plutherus

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The Motley Crew (The Thousand Nations). When a young man named Dolan flees from the north, he faces danger on all sides. The Northern Army wants him back. The Empire of Emor wants him dead. His native homeland of Koretia may not want him at all. And his only protection is a man with motives that are mysterious and possibly deadly.

New installment:

Side story | Dangerous Games. Dangerous games benefit dangerous men . . . unless those games are played with leaders of dangerous men.

REISSUE

Already available free at my website, this omnibus is now also available at AO3, SqWA, Ream, and online bookstores.

Blood Vow (The Three Lands). He has taken a blood vow to the Jackal God to bring freedom to his land by killing Koretia's greatest enemy. But what will he do when the enemy becomes his friend?

BLOG FICTION

Tempestuous Tours (Crossing Worlds: A Visitor's Guide to the Three Lands #2). A whirlwind tour of the sites in the Three Lands that are most steeped in history, culture, and the occasional pickpocket.

New installments:

• History of the Chara's palace.
• The Chara's court.
• Enthronement of the Chara.

REVIEWS OF MY FICTION

Speculative fiction writer Jennifer R. Povey posted reviews of all six of my Three Lands novels in the space of less than three weeks. Occasional spoilers.

• Law Links.
• Death Mask & Blood Vow.
• Law of Vengeance & Breached Boundaries.
• Empty Dagger Hand.

UPCOMING FICTION

Some of you may have noticed that I updated my website early this time. That was because I was uncertain when I would regain the ability to upload web pages, after my transfer to a new webhost. Thankfully, the transfer went smoothly, with no downtime for my website.

Also, I'm posting this update a day early because I'll be watching Artemis II tomorrow afternoon. :)

My next release will be the final part of the novel The Motley Crew: "Apprehended Ambassador."

My fiction announcements are also available by e-mail and feeds.

Emorian enthronements generally occur every twenty or thirty years, alas. If an enthronement takes place while you are visiting the palace, it is unlikely that you will have been staying at the palace at the time of the previous Chara's death; enthronements take many months to plan and execute. But if you do happen to be in the palace when the Chara dies, be sure to submit a letter of sympathy to the Chara To Be – that is, to the Chara's heir. It is not necessary to personally meet with the Chara To Be; he will be busy with many matters at this time. If your mission requires you to meet with him, be aware that the heir is not actually the Chara until his enthronement. Until that time, the empire is jointly run by the Chara To Be and the Great Council. You may submit your business to either party during that period.

The enthronement of a new Chara is the highest rite in the Empire of Emor. If you are an ambassador or other distinguished guest, you may receive an invitation to the enthronement. Only serious illness or a similar calamity is an acceptable excuse for rejecting the invitation.

As I have mentioned already, it is always wise to dress formally in the Chara's palace, but this is the point at which you should fling forth all your flourishes. If you are a northern mainlander, imagine how you would want to be dressed for your burial. If you are an eastern mainlander, wear all the clothes and adornments you have been hiding because you feared the peninsulareans would find them too formal. Nothing is too formal for an Emorian enthronement.

You may wear a weapon to the enthronement, though that is not required. I recommend tying feathers, ribbons, or green branches around your weapon to make your peaceful intentions clear. All of the Emorian men at the enthronement will be armed, but not because they intend to fight each other; they are armed because they give their oaths to the new Chara upon their swords.

Part of their oath-bound duty is to defend the Chara against his enemies. Do not wave around your weapon.

Enthronements demonstrate Emorian rituals at their most elaborate. If you are an eastern mainlander, you will likely be enthralled by this evidence that Emorians understand the power of rite. If you are a northern mainlander, try not to fall asleep.

After the enthronement, you may be invited to a reception. This will vary in formality, depending on where it is held. If you greet the new Chara, be sure to address him as "Chara," not by his old title. Jokes about the new Chara are traditional, but should not be spoken directly to him. If you've seen the Chara's face transform during the ceremony, you probably won't have the courage to offend him.

[Translator's note: Emorian enthronements take place in Blood Vow, Law of Vengeance, and Breached Boundaries.]