Eiden Myr
The virtual realm of the novel Illumination
[ What is Eiden Myr? | The Codices
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What is Eiden Myr?
The Codices: About Illumination and other fantasy
books
About
the book
Description
Jacket
quotes
Reviews
Excerpts
Ordering
information
About
the author
Quick
bio
Bibliography
Other
works currently available
Appearances
The
next books
An
Enthusiast's Guide to the Literature of the Fantastic (under construction)
Advice
and Resources for Fantasists (now functional)
The Holding: About the realm of Eiden Myr
Glossary
Compendium
Chronology
Pronunciation
guide
Maps
The Proxy Circle: Interactivity
Message
board
Mailing
list
Guestbook
Contact
the author
Polls
and quizzes and stuff
Acquisition
Links
What is Eiden Myr?
Eiden Myr: A land in the shape of a man floating upon the sea. A realm of jeweled
plains where the wind keens in eerie song, of nightstone mountains veined with
whispers, of dark wet woods and marshes where weird lights burn and weeping
trees are older than memory. It has been protected for generations by the practice
of magecraft: wordsmiths, illuminators, and binders working in triads to render
castings with illuminated manuscripts. At its storm-swept head is the fastness
of the highest triads--the Ennead. Proxy mages are the Ennead's eyes and hands
in the world: reckoners, who travel in their behalf, aiding local triads; and
warders, who remain at the Ennead's Holding to aid them in their work. The proxy
circle connects those mages. The Holding shelters and renews them. Codices--bound
volumes--are only the shadow of a memory....
Eiden Myr is the imaginary realm in which the novels Illumination,
The Binder's Road, and Triad are set. This Website is one virtual
portal to that world; the book is another. Welcome! May the spirits guide you
on your journey.
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The Codices
About Illumination and other fantasy books
Illumination: About the book | About
the author | The next books
An Enthusiast's Guide to the Literature of the
Fantastic (links to its own page, currently under construction)
Advice and Resources for Fantasists (links to
its own page, currently under construction)
Illumination
About the book
Description:
The fulfillment of a dream.
The loss of a lifetime.
The redemption of a land.
Eiden Myr: a realm of jeweled plains where the wind keens in eerie song, of
nightstone mountains veined with whispers, of dark wet woods and marshes where
weird lights burn and weeping trees are older than memory. It has been protected
for generations by the practice of magecraft: wordsmiths, illuminators, and binders
working in triads to render castings with illuminated manuscripts. At its
storm-swept head is the fastness of the highest triads--the Ennead. On this
exquisitely textured canvas is painted a vivid tale of subversion and salvation.
When a young illuminator's magelight inexplicably deserts her on the night she
receives her mage's triskele, she petitions the Ennead for healing. Instead they give
her a task: to find a rogue wordsmith who has cruelly perverted their craft. Only if
he is redeemed will they be able to free her magelight. Cut off from her light, she is
the one mage who can get close without being twisted to his dark purposes. Soon he
will have the power to destroy the Ennead; if she fails, the gentle peace of Eiden
Myr will be shattered forever.
As her future and the world's twine like knotwork with the fate of the Darkmage,
Liath Illuminator embarks on an unforgettable journey into the collision of vast,
ancient enmities, the resurrection of warring forces, and the blazing revelation that
comes only in the deepest dark.
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Jacket quotes:
"A wonderful new voice and a different vision." --Robert Jordan
"Terry McGarry makes a brilliant splash of color on the fantasy landscape with
Illumination. A fresh, unique take on magic by a true word artist." --Elizabeth
Haydon
"Illumination is unique, a fantasy as richly complex as the sutures of
an ammonite's shell. Quite marvelous!" --David Drake
"Ms. McGarry's characters are most interesting and the idea of lost magic
and the need for triads to work successfully intrigues the reader. This is a
new branch-off from the fantasy quest which will appeal to those liking the
against-all-odds tale." --Andre Norton
"Recommended without reservation to those who take their magic--and
their relationships--seriously." --Gene Wolfe
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Reviews:
"McGarry's first novel demonstrates a powerful skill at storytelling and a creative
approach to the metaphysics of magic. Strong characters and surprising plot twists
make this tale of high adventure and personal discovery a solid addition to any
fantasy collection. Highly recommended." --Library Journal (who listed
Illumination as one of only five SF/F works chosen as the best of 2001)
"A strong debut by a writer not afraid to subvert the dogma of magic or plumb the depths of the human soul." --Faren Miller, Locus
"McGarry's first
novel is a beauty, with an exciting plot and characters that capture the heart."
