As autumn turns to winter, sometimes it’s a fine distinction when I have to decide whether an image belongs here or on my other blog, @now-winter-comes-slowly, but if you’d like more of the mixture of things I share here, but with a wintry edge, do follow me there as well. Meanwhile, here’s Mark Salwowski’s cover for Tanith Lee’s novel, Heartbeast.
“But as he held her now, the bandaging upon her healed wrists turned to jewels, the sacking robe to velvet. And, as in her dream, her hair grew like a wind and poured over like a tide, a streaming silver that was gold, until it brushed the ground.
The bleached trees parted and darkness ran through. A black horse, flamed with a sapphire mane and tail, and hung with stars, stood against the sinking moon.
He mounted Jaspre before him.
"The soil, the roots of the trees, will open,” he said. “My land lies there, beneath the earth. Whatever the woman told you of it you must unremember. The country is not as once it was, nor as you have seen it.”
Then the horse danced on the ground and the ground gave way. Far off, Jaspre glimpsed—not darkness—but a glimmering multi-colored luminescence, the flowering trees of an endless spring, the towers of a rainbow city, more beautiful than in any book, and winged with a gilded morning, there in the black pit of the world.
“And this is your kingdom,” the young girl sighed.
“This is my kingdom,” said the Prince of Darkness.
And to this they went.”
―The Golden Rope (1983), from the Red as Blood or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer by Tanith Lee
“He had ridden now to the spot where the fountain of hair came down. The horse stopped at once. And he, the god-demon she was to call Angemal, stretched out one hand gloved in silvery mail and with one huge ring upon it, a fiery ring of an apricot color, the stone which was her name. He touched the golden rope of her hair with his fingers. And immediately Jaspre saw, without amazement, the hair twisted and refashioned itself. It became a ladder of silk”
―The Golden Rope (1983), from the Red as Blood or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer by Tanith Lee
“Her hair was the rich dark red of antique burnished copper, her eyes were the hue of the reddishgolden amber that traders bring from the East. When she walked, you would say she was dancing. But when she danced, a gate seemed to open in the world, and bright fire spangled inside it, but she was the fire.”
―When the Clock Strikes (1980), from the Red as Blood or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer by Tanith Lee
“Though we come and go, and pass into the shadows, where we leave behind us stories told — on paper, on the wings of butterflies, on the wind, on the hearts of others — there we are remembered, there we work magic and great change — passing on the fire like a torch — forever and forever. Till the sky falls, and all things are flawless and need no words at all.”—Tanith Lee
“Though we come and go, and pass into the shadows, where we leave behind us stories told — on paper, on the wings of butterflies, on the wind, on the hearts of others — there we are remembered, there we work magic and great change — passing on the fire like a torch — forever and forever. Till the sky falls, and all things are flawless and need no words at all.”—Tanith Lee
Tanith Lee ~ Aradia ️ Toujours conquis par son écriture, une grande dame de la Fantasy. Un roman sobre et très fin (on attend des remous qui arrivent de manière subtile, et comme toujours c'est beau et profond.) Vive les défuntes éditions L'Oxymore et merci Léa Silhol !
The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee. It was her first adult fantasy novel; previously she had published a juvenile (i.e. YA) novel. Originally published by Daw Books in 1975. It’s gone through several printings and editions and still shows available for purchase (as of this writing) through Amazon. Used copies, of course, are plentiful.
It’s had numerous covers throughout the years. The above covers are by, respectively, George Barr, Ken Kelly, Bastien Lecouffe Deharme (Daw Books), Peter A. Jones and Gino D’Achille (Orbit).
Also, the first two Daw Books editions included a frontispiece of art by George Barr. The 2015 edition does not include it (I don’t have copies (yet) of the Orbit releases to verify this).
The synopsis from Amazon: “A mysterious woman awakens in the heart of a dormant volcano. She comes forth into a brutal ancient world transformed by genocidal pestilence, fierce beauty, and cultural devastation. She has no memory of herself, and she could be anyone—mortal woman, demoness lover, last living heir to a long-gone race, or a goddess of destruction. Compelled by the terrifying Karrakaz to search for the mysterious Jade that is the answer to her secret self, she embarks on a journey of timeless wonder. Rediscover this realm of brilliant cruel beauty and seductive immortal ruins, of savage war and grand conquest, of falling stars and silver gods.”
The 2015 edition (with the cover art by Bastien Lecouffe Deharme) is also the 40th anniversary edition, which includes, along with the original introduction by Marion Zimmer Bradley, an author’s note by Tanith Lee, written a few months prior to her death in May 2015.
I included some portions of a review of the book by Lester Del Rey (Analog, September 1975, 163-164). It’s a mostly positive review, though he does point out some flaws, but they’re minor compared to its pluses.
I’ve started my third reading of this book. It’s one of my favorite fantasies, and it’s still a great read even after 40 years. Definitely worth picking up.
EDIT: I’ve added two additional pieces of artwork. An additional Orbit Books edition with cover art by Gino D’Achille, and a frontispiece artwork by George Barr that was included in the first two Daw Books editions (but not in the 2015 edition). The text above has been updated to reflect the changes.
“One of the earliest memories, this. Molly standing braced, holding Art, two or three years old, in her arms. ‘What a spectacle!’ cried Molly. ‘Look– how beautiful it is!’” pg 10-11
“Art and Molly, soaked, and Molly saying, ‘And even if we went down, don’t fear that, either.”‘ pg 11
“Art stood up. Two clear tears ran from her eyes and down her face. They didn’t give her a look of weakness. They were like silver medals her eyes had made from pride. ‘She was called Piratica.’“ pg 9
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Piratica re-drawing project! Um, I feel like I should point out, if I keep going on this it’s gonna get pretty spoilery. Solve the problem; read with me!!
“One day when she was sixteen, Art remembered her mother.” pg 1.
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When I was a teenager, I read Piratica by Tanith Lee and man was I into this book. It was right at the beginning of me trying to draw, and I would draw the characters constantly, but I was really bad, and I couldn’t figure out how to translate all these awesome brain images into paper images. I wanted to revisit the book and draw some of the things I saw then while I read now. If you have a copy, join me in re-reading it, I promise you won’t be sorry!!
