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OUT NOW: The Mountain Crown by Karin Lowachee

We’re wishing The Mountain Crown by Karin Lowachee a very happy book birthday!

Méka returns home from exile for an ancient, necessary rite in the first in The Crowns of Ishia novella trilogy, a fantasy western of colonialism and indigeneity from the critically acclaimed author of Warchild.

Méka must capture a king dragon, or die trying.

War between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor has left no one unscathed. Méka’s nomadic people, the Ba’Suon, were driven from their homeland by the Kattakans. Those who remained were forced to live under the Kattakan yoke, to serve their greed for gold alongside the dragons with whom the Ba’Suon share an empathic connection.

A decade later and under a fragile truce, Méka returns home from her exile for an ancient, necessary rite: gathering a king dragon of the Crown Mountains to maintain balance in the wild country. But Méka’s act of compassion toward an imprisoned dragon and Lilley, a Kattakan veteran of the war, soon draws the ire of the imperialistic authorities. They order the unwelcome addition of an enigmatic Ba’Suon traitor named Raka to accompany Méka and Lilley to the mountains.

The journey is filled with dangers both within and without. As conflict threatens to reignite, the survival of the Ba’Suon people, their dragons, and the land itself will depend on the decisions – defiant or compliant – that Méka and her companions choose to make. But not even Méka, kin to the great dragons of the North, can anticipate the depth of the consequences to her world.

“A stunning accomplishment.” —Aurealis

“For die-hard fans of dragon-riding books, this is sure to satisfy.” —Publishers Weekly

“This thoughtful, anti-colonial take on dragons—or, rather, suon—and the consequences of greed kept me turning the pages from fierce start to fiery conclusion.” —Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn

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Solaris snaps up Karin Lowachee’s dragon novella trilogy The Crowns of Ishia

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of The Crowns of Ishia trilogy, including The Mountain Crown, The Desert Talon and a sequel, by Karin Lowachee.

Meka’s nomadic people, the Ba’Suon, were driven from their homeland by the Kattakans. Decades later, under a fragile truce, Meka returns for an ancient and necessary rite: culling a king dragon of the Crown Mountains to maintain balance in the wild country.

Accompanied by an imprisoned dragon, a Kattakan veteran of war and a Ba’Suon traitor, Meka soon discovers the survival of the Ba’Suon people, their dragons, and the land itself will depend on the choices she and her companions make in this gunslinging fantasy of colonialism and resistance.

World English Rights were acquired by Amy Borsuk from Tamara Kawar at DeFiore & Company.

The Mountain Crown will be released in October 2024.

Author Karin Lowachee on the acquisition:

“I am absolutely thrilled to be a new part of the team at Solaris with The Mountain Crown and its sequels. I know my stories will thrive in the hands of Solaris as we work together to shepherd them into fruition. My heartfelt gratitude to Amy Borsuk and everyone at Solaris who are just as excited as I am to dive in!”

Acquiring Editor Amy Borsuk:

“I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Karin Lowachee on this incredible series. At long last, I get to work on an epic dragon fantasy! I loved this series from the first page and I’m so excited to bring it to fantasy readers across the globe. Karin is able to pack a full world rich with dragons, personal traumas, intense cultural histories and politics of colonialism and empire into the novella form with such ease. Come for the dragons, stay for the beautiful storytelling, compelling characters and gunslinging flavour.”

Karin Lowachee was born in South America, grew up in Canada, and worked in the Arctic. She has been a creative writing instructor, adult education teacher, and volunteer in a maximum security prison. Her novels have been translated into French, Hebrew, and Japanese, and her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies, best-of collections, and magazines. When she isn’t writing, she serves at the whim of a black cat.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.