The Noble Dead Saga

Introduction
Release Schedule
Pronunciation Guide
Int'l Cover Gallery

The Mist-Torn Witches

The Mist-Torn Witches

Series/Phase 1

Dhampir
Thief of Lives
Sister of the Dead
Traitor to the Blood
Rebel Fay
Child of a Dead God

Series/Phase 2

In Shade and Shadow
Through Stone and Sea
Of Truth and Beasts

Series/Phase 3

Between Their Worlds
The Dog in the Dark
A Wind in the Night

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Excerpts

ADDENDUM, 3/2013: Excerpts for the Mist-Torn Witches series are available on this site. Select the book from the right menu. When the book listing appears, look for the link below the book cover.

As of July 2012, we have discontinued hosting preview excerpts on this site. We may change our minds later, but in most cases, you want to see a preview that matches your preference of format. 95% of the vendor links for our books have excellent excerpt and text previews available. When you select the vendor of your choice, you will have access to your preview of choice as well.

Release Schedule

Listings are in reverse order, showing the most recent release first. Schedules for pending works are always tentative; should they change, the pertinent entries here will be updated and a general news item will be posted.

Book	Hardback	Paperback
S3B3: A Wind in the Night	1/2014	1/2015
MW1: The Mist-Torn Witches	n/a	5/2013
S3B2: The Dog in the Dark	1/2013	1/2014
S3B1: Between Their Worlds	1/2012	1/2013
S2B3: Of Truth and Beasts	1/2011	1/2012
S2B2: Through Stone and Sea	1/2010	1/2011
S2B1: In Shade and Shadow	1/2009	1/2010
S1B6: Child of a Dead God	1/2008	1/2009
S1B5: Rebel Fay	1/2007	1/2008
S1B4: Traitor to the Blood	1/2006	1/2007
S1B3: Sister of the Dead	n/a	1/2005
S1B2: Thief of Lives	n/a	1/2004
S1B1: Dhampir	n/a	1/2003

Pronunciation Guide

Pronunciation of all foreign language words (Elvish, Belaskian, etc.) share a common system. Instead of a full set of phonetic or diacritical marks (from a dictionary), we use a borrowed simplified set. The table below explains our four basic diacritical marks (and how they differ in use vs. any dictionary) along with a few special letter combinations. Unspecified exceptions to pronunciation do exist, but we won't go into that.

There are no silent letters, as in English; all letters are pronounced. At first, languages will appear similar in print, but by sound and syntax, you will “taste” the differing flavor of individual tongues.

Diacritical		Explanation
À / à	Grave Accent	An English standard “short” vowel, but its voiced duration is shortened as well; sometimes it is little more than a shaping transition between surrounding letters. Note the backward lean of this diacritical indicating shortness of duration. Example: ì = “i” as in the word “bit” but nearly unvoiced.
Á / á	Acute Accent	An English standard “short” vowel in most cases but its voiced duration is elongated. As well, this often produces an emphasized syllable in a word. Note the forward lean of this diacritical indicating length of duration. Example: á = “a” in the word “ban” but slightly drawn out.
Ä / ä	Umlaut	An English standard “short” vowel of standard or neutral duration but with the back of the throat open, producing a wider and/or deeper sound. Note the space created by two marks in this diacritical, indicating openness of sound. NOTE: in our books and the previous website this symbol was incorrectly labeled a “dieresis,” which has a different use from an “umlaut.” Example: ä = “a” in the word “father”.
Â / â	Circumflex	An English “long” vowel of standard or neutral duration, sometimes pronounced as diphthong with a following short “i.” Note the rise and fall of this diacritical as sometimes heard in syllables containing long vowels with a rise and fall.. Example: â = “ai” in the word “rain” or “a” as in the word “bane”.
'	Apostrophe	Indicates a brief pause or catch in voicing before continuing pronunciation. Sometimes also used to clarify syllabic separation in complex words.
-	Hyphen/Dash	As in English, used to clarify a special prefix/suffix or indicate a compound word. The attached prefix/suffix is pronounced as a syllable of the compound word spoke as one.
hk		In the Suman dialects (Sumanese), it is pronounced as represented in a breathy manner. In Belaskian and Stravinan, it is more quick and sharp. In Elvish and Dwarvish, it is similar to the “ch” found in the Gaelic term “loch” as in “Loch Nes” (though most people now pronounce it like “Lock” Nes). All these distinctions by language sound similar and any will do for basic reading.
chk		This occurs mostly in Elvish, sometimes Dwarvish, and rarely in certain Sumanese dialects. At the end or beginning of a word, it is pronounced as written, similar to the word “latched” if the e is silenced and the “d” becomes a “k”. (That is the best we can describe it in writing.) When it appears mid-word, it is a syllabic separation; the “ch” ends the leading syllable while the “k” begins the following syllable.

