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The Trifold Age #1.5
The Towers, the Moon
France, under the Court of the Moon, is a country of cyclical change, where the true rulers arrive every night to compete among themselves, and humans are backdrop, witnesses, inessential – and yet inextricably intertwined.
It is the reign of the Gilded Tower, and fashions are daring.
Two Wings: Griff Tenning has suffered too much change in the past year, and wishes everything would quiet down for a while - or, better still, would go back to when his parents were alive. But, even so, it's useful that his odd aunt can afford airship tickets to France. On such a quick trip, his hated travel sickness won't be enough to keep him from a chance to stand beneath the impossible Towers of the Moon.
Forfeit: Forfeit is the newest game of the Court of the Moon, and one seemingly designed for humans to lose. But Arianne Seaforth is willing to pay a great deal to help her oldest friend – and she is learning to extract a price of her own.
Death and the Moon: Eluned Tenning can barely remember all the names of the vast network of cousins making her sixteenth birthday party so overwhelming. But she has no problems with would-be actor Milo, who is so calmly quiet and friendly. She'd never step on a stage herself, but she's happy to help him rehearse.
Note: "The side-trip to France." These three stories are set after the conclusion to The Pyramids of London and before the events in Tangleways. While they can be read as stand-alone stories, there are inevitably some minor spoilers for The Pyramids of London.
"Two Wings" is 7,500 words, "Forfeit" is 20,000 words, and "Death and the Moon" is 2300 words.
It is the reign of the Gilded Tower, and fashions are daring.
Two Wings: Griff Tenning has suffered too much change in the past year, and wishes everything would quiet down for a while - or, better still, would go back to when his parents were alive. But, even so, it's useful that his odd aunt can afford airship tickets to France. On such a quick trip, his hated travel sickness won't be enough to keep him from a chance to stand beneath the impossible Towers of the Moon.
Forfeit: Forfeit is the newest game of the Court of the Moon, and one seemingly designed for humans to lose. But Arianne Seaforth is willing to pay a great deal to help her oldest friend – and she is learning to extract a price of her own.
Death and the Moon: Eluned Tenning can barely remember all the names of the vast network of cousins making her sixteenth birthday party so overwhelming. But she has no problems with would-be actor Milo, who is so calmly quiet and friendly. She'd never step on a stage herself, but she's happy to help him rehearse.
Note: "The side-trip to France." These three stories are set after the conclusion to The Pyramids of London and before the events in Tangleways. While they can be read as stand-alone stories, there are inevitably some minor spoilers for The Pyramids of London.
"Two Wings" is 7,500 words, "Forfeit" is 20,000 words, and "Death and the Moon" is 2300 words.
104 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2016
About the author
Andrea K. Höst
26 books821 followersBorn in Sweden and raised in Australia, Andrea K Höst currently lives in Sydney. She writes fantasy, but wanders occasionally into science fantasy.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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February 10, 2017This triptych will be more enjoyable for readers familiar with Pyramids of London and to a certain extent, And All the Stars. It's set in Höst's alternate Europe, as Aunt Rian takes her three wards to Lutece--capital of France--for a visit to some cousins.
This begins and ends with stories concerning the kids, sparking interesting threads and worldbuilding coolness.
The longest story is the middle section, as Rian goes on a quest to the weird Towers of the Moon in central Lutece on behalf of a cousin she is close to. As I read, I couldn't help but compare it to Senlin Ascends, which I've read half of. This tale isn't written in the Vancian mosaic prose that the Senlin tale is, but I liked this one better as it evoked a sense of wonder, whereas Senlin is a bit anti-wonder, at least for me. I also really like Rian, whereas my favorite character in Senlin is fridged in the first chapter.
Altogether an appetite-whetter for the next in the series, Tanglewood, which I look forward to.
This begins and ends with stories concerning the kids, sparking interesting threads and worldbuilding coolness.
The longest story is the middle section, as Rian goes on a quest to the weird Towers of the Moon in central Lutece on behalf of a cousin she is close to. As I read, I couldn't help but compare it to Senlin Ascends, which I've read half of. This tale isn't written in the Vancian mosaic prose that the Senlin tale is, but I liked this one better as it evoked a sense of wonder, whereas Senlin is a bit anti-wonder, at least for me. I also really like Rian, whereas my favorite character in Senlin is fridged in the first chapter.
Altogether an appetite-whetter for the next in the series, Tanglewood, which I look forward to.
Read
October 19, 2016A novelette, a novella and a short story about the Tenning/Seaforth trip to France, set between The Pyramids of London and Tangleways.
One day, when I have enormous amounts of spare money, I will think very hard about commissioning the middle story of this set of 3 into a graphic novel. It's very visual and a little Alice in Wonderland.
(Readers of my SF will note some world-building parallels with And All the Stars.)
One day, when I have enormous amounts of spare money, I will think very hard about commissioning the middle story of this set of 3 into a graphic novel. It's very visual and a little Alice in Wonderland.