--Paula Luedtke, Booklist
"If the prepublication buzz on this novel is any indication, Terry McGarry is
a name we'll be hearing a lot more of in the very near future....But it's McGarry's
brilliant world-building that makes this author so noteworthy. Her world of Eiden
Myr is a realm as vivid and fully realized as Feist's Midkemia or Silverberg's
Majipoor. It is a place filled with mystery, legend, and ancient magic. ...Illumination
is an impressive debut novel. I'm very interested to see what this great new novelist
does next." --Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble
"...With the lines blurred between what is 'good' and who is 'evil,' the reader
must delve deep into the powerful, emotional narrative. Ms. McGarry provides strong,
earthy characters whom we cheer for when they lose their artificial magical constraints
and reach their potential." --Kelly Rae Cooper, Romantic Times, August
2001
"Terry McGarry's debut novel, Illumination, has an interesting, likable
heroine, a magical system that's intriguingly different, a quest that's tangled
with heroes and villains, and writing that is beautifully lyrical at times. An
enjoyable read." --Anne Bishop, author of the Black Jewels Trilogy
"...Illumination is a rich and complex stand-alone epic fantasy that mesmerizes
the reader. The society that Terry McGarry describes feels so real that audiences
will believe she has visited that world. The characters are so complex and colorful
that nobody could doubt that these people once lived, loved and laughed. Thanks
to the author's skill, we have a variation of the Atlantis legend subtly adapted
for this fabulous fable." --BookBrowser
"It lends itself to the long read venue quite nicely, for folks looking for
a story to occupy more than a fast and furious few hours of stress-paced plottings.
...It's a character study of a mind in the 'making' and our imaginations get to
go on the ride as well." --Eva Wojcik-Obert, Fantastica Daily
"Illumination is more than a coming-of-age story, it's an intriguing
tale of a land where magic reigns and chaos threatens. It's a tale of morality,
of black and white and shades of grey, and the light which can obscure the lines
of differentiation. ...Give this one a shot if you like fantasy, but are tired
of the same old same old." --Michael M. Jones, Green Man Review
"A great first fantasy novel. It has a unique approach to how magic could/should
work and how important history can be in maintaining it." --Adventures
in Crime & Space
"...a challenging tale about the nature of knowledge, power and creativity....McGarry
slowly turns our view of her world inside-out, and I'm looking forward to seeing
what she does next." --Renee Stern, Talebones
"By all means, take the journey to Eiden Myr!" --Books 'n' Bytes
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Excerpts:
Prologue
First chapter
Ordering information:
Illumination, by Terry McGarry
Tor Books, 495 pages, hardcover
ISBN 0-312-87389-1, $25.95 ($36.95 CAN)
Jacket art by Gary Ruddell
Jacket design by Carol Russo Design
Book design by Ellen Cipriano
Map by Ellisa Mitchell
Hardcover publication date: August 29, 2001
Paperback on-sale date: June 5, 2002
Also available from the Science Fiction Book
Club
Available now from all online booksellers and most physical bookstores. The
best way to support the book is to walk into your local chain bookstore and
ask for it. The best way to support the genre is to walk into your local independent
bookstore and buy anything!
Order
from Powell's Books
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About the author
Quick bio:
Terry McGarry is a freelance SF copyeditor and Irish musician. In her past lives,
she's been a bartender on Wall Street, an English major at Princeton, a street
trader in Ireland, a Page O.K.'er at The New Yorker, and a SFWA officer.
Her short fiction has appeared in nearly forty magazines and anthologies, most
recently Dead Cats Bouncing, Elysian
Fiction, and The Ultimate Halloween. Illumination, her first
novel, will be followed in March 2003 by The Binder's Road. She's now working
on Triad, the completion of the story arc, as well as some short fiction
set in Eiden Myr.
SFF Net homepage
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Other works currently available:
Online:
"For Fear of Little
Men," at Fictionwise
"A Girl in Every
Universe," at Fictionwise
"The Only Gift a
Portion of Thyself," at Mind's Eye
"Alindra,"
in Elysian Fiction #1
"Halfen House,"
at DNA Publications
In print collections:
"Too Many Hells," in Dead
Cats Bouncing
"Miasma," in The Ultimate Halloween
Illumination outline, in I
Have This Nifty Idea...Now, What Do I Do With It?