S1B1: Dhampir

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She hunts the realm's most dangerous game…
Her fees are exorbitant…
She's worth every coin she receives…
Or is she?

Magiere has earned a reputation as the most formidable vampire slayer in the land. Villagers far and wide welcome her with both awe and disdain, grateful to her for ridding their towns of the undead menace, but finding themselves made poorer for their salvation. Magiere has always known she's dealing with simple folk who only wish to have their superstitions silenced, and she's never seen anything wrong with exploiting them for profit.

Now, tired of the game, Magiere and her partner, the half-elf Leesil, are ready to hang up their weapons and settle down in a place they can finally call home. But their new found peace will not last. For Magiere has come to the attention of a trio of powerful and dangerous vampires who recognize her true identity — even if she does not — and who fear the birthright that flows through her veins. And they will stop at nothing to keep Magiere from fulfilling her destiny.

In DHAMPIR, Barb and JC Hendee mix the Lord of the Rings and Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a healthy dose of The Sting for an engaging adventure that is both humorous and exciting.
—Kevin J. Anderson, Hidden Empire, Dune: The Butlerian Jihad

DHAMPIR kept me turning pages, from the eerie prologue to the final satisfying word. With its complex heroes, refreshingly multi-faceted villains, and carefully choreographed fight scenes, this novel opened a broad new world. Well done!
—Mindy L. Klasky, The Glasswright's Apprentice

DHAMPIR is a fabulous entertainment wrought with mystery, adventure, and sharp-toothed wit. In this winning first fantasy novel, Barb and J.C. Hendee conjure a misty world populated with lively undead villains and an appealing pair of rogues-turned-heroes you'll find yourself rooting for from Page One. Fast-paced action and mounting suspense will keep you turning the pages long after the sun's gone down. (Just be sure to hang the garlic by the window.) DHAMPIR ends with the promise of continuing adventures. I'm looking forward to getting bitten again.
—Mark Anthony, Beyond the Pale

S1B2: Thief of Lives

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On the heels of Dhampir, Barb and J.C. Hendee's acclaimed Fantasy debut, comes Thief of Lives, the new novel featuring Magiere and Leesil, Slayers of the Undead....

Magiere the dhampir thinks that her nights of hunting vampires are over. After settling down in her newly adopted village of Miiska — now vampire-free, thanks to her and her half-elf partner, Leesil — she looks forward to quiet days tending to her tavern.

But far away in the capital city of Bela, a prominent councilman's daughter has been found dead on her own doorstep... and all signs point to a vampire. Knowing that the battered and burned village of Miiska could use an infusion of cash, Bela's town council offers a generous bounty to the dhampir if she will slay their vampire. Magiere resists, wanting nothing more than to forget her past and ignore her half-vampire nature. Only Leesil can persuade Magiere to follow her destiny — before more innocent lives are claimed by darkness.

Readers will turn the pages of this satisfying medieval thriller with gusto.
—Kristine Huntley, Booklist: review journal of the American Library Association

Nothing is simply good versus evil in this world, where the undead and the living alike are personable, believable characters…
—Jen Talley Exum, Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine

The multifaceted personalities of [Magiere and Leesil] are what make this series so enjoyable.
—Sandy Auden, SFX Magazine

The story is complex and will keep you guessing until the end. Each character is finely crafted like the weapons they carry.
—Alisa McCune, Sime~Gen Inc.

S1B3: Sister of the Dead

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Nominated for the Quill Awards,
Publisher's Weekly 6/20/2005

The Noble Dead saga continues as Magiere and Leesil, the slayers of the undead for Dhampir and Thief of Lives, embark on a quest to uncover the secrets of their mysterious origins — and those responsible for orchestrating the events that brought them together....

Magiere is a dhampir — half-human, half-vampire — sired for the purpose of slaying the undead. Outside the village of Chemestúk, where she was born and raised, stands her father's keep. Within its walls, she hopes to discover the secrets of her past and figure out why a vampire would wish to breed a creature capable of slaughtering his own kind....

But there are those who don't want Magiere to learn the truth — and when her half-elf partner, Leesil, makes a startling discovery in the keep, he can understand why. Before Leesil can reveal the truth to Magiere, they must vanquish a creature of unimaginable and unlimited power who has damned a small village of people with a horrifying curse...

