, and to tend to his affairs while he rots in the cell where you put him. Tell me, Magnús. How many more of your own people will you try to destroy in your self-hatred?”
“Vörður put himself in that cell when he stole a human baby and tried to pass himself off as the infant. He ignored the edict laid down by Queen Hildur, risked violating the First Covenant, and in any event, the act was despicable. Changelings have been forbidden for decades.”
Lars laughed. “Of course, you and Bryndís are too modern to gather servants in the old ways. But we who honor the ancient customs have long known that if we must tolerate non-magical humans on our shores, then they are best taken as babes. Those raised from infancy make for superior attendants and retainers. The queen has been led astray by your misplaced devotion to mortals, but I have confidence she’ll return to tradition.”
Magnús clenched his jaw, determined to keep his temper. “A tradition of bigotry and false piety, pretending the gods want us to use humans as pets or chattel.”
“Well, isn’t that what Sigurjón was to you? A pet?”
The twist to Lars’s upper lip enraged Magnús. Although Lars had been back from his exile for nearly a fifth of a century, Magnús’s every encounter with him brought them close to battle. With a tremendous effort of will, Magnús refrained from pulling the dagger tucked in his belt.
“Sigurjón was as much a child of the gods as you once were, Lars,” he said through gritted teeth. “The path you follow leads to Hel’s sunless lands, though you lie to your followers and promise them Valhöll.”
Lars shook his head in a way that infuriated Magnús. “Álfheimur is the true home of our people. Those who hear my words long only for a return to the days before men invaded our shores. Before they killed our trees, stole our magic, and built their abominable cities.”
“The gods led mortals here to Iceland, Cousin. Your brand of fanaticism sets those who believe you against the will of the Æsir. And I, for one, look forward to a reckoning.”
With that, Magnús strode away. He didn’t trust himself to spend one more minute in the presence of the vile creature who had murdered his beloved Sigurjón.
**Get the first two chapters FREE here!
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My Travels in Iceland
Falconsaga is based upon the folktales and legends of Iceland. The first time I visited the country was in December 2018. It was a short trip that promised a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, a brief glimpse is all we got that time! Plenty of snow and ice, though, including a glacier hike that awed me. I was in Iceland long enough to notice the country’s love of its own folktales, and to begin research them.
I returned in June 2021 because Iceland was the first country during the pandemic to allow tourism to resume. A volcano on the Reykanses Peninsula had recently erupted, so I was lucky enough to see the still-glowing lava field and to peer down at rivers of molten stone.
The contrast of those two visits – ice and fire – hooked me on the country. I delved more deeply into the Icelandic sagas and began reading all the folktales I could get my hands on. From those experiences, the initial idea of Falconsaga arose.
I knew I needed more context for the story I had in mind, though, so I went back to Iceland in 2023 by myself and spent a month driving around the perimeter of the country on what is called the Ring Road. That was an amazing journey, complete with nights of gazing up at the Northern Lights, driving past herds of wild horses, taking a ferry to an island that survived a volcanic eruption in the 1970s, exploring a lava tunnel filled with stalagmites made of ice, and trips to many hot springs and thermal baths. Along the way I amassed local legends, and visited towns and locations reputed to be the home of the huldufólk, or Hidden Folk.
These legends and locations all factor into my stories in different ways. But beneath all my prose and feeble attempts to weave ancient folktales into a modern fantasy, lies my desire to capture the magic of this strange landscape.
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Robert Winter is a recovering lawyer who likes writing about
love and adventure much more than drafting a legal brief. Once upon a time, he
went to Georgetown University law school. Upon graduation, he moved to New York
to work in a large law firm, but later returned to Washington, DC. The legal
work was entertaining and Robert spent a lot of time in bankruptcy court,
usually representing either groups of creditor or the debtors themselves. But
legal work didn’t satisfy the urge Robert felt to tell stories.
When he turned 50, Robert left behind the (allegedly)
glamorous world of international law firms and bankruptcy court to pursue his
real passion. Now he lives in Montreal with his husband, studying French
between trips to exotic locations.
When Robert isn’t writing, he loves to cook Indian food. The
aromas of the spice blends excite and challenge him. Although he’s never been
to India, the food seems comforting and home-like. Add a trip to the Golden
Triangle to the bucket list!
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