Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Fantasy Novels
Click on the book titles or covers for full descriptions including review quotes, excerpts, and purchase links. All books are currently available in Kindle and epub editions, and some also in paperback.
The Catswold Portal
An adult fantasy novel.
There is a door in an artist's garden: an elaborate carved passageway into a the Netherworld, a realm ruled by a dark sorceress queen. Raised by the old witch Mag, Melissa discovers a perilous secret. She has more than one form--human girl and magical cat.
"Delightful fantasy. . . Murphy . . . balances her rich, detailed Netherworld with a vividly characterized earthly realm. Her cat people, in particular, ring true." --Publisher's Weekly
Nightpool
Dragonbards Triogy, Book One. A young adult fantasy novel.
As dark raiders invade the world of Tirror, a singing dragon awakens from her long slumber, searching for the human who can vanquish the forces of evil—Tebriel, son of the murdered king.
"Scenes that fairly soar infuse the tale with mythical qualities, which are buttressed by vitalized characterizations. . . . An enthralling fantasy that begs a sequel, better yet a series of sequels.” --ALA Booklist
The Ivory Lyre
Dragonbards Trilogy, Book Two. A young adult fantasy novel.
The bard Tebriel and his singing dragon Seastrider together can weave powerful spells. With other dragons searching for their own bards, they have been inciting revolts throughout the enslaved land of Tirror.
"This well-crafted fantasy has a depth and scope reminiscent of Tolkien." --Publisher's Weekly
The Dragonbards
Dragonbards Trilogy, Book Three. A young adult fantasy novel.
Before Tebriel can challenge the hordes gathering for the final battle, he must confront the dark lord Quazelzeg face
to face in the Castle of Doors, a warp of time and space.
"The concluding volume of the author's generally acclaimed Dragonbards trilogy . . . assumes a harrowing narrative pace that builds to a grand, good-over-evil finale." --Christian Science Monitor
The Dragonbards Trilogy
The Dragonbards Trilogy: Complete in One Volume. Young Adult.
Only the dragonbards and their singing dragons have the power to unite the people and animals of Tirror into an army that can break the Dark’s hypnotic hold over the world.
"Murphy demonstrates a fine sense of storytelling, high adventure, scene setting, and characterization -- human, animal, and evil monster. And her dragons remain some of the most appealing in contemporary fantasy." --ALA Booklist
The Shattered Stone
The World of Ere, Volume One. Contains two young adult fantasy novels.
In The Ring of Fire, young Seers set out to free others who are imprisoned, aided by the shard of a mysterious runestone. In The Wolf Bell, a gifted child seeks the stone itself, aided by thinking wolves.
"Murphy's artistic talent is evident as she paints with words a lavish tapestry of the forces of good and evil in her fantasy land of Ere.” --Bookrags.com
The Runestone of Eresu
The World of Ere, Volume Two. Contains three young adult fantasy novels also enjoyed by adults.
Includes The Castle of Hape, Caves of Fire and Ice, and The Joining of the Stone. Ramad of the Wolves, leader of his fellow Seers, knows it is up to him to find and rejoin the shards of the shattered Runestone of Eresu, which alone can save their world from the dark.
"The portrayal of the evil forces, stark and frightening, is well balanced with Murphy’s theme about life being 'flawed [but] . . . no less magnificent.'" --ALA Booklist