Fabulous entertainment wrought with mystery, adventure, and sharp-toothed wit.
—Mark Anthony, Author of Beyond the Pale

Another satisfying entry in the Hendees' lively series.
—Kristine Huntley, Booklist: American Library Association

Sister of the Dead and its predecessors involve readers on a visceral, highly emotional level and fulfill a craving for nifty magic, exciting action scenes, and a strong heroine who defies genre clichés.
—Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine

The Hendees have created an intriguing series characterized by nonstop adventure, multilayered mysteries, and enough blood-sucking characters to satisfy even the most hard-core vampire fan.
—Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble Review

S1B4: Traitor to the Blood

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Born a half-breed to an elven mother and human father, Leesil was raised in the Warlands as assassin, spy, and slave to Lord Darmouth, ruler to one of its independent provinces. But Leesil's mother trained him too well, and he used his skills to escape, leaving his parents to suffer Darmouth's wrath for all such traitors and their kin. Now, with newfound purpose in the company of his beloved Magiere, Leesil returns to confront the sins of his past and uncover his parents' fate.

Unable to turn him from this dangerous course, Magiere follows Leesil into the darkness of his past in the Warlands. Knowing what may happen should Darmouth learn of Leesil's return, she is prepared to slaughter any who may try to take him from her. But Magiere's own past may well pose a more deadly threat. Two creatures of unfathomable power continue to stalk her — one who believes she's the key to his salvation, and one who seeks to destroy her... and all those she loves.

This is one of those books for which the term dark fantasy was definitely intended.
—Chronicle

...the Hendees' Saga of the Noble Dead features generous helpings of blood-sucking horror and whodunit mystery elements. Literally overflowing with nonstop action, this cool amalgam of genres will appeal to readers — alive and undead — who enjoy taking that occasional literary walk on the wild side.
—Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble Review

The Hendees' bestselling Noble Dead series makes the leap from mass market to hardcover with this winning fourth novel.... Fans of the series are sure to be pleased, while the novel stands well enough on its own to attract new readers.
—Publishers Weekly

The personal conflicts of the heroes mirror the larger struggles in their world and provide a solid foundation for this tale of love and loyalty in a world of betrayal.
—Jackie Cassada, “[SF/Fantasy column]”, Library Journal

S1B5: Rebel Fay

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“A mix of The Lord of the Rings and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.”

—New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson

The Noble Dead Saga has been hailed as “fabulous entertainment wrought with mystery, adventure, and sharp-toothed wit.” * Now the “action-packed” ** adventures of Magiere and Leesil continue as they journey into the dangerous and mysterious Elven Territories....

Desperate to free his mother from a caste of ruthless elven assassins, Leesil pushes on through the mountains at the height of a harsh winter. Obsession blinds him to reason, and he and his companions — his beloved Magiere, the sage Wynn, and their canine protector, Chap — find their lives at stake under the hardships of the wilderness. Should they survive, they still face the perils of the Elven Territories, a culture of tranquil beauty, savage customs, and deep-rooted hatred and fear of all humankind.

Magiere was created with strange powers by a shadowy, long-forgotten enemy of many names — an enemy whom Leesil was trained from childhood to kill. Unbeknownst to them, Chap brought them together at the command of his kin, the Fay, to forge an alliance that might have the power to stand against the forces of dark magics.

In the place of his birth, Chap must guard his companions from enemies and allies alike, though he is not always certain which is which. And as they uncover the truth, they discover just how close the enemy has always been....

* Mark Anthony, author of The Last Rune series
** Midwest Book Review

...a hybrid crossing Tolkienesque fantasy with vampire-infused horror....
—Publisher's Weekly

A real page-turner for Noble Dead series newcomers and veterans alike.
—Frieda Murray, Booklist: American Library Association.

Fans of the Hendees' Noble Dead series who have been trying to understand the saga's many unexplained mysteries will be absolutely blown away by the bombshell plot twists revealed in Rebel Fay.... Fantasy fans who like their adventures done very rare — fast and bloody — should definitely check out this addictively readable saga, which seamlessly blends the vampire mythos with high fantasy.
—Paul Goat Allen, The Barnes & Noble Review

S1B6: Child of a Dead God

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“Any list of the best writers of vampire novels working today must include the dynamic duo of Barb & J.C. Hendee.”
—Rambles

“A mix of The Lord of the Rings and Buffy the Vampire Slayer,”* the Noble Dead Saga has won legions of readers with its epic adventure, bloodthirsty evil, and imaginative characters. At last, long sought secrets will be revealed... and old scores settled.

For many months, Magiere and Leesil have searched for a forgotten artifact, even though its purpose has been shrouded in mystery. All Magiere knows is that she must keep the orb from falling into the hands of a murdering Noble Dead: her half brother, Welstiel. And now dreams of a castle locked in ice lead her south, on a journey that has become nothing less than an obsession...

