Vanessa MacLaren-Wray writes science fiction and fantasy about people—human and otherwise—making connections in this complex universe. She's the author of the Patchwork Universe series, including All That Was Asked, Shadows of Insurrection, and Flames of Attrition. She's also a member of the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy shared-universe consortium. Her short fiction has appeared with Dragon Gems and in the award-winning anthology Fault Zone: Reverse.

Vanessa is an active SFWA member—look for her among the crew aboard Airship Nebula. She also hosts (and techs) regular online open mics for the California Writers Club and guest-hosts for the podcast Small Publishing in a Big Universe. As an engineer in the energy industry, she's written extensively on alternative energy, changes in the electric power industry, and responding to the climate crisis. When not arguing with her cats, she works on new stories, her email journal Messages from the Oort Cloud, and her website, cometarytales.com.

Shadows of Insurrection by Vanessa MacLaren-Wray

Once in a generation, the matriarchs of Jeska choose a new king to manage the government and command the Guard—protecting Jeskans from crime, invaders, and insurgency. Corren's been training for that job since he was six, but this is an unsettled time: rumors of strange incursions, grumbling discontent, and increasing brigandry.

Corren's own problems are multiplying. His father, a skeptical shaman, has gone missing, His polyamorous foster-brother keeps interfering with his personal and professional business. And the king needs him to track down the conspirators behind a simmering insurrection.

When a strange woman turns up wearing a shaman's cape, speaking a weird language, and hiding knowledge that doesn't belong in this world, all his plans will have to change.

Vanessa has one Pushcart Prize nomination under her belt—for her science-fiction story "Heart's Delight," which appears in the literary anthology Fault Zone: Reverse, winner of the Independent Press Award and finalist in the National Indie Excellence awards. You might also want to ask her about all her ribbons from the Carry the Light literary competition sponsored by the California Writers Club.

 

REVIEWS

  • "I love the way Vanessa has channeled her hero's voice, his convincing way of telling us what's going on, whom he suspects, what he thinks of them, and why. This is all the juicy, inside dope we're getting … he's the perfect man for the job."

    – Tim Flood, author of “Spaceman” (Pushcart Prize nominee), on Goodreads

  • "This was a great start to the Unremembered King series … I'm glad I got to read this and go on this adventure."

    – Kat M. (Goodreads review)

  • "… a reluctant and unlikely heir to the throne but a beloved commander of the Guard, whose droll voice lets us know he'd much rather keep with his brotherhood of fighters and wed the girl he loves … Corren's a fighter through and through and with an insurrection looming, who would any of us rather have in charge?"

    – Amazon review
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

This moment might have been my last chance to convince the king to change his mind about his chosen successor—not that the matriarchs couldn't overrule him, but I'd watched my foster-father engage with the Council of Elders. It seemed to me they would likely approve his choice.

I'd caught Yutek in a generous mood. He'd just given me permission to marry, hadn't he? Maybe this time he'd listen. "Sir, I always thought you'd choose Tymon as your heir. Because he's good with people. Everyone likes him. He'd be a more popular king than me."

Yutek stabbed the air with his free hand. "Listen up, Corren. This is not a time for a popular king. This is a time for a king who can hold things together, make the difficult decisions, who will take the right action even when it makes people unhappy. I need someone I can trust to keep this country together, not let it fall apart into squabbling sub-countries or get overrun by organized invaders from the south. You know that."

"Yes, sir," I said. "Well, I guessed that. I've done my best to serve you in that way so far."

"So you have, son, so you have. There's but this one last thing you need to learn: governance. Harder than it looks, let me tell you. Best to practice on a little place before you take the reins here."

"I understand."

His gaze was skeptical. "Do you?"