A wolf without a pack and a boy in need of roots become founders. 
After a heavenly visitation, one young wolf turns his back on his pack and on the moon in order to tread a lonesome path. A blaze of stars. A brand of copper. A burden of trust. First of Dogs, he takes a new name, makes peace with group of weary humans, and helps to found the In-between. This is a tale of the Kindred. This is the lore of the Starmark clan.

Note: (from the author) Songs of the Amaranthine is a collection of short stories set in Forthright’s Amaranthine universe. Before the Emergence, the clans were nothing more than whispers and mysteries and legends and lore. But every so often—in out-of-the-way places or shockingly close to home—an unsuspecting person stumbled into a fateful encounter with someone who was decidedly other. An eclectic collection, spanning continents and centuries. Tales of adventure, discovery, friendship, rescue, belonging, and love. Each short story stands alone and can be read in any order.

Review – Begin and end and begin again.

Firstly – you can read this stand alone from TSUMIKO or KIMIKO, this is a story of what came before. It expands on the bits of lore and history we learned regarding the Reavers beginnings and about how Beacons came to be part of the Amaranthine culture.

Second – it’s heartbreaking and hopeful without ever being tragic or sappy. It’s also a story about PATIENCE. So. Much. Patience.

Which I do not have in my normal life so I’m in awe of Loor-ket made Glint Starmark for HIS enduring patience.

Forthy continues to weave a world that’s original. No two Clans or kinds of Amaranthine live the same life, though they try to live in harmony with each other. We learn a lot more about wolves here and even more about the kith kin and dogs.

You get a much better idea about why Harmonious Starmark is the way he is (and why Eloquence Starmark, in KIMIKO, was so horrified at the notion that his “grandsire”, Glint, would possibly take a hand in matchmaking for him). As well the importance that is placed on the relationship between the Dog Clan and Reavers.

Also, and this certainly made ME perk up, a little more about the “Golden seeds” we heard about in KIMIKO. And HOPE in relation to why they were important. So much hope.

(Don’t judge me because my eyes felt watery when Glint found his destiny or fulfilled his pact with his eldest.)

All stories have a beginning and an end and then begin again; this is the nature of stories. So far the Songs of the Amaranthine have given me hope for what it means for our main story fellows.

Want to Know More?

Published by: Twinkle Press
Release: October 22, 2018
Series: Songs of the Amaranthine Novella 1
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