(Readers of my SF will note some world-building parallels with And All the Stars.)
January 3, 2017
Very short.
Glad to see Rian again - although Grif still irritates. Until the final part of the story I found the Court of the Moon creepy. Now I'm just leery.
Glad to see Rian again - although Grif still irritates. Until the final part of the story I found the Court of the Moon creepy. Now I'm just leery.
February 21, 2017
If you liked Pyramids of London, you really need to read this: it illuminates various main characters in the family from their perspectives and has a MAJOR new plot element happening in an eerie, mystical and amazing way. Not to mention we get out of alternate UK into alternate France and see the way life works in other god... ridden? ...dominated? ... influenced? ... abandoned? countries.
Forfeit alone would be worth the price of admission.
Forfeit alone would be worth the price of admission.
November 7, 2016
I really liked the middle story but then Rian is my favorite character. And now i'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 26, 2017
The world Host has created in her Trifold Age series is really something amazing. My one issue with this set of 3 stories was that I had a hard time picturing the architecture and other bits of physical setting despite much time dedicated to describing it. But overall I loved this, and the continuing sense of wonder it evoked. I am now excited all over again for the release of Tangleways!
March 6, 2024
Great little novella though I'm not sure I'm exactly the target demographic. I think I would've latched on a bit more if I had read the earlier stories in the series first. I really enjoyed the primary story following Rian but the two shorter takes that sandwiched the novella didn't really grab me in the same way.
Will definitely be picking up the start of this series and giving it a go sometime soon though!
Will definitely be picking up the start of this series and giving it a go sometime soon though!
November 13, 2023
Can't wait for tangleways!
March 14, 2017
Three interesting short stories that progressed the characters. It was fun to visit France and see the setup of their mythological gods and how Rian and her Wards dealt with them on their trip to be introduced to the rest of their extended family.
I particularly enjoyed both Rian's and Eluned's stories, and seeing them progress in their agency. They may not be able to control change or the moves of powers greater than themselves, but they can control their response and their attitude, which was nice to read.
I particularly enjoyed both Rian's and Eluned's stories, and seeing them progress in their agency. They may not be able to control change or the moves of powers greater than themselves, but they can control their response and their attitude, which was nice to read.
April 24, 2021
This is a sequel to The Pyramids of London and isn't as "big" a story as The Pyramids of London. It is more the characters growing into themselves - and there isn't a murder mystery. There is intrigue, and helping a friend, and personal tragedies.
What I found fantastic about it, was the vision of a renamed Paris and the concept of how it is ruled, with every 25 years a complete change of dominating belief - and the world view is currently in gilded party mode, following the previous mode of restraint and dignity.
Arianne and her nieces and nephew travel to France, to meet all their French relatives, staying in the family hotel and going out to explore Paris, especially the Towers of the Moon which have strange, convincing, but unexplained as to origin powers, a sort of faeri feel and are the go-to destination for a night out. This Rian's first return to "Paris" since her bonding to both Makepiece the vampire and Cernunon the god and she has more resources to call on. The story also touches on the nieces and nephew and another step in the road of growing up.
What I found fantastic about it, was the vision of a renamed Paris and the concept of how it is ruled, with every 25 years a complete change of dominating belief - and the world view is currently in gilded party mode, following the previous mode of restraint and dignity.
Arianne and her nieces and nephew travel to France, to meet all their French relatives, staying in the family hotel and going out to explore Paris, especially the Towers of the Moon which have strange, convincing, but unexplained as to origin powers, a sort of faeri feel and are the go-to destination for a night out. This Rian's first return to "Paris" since her bonding to both Makepiece the vampire and Cernunon the god and she has more resources to call on. The story also touches on the nieces and nephew and another step in the road of growing up.
October 21, 2016
This was rather disappointing; I'd much rather have had Tangleways be ready than have to make shift with this until sometime next year. This was ok, and gave us some glimpses of character growth, and thank goodness very little of Eleri talking in that annoying way - but the descriptions of the building were hard for me to envision, which is something of a problem since apparently they were a big deal. The same is true for the whole challenges thing that Rian goes through: not enough description to really visualize most of it, or too much for such a short piece.
Definitely NOT a stand-alone or a place to start the series.
Definitely NOT a stand-alone or a place to start the series.
July 28, 2025
Reread July 2025: an interlude, which I think I may have enjoyed more this time around - Forfeit and its tears in particular.
Lightweight, middling volume which expands the world of the Trifold Age further. Poignant as ever but I think Rian's story may borrow weight from the next volume in the series - which I anxiously await.
Otherwise, a quick and easy and enjoyable diversion.
Lightweight, middling volume which expands the world of the Trifold Age further. Poignant as ever but I think Rian's story may borrow weight from the next volume in the series - which I anxiously await.
Otherwise, a quick and easy and enjoyable diversion.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews