The Golden Sword

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Galactic Spectrum Award nomination • Locus Recommended Reading List • Epic fantasy series with character-driven intrigue and spectacular magic
 
Camden was destined by birth and tradition to serve the Flame, the supreme power in the kingdom of Branion. But it was not the Flame which called to him—it was the Wind.
 
Drawn to this Aspect yet forced to keep his talent secret, Cam felt alienated from his own family, forbidden to become who he was meant to be. Then his uncle, Celestus, offered Cam a temporary refuge at his own home. And suddenly a world of possibilities opened for Cam.
 
For three of his cousins were also staying with his uncle: Danielle, who felt the call of the Sea; Quinton, whose chosen Aspect was Oaks; and Alisha, daughter of the Branion ruler and vessel of the Flame itself.
 
What at first seemed the most wonderful haven was fated to become something far different. Celestus’ plan for Cam and his cousins’ training was to commit the ultimate heresy. And the Flame Champions would not stand idly by while this Circle of power grew until they could threaten all of Branion….Praise for the Branion series
 
“I was hooked from the first chapter.” —Mercedes Lackey

“Patton weaves a brilliant tapestry of loves, lusts, and loyalties…. Her characters are subtle, complex, and extremely believable…. One of the best fantasies I have read in a very long time.” —Dave Duncan, award-winning author of the Seventh Sword series
 
 “Takes a complex plot with tangled threads of magic and politics and deftly weaves it into a thrilling fantasy that is hard to put down.” —RT Reviews
 
“Moves quickly through charming scenes…. A nice touch is the gender blending in traditional roles…. Despite a large cast of characters, they are all well developed, believable, and in most cases, extremely likeable.” —Kliatt
 
“An epic tale of intrigue and battles, or betrayals and romances, of misunderstandings and magic…. Refreshingly avoids the common tropes or themes in much contemporary gay fiction.” ­­—Lambda Book Report
 
“A complex conflict full of intrigue and rousing adventures…in an increasingly engaging series about a (literally) hot-headed family and the nation they rule, in a fascinatingly distorted, yet tantalizingly familiar, alternate history.” —Locus
 
“Although supernatural forces both benign and inimical abound in this tale, The Stone Prince is not about a cosmic, predestined struggled between the forces of good and evil…. The vast sweep of the novel fits well with the deeply personal perspective used in the telling…. Patton writes with clarity and conviction, rare and required qualities for a writer of epic fantasy.” —SF Site
 
 “Rousing adventure, full of color and spectacular magic.” —Locus
 
“Patton writes in a mesmerizing fashion as she weaves uniquely engaging characters, a complicated plot, and some nifty magical concepts into a fascinating whole.” —RT ReviewsFiona Patton lives on seventy-five acres of rural Ontario scrubland with her partner Tanya Huff, six cats, and one tiny little dog. She has written more than twenty short stories ranging from heroic fantasy to horror to science fiction, as well as fantasy novels The Stone Prince, The Painter Knight, The Granite Shield, and The Golden Sword.US

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