Welcome back into the world of the Wild Hunt. We’re at book thirteen, and into the second story arc. Typhon is bearing down on the world and, as the gods try to figure out how to stop him, it’s up to Ember and the Wild Hunt to do their best to keep the collateral damage from hurting too many people.
Thanks to my usual crew: Samwise, my husband, Andria and Jennifer—without their help, I’d be swamped. To the women who have helped me find my way in indie, you’re all great, and thank you to everyone. To my wonderful cover artist, Ravven, for the beautiful work she’s done.
Also, my love to my furbles, who keep me happy. My most reverent devotion to Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, Rauni, and Brighid, my spiritual guardians and guides. My love and reverence to Herne, and Cernunnos, and to the Fae, who still rule the wild places of this world. And a nod to the Wild Hunt, which runs deep in my magick, as well as in my fiction.
You can find me through my Website at Galenorn.com and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep updated on all my latest releases! You can find my advice on writing, discussions about the books, and general ramblings on my YouTube channel. If you liked this book, I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review—it helps more than you can think.
July, 2020
Brightest Blessings,
~The Painted Panther~
~Yasmine Galenorn~
Welcome to Autumn’s Bane
Life isn’t easy when you bear the mark of the Silver Stag.
The Father of Dragons has returned to the world and all hell is breaking loose. A shadow dragon has let loose a group of vrykos—undead creatures who are cunning, hungry, and looking to feed on the living. In the midst of the chaos, Ember finds herself facing a major decision brought on by a twist in her status with the Queen of Dark Fae.
But when the shadow dragon drags her friend Viktor, the half-ogre, into the world of the dead, Ember must journey to the Underworld to rescue him. Will she be able to save Viktor before it’s too late? Or will she lose her own soul to the armies of the dead?
Reading Order for the Wild Hunt Series:
Book 1: The Silver Stag
Book 2: Oak & Thorns
Book 3: Iron Bones
Book 4: A Shadow of Crows
Book 5: The Hallowed Hunt
Book 6: The Silver Mist
Book 7: Witching Hour
Book 8: Witching Bones
Book 9: A Sacred Magic
Book 10: The Eternal Return
Book 11: Sun Broken
Book 12: Witching Moon
Book 13: Autumn’s Bane
Book 14: Witching Time (forthcoming)
Chapter One
The afternoon sun splashed through the windows overlooking the alleyway, the blinding glare so bright that I squinted, tilting the blinds to block out the light. I was in the break room, foraging through the refrigerator, looking for lunch. I had forgotten to bring anything, and Angel was away from her desk so she hadn’t remembered to order in. I finally chose a frozen fried chicken dinner and popped it in the microwave, turning as Viktor entered the room.
“She said yes!” He bounced into the break room, rattling the floorboards like a troupe of dancers on a rickety stage. “She said yes, she said yes, she said—”
“Let me guess,” I interrupted, grinning. “She said yes!”
The half-ogre nodded, beaming. “I can’t believe I’m getting married!” He looked around. “Where is everybody?”
The break room was empty except for me, surprising given it was one p.m. on Friday afternoon. We normally all ate lunch together, but today was different.
“Herne’s in his office, talking to the mayor. Angel’s downstairs at urgent care.”
“Urgent care? Is she all right?” Viktor’s smile slid off his face.
I hurried to reassure him. “She’s fine, or she will be. She got into a fight with a splinter. She rammed it right under her nail this morning.”
“Ouch. How’d she do that?”
“She was out in the garden, trying to prune one of the bushes. One thing led to another. She tried to coax the splinter out, but half an hour ago she gave up and Herne told her to go down and get it looked at. As for the others, Talia took the afternoon off. She’s got a headache. Kipa’s not coming in today, and Yutani is in his office, talking to ComputaGeek. We need an upgrade to the computer system, apparently, and he’s giving them the specs. Rafé won’t be in till later, of course. Charlie, either.”
Rafé was our new company clerk, and he came to work in the evenings, so that he could do all the filing and organizing