Saga of the Noble Dead
Encyclopedia
The Noble Dead Saga written by Barb
and J.C. Hendee
is a set of chronological books in series, and chronological series in the "saga" that tell the story of protagonists drawn together in a struggle against the little known and little believed-in Noble Dead [higher undead such as vampires] that herald the return of a long forgotten age in fantasy world. It begins with an unlikely trio (only a subset of those all those who become involved) drawn together as charlatans who use their skills (and perhaps unknowingly their secret talents) to cheat peasants by the common superstitions concerning the undead. Soon enough they find that not all superstitions are completely false, the bits of truth the hold could lead to something far worse that has been long forgotten.
s, it tells the story of Magiere (a dhampir
: a vampire
/human hybrid), Leesil (a half-elf, an elf
/human hybrid, with a dark past), and Chap (an elemental Fay born into the body of a majay-hì, elven hounds of a wolf lineage). In Series 1, Book 1, S1B2: Dhampir, Magiere is unaware of her inner nature, the discovery of which leads the trio into a tangled path that uncovers hints of the Forgotten History and of what may be coming by the end of Series 1.
At the start of the story, the two "half-breed
s", together with Chap, make a reasonable living pretending to be 'vampire-hunters'. Eventually the inevitable happens; they cross paths with genuine vampires, one form of the Noble Dead or highest form[s] of the undead. These charlatans are plunged unwillingly into a dark reality of true undead and into their own dark fates as well as other personal secrets they kept hidden from each other. Much as they want nothing to do with this, and only to settle down somewhere quiet, they are soon driven from their home on a quest to learn the truth of their pasts and why they've been drawn together. The answers are bigger than any of them wish to acknowledge, aside from a wandering nobleman named Welstiel Massing who shadows their movements and is always too eager to goad Magiere out of hiding and force her onward.
Wynn has returned to her guild, escorted to the city limits by Magiere, Leesil, and Chap. There they part ways as the central trio of Series 1 heads off on their own secret purpose, leaving their young sage friend behind along with a treasure of recovered ancient texts likely penned by long forgotten undead. But upon Wynn's arrival at guild, both the texts and her travel journals are seized and locked away, for the guild leaders do not want what they contain to become public knowledge. To make matters worse, no one believes her tales of the undead, for such things are unknown in her part of the world.
Wynn sets out to recover the texts and her journals in the hope of uncovering why a mythical war of a past age left humanity with an unknown Forgotten History. For those texts were written by long gone Noble Dead from the time of that war, a war which might come again. But she does so under the protection of two who are innate enemies and have followed her from across the world: Chane, a vampire, and Shade, a very young majay-hì whose kind are known to hunt and eradicate the undead.
To complicate matters all the more, something is hunting Wynn as well. It wants the answers she seeks before she can get to them. And it is not seeking that knowledge just for itself.
Barb Hendee
Barb Hendee is a fantasy author.She is co-author with her husband J.C. Hendee of the Saga of the Noble Dead, the heroine of which is a dhampir.-Vampire Memories:* Blood Memories...
and J.C. Hendee
J.C. Hendee
J.C. Hendee is a fantasy author.He is co-author with his wife Barb Hendee of the Saga of the Noble Dead, the heroine of which is a dhampir.-Saga of the Noble Dead:co-written with Barb Hendeeseries one:* Dhampir * Thief of Lives...
is a set of chronological books in series, and chronological series in the "saga" that tell the story of protagonists drawn together in a struggle against the little known and little believed-in Noble Dead [higher undead such as vampires] that herald the return of a long forgotten age in fantasy world. It begins with an unlikely trio (only a subset of those all those who become involved) drawn together as charlatans who use their skills (and perhaps unknowingly their secret talents) to cheat peasants by the common superstitions concerning the undead. Soon enough they find that not all superstitions are completely false, the bits of truth the hold could lead to something far worse that has been long forgotten.
