The Eighth Order

by Deby Fredericks

Valdira never wanted to found a new magical order. After a lifetime of being told her bond with the forest made her dangerous, all she wants is a quiet life in the hills with her husband, Ryamon, and their infant daughter.

Instead, the Collegium of Mage Lords expects her to do what no one has done gather others who share her magical gifts, teach them to understand the living forest, and prove that an Eighth Order belongs alongside the Seven Exalted Orders that have governed magic for generations.

With an enemy hidden inside Birch Tower and the old magical establishment watching her every move, Valdira must decide what kind of leader she will become, whom she can trust, and how fiercely the forest will answer when one of its own is threatened.

343 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 26, 2026

About the author

Deby Fredericks has been a writer all her life, but thought of it as just a fun hobby until the late 1990s. Her first sale, in 2000, was a children's poem under the byline Lucy D. Ford.

Fredericks has long been involved in SF fandom. She was among the organizers of Spokon (1981-1983) and InCon (1990-2005). Currently she is Director of Programming for SpoCon (2016-present). She also served as RA and ARA for the Inland Northwest SCBWI.