The Nightingale's Tooth

France, 13th century. Near the shores of the Mediterranean lives Vara Svobodová with her father, a prominent merchant, his barbarian wife, and her scientist father. Though the shadowy gazes of Great Gods and the greedy hands of local lord Petru Dominus hang over them, Vara lives a comfortable life.

That all changes when she learns that she is da resu, destined to life after death and servitude of her unearthly powers to he who slays her. Rumours of her true nature catch the attention of the increasingly mad Lord Petru, who covets power, has aspirations for the throne, and desires a resura of his own.

Surrounded by spies, plagued with inexplicable visions, and trapped in the only home she has ever known, Vara finds the ambitions of those around her as sharp as the fabled nightingale's tooth. Caught in the middle, she realizes that it is her fate to die. But who will hold her leash when she does?

"With an evocative and well-realized, alternate-history setting with its own strange system of magic, The Nightingale's Tooth is highly recommended for fans of Mary Gentle, Tamora Pierce, or P. C. Hodgell." - Booklist starred review

"The Nightingale’s Tooth is a rich, multilayered fantasy novel that contrasts the brutality of greed and fate with the power of family, friendship, and determination to shape the world into a better place." - Foreword Reviews

"Another magnificent novel from Sally McBride... I cannot wait to see where she takes things from here." - Ottawa Review of Books

"A complex, sophisticated, and thought-provoking tapestry of multiple themes enlivened by telling detail and imaginative, original interpretations of attitudes and various social norms beyond what the reader anticipates. A very superior piece of work. Highly, highly recommended." - Amazing Stories

Sally McBride's short stories and novellas have appeared in Asimov's, Amazing, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Realms of Fantasy, Northern Frights, Tesseracts, On Spec, and many more magazines, anthologies and best-of collections. "The Fragrance of Orchids" (Asimov's) won Canada's Aurora Award and received Hugo and Nebula nominations. She has taught fiction writing and edited speculative fiction, co-publishing the magazine TransVersions. Her previous novels include Indigo Time (Five Rivers Publishing) and Water, Circle, Moon (Masque Books). Born and raised in Canada, Sally divides her time between Toronto and the mountains of Idaho where she enjoys skiing and hiking with her husband. She has several works in progress.