Goblin Souk (Raconteur Press Anthologies)

The souk: a near-mystical place even before you add magic. The narrow alleys with their centuries of history pressing in on the marketplace shops, the scent of spice, of dust, and camel dung to overwhelm the senses. The taste of sharp mint tea to cleanse the mouth, or iced melon scooped into a bowl and drizzled with orange blossom water and more mint to refresh the palate. The dazzling, bewildering, astounding array of wares to confuse the eyes while you try to learn the art of the deal from shopkeepers who absorbed it with their mothers’ milks. The chant of the muezzin droning over the babble of many languages, rising and falling at all hours of the night and day in this sleepless, restless place.

Combine this with the Arabian Nights, the tales of Scheherazade, the princess who must captivate her husband’s heart with storytelling if she is to survive to see another dawn, and you have the Goblin Souk. To set the scene, a story of the weaver of tales, assisted by the Norns in her passionate plea for life, through words. Here you will find stories of genies, lamps, and wishes both granted and unfulfilled