Hello!

Today’s fantasy creature is the brownie, one of my favourite characters. If you’ve ever hoped to have a secret helper around the house—someone who tidies up while you’re asleep or finishes the chores you didn’t have the energy to do—then you’re wishing for a brownie. These tiny household spirits come from Scottish and English tradition, and they’re often described as shy, ragged little beings who work quietly in the night, asking for nothing more than a bowl of cream, a bit of bread and maybe some honey in return.

The charm of the brownie lies in that mix of helpfulness and mystery. They don’t show themselves often, and when they do, it’s usually at the edge of lamplight or just before dawn. People used to say that brownies hated being given clothes or treated with too much fuss. Offer them fine garments or insult their work, and they’d vanish, sometimes for good, sometimes to turn troublesome instead of helpful.

Writers have reimagined brownies in different ways, of course. In some modern tales, they could be mischievous little pranksters, while in others they’re gentle protectors, almost guardian spirits of the home. But whatever the version, they always reflect an aspect of domestic magic so that the warmth of your rooms and the food on your table seem touched by something unseen and kind.

So next time you wake up to find things a little tidier than you left them, or you catch that odd feeling of being watched when you’re alone in the kitchen, you could put it down to your imagination. Or, just maybe, there’s a brownie slipping back into the shadows, pleased with a job well done. Wouldn’t that make the world—and your life—feel a bit more magical?

Reference and further reading: https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Brownie; https://scotlands-stories.com/scottish-brownie/

I have to take a moment to share what a reader sent me about The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy. There are no words to describe the joy one feels when a complete stranger reaches out to let you know that your words touched their heart.

Books You Might Like

For lovers of all things fantasy… FREE BOOKS

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The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy: (Dawn of Purple and Grey, Days of Wind and Snow, Night of Rites and Wraiths)

When sixteen-year-old Shael helps a mortally wounded messenger, he entrusts her with delivering to the queen three magical statuettes stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. But Shael accidentally cuts her fingers while handling the statuettes and magic links her to them—any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh. Shael’s fate is now inexorably tied to the Hyllethans, the statuettes, and the political turmoil in the land.

Fire Dance

In the sacred temple of Basica, Maia is about to achieve everything she has worked for: becoming a Sentinel, one of the Goddess’s elite protectors. But she harbours a dangerous secret—fire bends to her will, a power that would see her condemned as demon-born if discovered. Worse still, the flames carry echoes of memories that are not her own, whispering of a past she cannot remember and a destiny she never chose.

When an Imperial envoy arrives for the Summer Solstice ceremony, he claims to know who she is and what she is capable of, threatening to unravel everything Maia has built. His knowledge could shatter her future—or unlock a destiny greater than she ever imagined.

Torn between the lure of safety and power within the temple and the dangerous truths hidden in her past, Maia must decide: will she cling to the life she has fought for, or risk everything to uncover the truth? And when the boy who has always stood by her offers a different kind of future, will she follow duty—or her heart?

Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and From Blood and Ash, Fire Dance is a tale of ambition, tainted love, and the fire that burns within.

Fire Storm

Haunted by memories that are not her own, Maia and her love, Ryse, are desperate to leave the world that has shaped her and return to Phaen. Only their presence there can stop their homelands from plunging into a devastating war. But duty comes at an unbearable cost: losing a brother who refuses to flee, a child who carries the past in his veins, and an enemy who wields a stolen weapon that could change the fate of civilizations.

But when she risks their cover to save a galley under attack, an Imperial princess and a ruthless general entangle Maia in a dangerous game of power and betrayal. In a world of shifting allegiances, hidden truths, and long-buried treachery, the race to escape turns into a battle of wits, deception, and impossible choices.

With time running out, Maia must choose: surrender to the lure of power which this world offers and risk losing those she loves, or reclaim the future that was stolen from her.

Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and From Blood and Ash, Fire Storm is a tale of fate, forbidden power, and the fire that binds past and future.

Colours of Fantasy (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Not enough time to read, but love fantasy?

Colours of Fantasy is an anthology of short stories that range from magical realism to sci-fi fantasy. They are short enough to be easily read while commuting or during a lunch break. Read about paintings that are truer than true-to-life, or the heart-wrenching decision Poseidon’s human son-in-law has to take, or perhaps you’ll prefer a glimpse of life after an apocalypse, or a story about a space pirate with an uncomfortable past. 

And if you like longer reads, Colours of Fantasy gives you a taste of Book One of two series: The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy and Fire Dance Chronicles.

Till next time! Wishing you a great two weeks with a good book!

Caroline