"Mindchild," reprinted in Outside
the Box: The Best Short Fiction from Bookface.com
"Mistweaver," in Sword & Sorceress XVI
"The Case of the Ancient British Barrow," in The Confidential Casebook
of Sherlock Holmes
"Victor Lynch the Forger," in The Resurrected Holmes
"Fleadh de Deux," in Blood Muse: Timeless Tales of Vampires in the Arts
"Loophole," in Skin of the Soul
Imprinting,
a collection of 20 genre and nongenre poems
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Appearances:
Conventions:
Readercon, July 12-15, 2002, Burlington,
Massachusetts
ConJose/60th Worldcon, August 29-September
2, 2002, San Jose, California
Roc*Kon, September 27-29, 2002, Little Rock,
Arkansas
Albacon, October 4-6, 2002, Schenectady,
New York
The
World Fantasy Convention, October 31-November 3, 2002, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Lunacon, March (tentative) 2003, Rye Brook,
New York
I-Con, April (tentative) 2003, Stony Brook,
New York
Westercon 56, July 3-6, 2003, Seattle,
Washington (tentative)
TorCon 3/61st Worldcon, August 28-September
1, 2003, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Other events:
- Watch for readings and signings in the New York area.
Interviews:
"New Directions:
Chocolate in My Peanut Butter," by Lou Anders, in RevolutionSF
"New Directions:
A Look at Fantasy's Post-Rings Future," by Lou Anders, in RevolutionSF
Online chat
transcript from 2000 Chicago Worldcon
Delphi Book & Candle Pub
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The next books
The Binder's Road and Triad continue in the milieu of Illumination,
forming a three-book story arc, but each is a self-contained tale. The Binder's
Road has been delivered to Tor and is scheduled for March 2003. If you've
read Illumination or don't mind spoilers, here's the tentative
jacket synopsis for TBR. When publication gets a little closer, I'll
upload a memory refresher for the characters and situations it will be helpful
to have in mind when you start TBR, but because the book is self-contained,
it can be read cold, too.
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Other fantasy books and fantasy writing
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The Holding
About the realm of Eiden Myr
Glossary: The glossary from
the backmatter of Illumination. Short, general reference for special terms.
Separate page.
Compendium: Currently available only from the framed
area of the site, but I hope to have it in plain text at some point.
Chronology: Outline of
when the major events of Illumination occurred. Separate page.
Pronunciation Guide: How
I say the names of characters and places in Eiden Myr. You should
say them any way you like!
Maps: Not available yet, although there's a placeholder image
here.
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The Proxy Circle
Interactivity
Message board
Click here to open the
Proxy Circle message board. Posts are welcome on any topic! Discuss Illumination,
fantasy fiction, or anything else that crosses your mind. I'll be posting announcements
there from time to time, and seeding the discussion as I can.
Mailing list
The Eiden Myr newsletter will go out every month or two, with book news, Website
announcements, convention and signings dates, and other info.
To subscribe to the Eiden Myr newsletter: Visit http://www.topica.com/lists/eidenmyr
or send a blank email to eidenmyr-subscribe@topica.com.
To unsubscribe, click on the URL
at the bottom of a list message or send a blank email to eidenmyr-unsubscribe@topica.com.
Please sign the guestbook
on your way through! It's great to see who's been exploring Eiden Myr. Mage names
encouraged; hobbit names optional. :)
Email the author
I love to hear from you! Click here if you
can submit form email. (PDA people, you can do this if you're using something
like AvantGo. The message will be sent the next time you sync.) If you'd rather
use your own mailer, the address is mcgarry and the domain is eidenmyr dot com.
Polls and quizzes and stuff
Current poll: Which fantasy realm would you
most like to visit?
Previous poll: Who's your favorite classic fantasy
author?
The Slug Poll
The Character Poll
Acquisition
EidenMyr.com site gear is available from Cafepress.com.
All proceeds ($1 an item) are split between The Humane Society of the United States
and Amnesty International. If you click through from this site to buy
Illumination, or any other books, from Powell's, the partnership proceeds
will go to the same charities.
There'll be free stuff offered here eventually--signed bookplates/bookmarks, font downloads, wallpaper/screensaver, etc.--but that's still in process.
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Links
Tor Books
Powell's Books
SFF Net
SF Lovers
Delphi Forums: SF Literature
The Locus Index to
Science Fiction
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