Series 1
Composed of six novelNovel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, it tells the story of Magiere (a dhampir
Dhampir
A Dhampir in Balkan folklore is the child of a vampire father and a human mother. The term is sometimes spelled dhampyre, dhamphir, or dhampyr. Dhampir powers are similar to those of vampires, but without the usual weaknesses...
: a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
/human hybrid), Leesil (a half-elf, an elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
/human hybrid, with a dark past), and Chap (an elemental Fay born into the body of a majay-hì, elven hounds of a wolf lineage). In Series 1, Book 1, S1B2: Dhampir, Magiere is unaware of her inner nature, the discovery of which leads the trio into a tangled path that uncovers hints of the Forgotten History and of what may be coming by the end of Series 1.
At the start of the story, the two "half-breed
Half-breed
Half-breed is an historic term used to describe anyone who is mixed Native American and white European parentage...
s", together with Chap, make a reasonable living pretending to be 'vampire-hunters'. Eventually the inevitable happens; they cross paths with genuine vampires, one form of the Noble Dead or highest form[s] of the undead. These charlatans are plunged unwillingly into a dark reality of true undead and into their own dark fates as well as other personal secrets they kept hidden from each other. Much as they want nothing to do with this, and only to settle down somewhere quiet, they are soon driven from their home on a quest to learn the truth of their pasts and why they've been drawn together. The answers are bigger than any of them wish to acknowledge, aside from a wandering nobleman named Welstiel Massing who shadows their movements and is always too eager to goad Magiere out of hiding and force her onward.
Series 2
Comprising three novels, it centers on a new trio composed of two secondary characters from Series 1 and one new character: Wynn Hygeorht (the young journeyer "sage"), Chane Andraso (a "young" vampire obsessed with Wynn), and a two year old majay-hì named Shade (daughter of Chap and Lily, a wild majay-hì female). This series also introduces readers to the second (spiritual) of the three major forms of Noble Dead, the first being the vampire (physical) form as encountered through multiple characters in Series 1. The series starts about a year after the end of Series 1 and begins on a different continent in the city of Calm Seatt, royal city of the nation of Malournè and home to the founding branch of the Guild of Sagecraft.Wynn has returned to her guild, escorted to the city limits by Magiere, Leesil, and Chap. There they part ways as the central trio of Series 1 heads off on their own secret purpose, leaving their young sage friend behind along with a treasure of recovered ancient texts likely penned by long forgotten undead. But upon Wynn's arrival at guild, both the texts and her travel journals are seized and locked away, for the guild leaders do not want what they contain to become public knowledge. To make matters worse, no one believes her tales of the undead, for such things are unknown in her part of the world.
Wynn sets out to recover the texts and her journals in the hope of uncovering why a mythical war of a past age left humanity with an unknown Forgotten History. For those texts were written by long gone Noble Dead from the time of that war, a war which might come again. But she does so under the protection of two who are innate enemies and have followed her from across the world: Chane, a vampire, and Shade, a very young majay-hì whose kind are known to hunt and eradicate the undead.
To complicate matters all the more, something is hunting Wynn as well. It wants the answers she seeks before she can get to them. And it is not seeking that knowledge just for itself.
Books in the series
- Series 1
- Dhampir (2003, ISBN 0451459067)
- Thief of Lives (2004, ISBN 0451459539)
- Sister of the Dead (2005, ISBN 045146009X)
- Traitor to the Blood (2006, ISBN 0451460901)
- Rebel Fay (2007, ISBN 0451461436)
- Child of a Dead God (2008, ISBN 0451462211)
- Series 2
- In Shade and Shadow (2009, ISBN 0451463021)
- Through Stone and Sea (2010, ISBN 0451463188)
- Of Truth and Beasts (2011, ISBN 0451464028)
- Series 3
- Between Their Worlds (2012, ISBN 0451464354)
- [Pending] (2013)
- [Pending] (2014)
- Series 4 [Pending]