Drakanox (Queen Titania’s Court)

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Over on my blog, Wyrmflight, it’s Queen Titania’s Court! Here’s the latest installment.

Shonn is arriving today, from the depths of Fang Marsh. He’s from The Tale of the Drakanox, the finale of my high fantasy series, Minstrels of Skaythe.

A person stands before a glowing magic doorway in a dark fantasy jungle.

“What is this?” Shonn braced his pole to slow his raft as it glided through the channels of Fang Marsh. Sparkling lights, cheerful voices and glittering music drifted to him through the screen of mangrove branches.

He was probing the marsh, looking for a break in the ice walls Meven had put up. It looked like he had finally found one. Cautiously he pushed forward until his raft nosed through the vegetation. He crouched to study the scene.

A great hall was there, seemingly woven of grass trees and mangroves. Dazzling lights drifted over the heads of a crowd of revelers. They were a strange lot, some with wings or beast heads, all dressed in the strangest clothes.

Were they mages? This was dangerous! Yet his deeper drive compelled him. Meven was a mage, too. She might somewhere be in the throng. He couldn’t lose her again.

Character Questions

Have you ever kissed the wrong person? It seems so. I spent weeks wooing a girl named Addith, who lived with her foundling in the depths of Fang Marsh. But she was never who she said she was. Her real name was Meven, and she was an ice witch.

Do you trust your country’s leaders? Absolutely not! Mages are in control of everything. They take what they want, and kill without a reason. Anyone with sense is scared of them. That’s why it was so terrible to find out Meven was one of them.

Author Questions

Chosen Ones, yes or no? I’m not a fan of this trope. There always seems to be someone perfectly competent around, who’s doing their best to keep things together, and they get shoved aside by a “chosen one.” That just rankles.

What inspires you to create your work? It’s often something I read or watch that sparks an idea. Some small idea or aspect that the author might not think important can catch my attention, and I explore that. This is why it’s important to not stop reading books or blogs, watching the news, etc. Even if writing time is precious, you still need to leave room for new ideas.

The Tale of the Drakanox

It was just an old story. There couldn’t really be a lost civilization based on trust and equality. Not when the Wizard-King Dar-Gothull rules Skaythe through cruelty and terror.

But when Ar-Thea told the story of the Shining Ones to her six magelings, the legend took root in their hearts. For years, they traveled the land as Minstrels. Through stories and song, they offered light and hope in dark times. Now their secrets have been laid bare. The Minstrels flee as the regime gathers its forces to crush them.

Yet there is hope. Deep in the cursed Hornwood, there is an incredible power that only the Monstrels can use. It is guarded by a terrible beast — the drakanox! The Minstrels must call on every ally and avoid every enemy if they hope to recover what has long been lost.

Available in ebook formats or paperback through Books2Read.

A silver-haired woman wearing eye glasses and a black sweater with a sequined reindeer smiles at the audience. A microphone is in front of her.
Photo courtesy of Fall Folk Fest.

Deby Fredericks

Deby Fredericks has been a writer all her life, but thought of it as just a fun hobby until the late Nineties. Since then she has published twenty fantasy novels, novellas and novelettes, either with small presses or independently. Her short fiction has appeared in Andromeda Spaceways, selected anthologies, and small magazines.

Since 2018, her significant work has been the Minstrels of Skaythe series, about a group of pacifist mages who seek hope in a world ruled by darkness.

In addition, Fredericks writes for children as Lucy D. Ford. Her children’s stories and poems have appeared in magazines such as Boys’ Life, Babybug, Ladybug, and Spider. In the past, she served as Regional Advisor for the Inland Northwest Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, International (SCBWI).

Learn more from her web site, www.debyfredericks.com

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky, Facebook or Pinterest.

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