Accompanying Magiere and Leesil are the sage Wynn; their canine protector, Chap; and two elven assassins-turned-guardians who must fight their distrust of this sister of the dead. For forces more powerful than they — some may even say fate — are rallying around Magiere, arming her for the conflict to come, because finding the orb may be just the beginning of the challenges that await her.

* New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson

Interspecies distrust, grand ambitions, and the lure of dangerous secrets protected by the undead drive the action in this neat mix of horror with more traditional fantasy elements.
—Publisher's Weekly

S2B1: In Shade and Shadow

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Hailed by New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson as “a mix of The Lord of the Rings and Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the Noble Dead Saga has become one of the premier dark fantasy sagas. Now a new chapter begins as a young woman discovers her true potential for heroics against the shadows of evil....

After escaping the castle of ancient vampires with Magiere and Leesil, Wynn Hygeorht has returned to Calm Seatt, home of the Guild of Sagecraft, bearing texts supposedly penned by vampires from the time of the Forgotten History and the Great War. Her superiors seize both the ancient texts and her personal journals, dismissing her tales of the undead as delusional fancies.

But the guild's scholars have not dismissed the texts. Without Wynn's consent, they begin sending the texts out to scriptoriums for copying. Then one night several pages disappear — and the two sages charged with conveying these pages are murdered. Suspicious of the Guild, separated from the only friends she fully trusts, and convinced the Noble Dead are responsible for the killings, Wynn embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of the texts, unaware of her allies from unexpected quarters....

S2B2: Through Stone and Sea

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“Another must-read.... the Hendees, if given a chance to complete their entire saga, may yet produce a combined fantasy masterwork that will surely stand on the highest pinnacles of literary fantasy lore.... As always, the Hendees keep 'em coming.
—Bookspot Central

The “endlessly intriguing”* Noble Dead Saga is a national bestselling phenomenon with its unique blend of “Tolkienesque fantasy [and] vampire-infused horror.”** Now the epic finds the young scholar Wynn Hygeorht, without Magiere and Leesil to guide her, continuing her own dangerous quest — pursued by the forces of darkness.

Wynn is determined to recover the ancient texts she brought back from the castle in the Farlands. She has only one hint to their location: She overhead one whispered dwarven word that suggested the “Stonewalkers” may be involved. So she journeys to the mountain stronghold of the dwarves in search of this unknown sect.

With two uncertain allies as guides — Chane Andraso, a vampire, and Shade, an elven wolf — she must enter those depths and fathom ancestral religions, oral traditions, and deeper customs. In her obsession for the texts, she will find more puzzles and questions buried in secrets old and new... along with an enemy she thought destroyed.

* Monsters and Critics
** Publisher's Weekly

S2B3: Of Truth and Beasts

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In each of its novels, the Noble Dead saga has swept readers into “action sequences that fantasy lore is made of”* and “Tolkienesque fantasy [and] vampire-infused horror.”** Now young journeyor sage Wynn Hygeorht finds herself cast into the wilds on a dangerous quest for knowledge that may instead lead to her own doom....

Wynn has returned safely to the Guild of Sagecraft with her companions, the vampire Chane Andraso and Shade, an elven wolf. Though Wynn managed to regain her seized journals, she received only a glimpse of the ancient texts penned by forgotten vampires, and once again, the volumes have slipped from her grasp. The price for her brief success may prove costly.

For the animosity of her guild superiors has grown even fiercer. This time, instead of cloistering her, they purposely give her a mission so tedious, it will keep her out of the way for as long as possible. But Wynn has her own plans.

She sets out in search of another dwarven stronghold: a place few have ever heard of called Bäalâle Seatt. It may well be the last resting place of an orb — one of five such mysterious devices used by the Ancient Enemy in the mythical war of the Forgotten History. Whatever caused Bäalâle to fall to the enemy, she knows that one mythical figure was somehow involved: the infamous Lord of Slaughter. And that dwarven mass murderer's direct descendant, an errant stonewalker, will never let Wynn out of his sight.

If only that were all she had to worry about.

** Publishers Weekly

S3B1: Between Their Worlds

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“The Noble Dead Saga… is no simple myth, but rather a true epic, which stands at the highest levels of Fantasy Lore.”
—BSCReview

“A unique tale of vampires and half-vampire undead hunters set against a dark fantasy world ruled by tyrants,”* the Noble Dead Saga continues to entrance readers with action-packed adventures and an intriguing mythology. Now national bestselling authors Barb and J.C. Hendee present the long-awaited return of dhampir Magiere and half-elf Leesil…

Wynn Hygeorht receives unexpected visitors at the Guild of Sagecraft. Magiere and Leesil, along with the elven wolf Chap, have come for her, but Wynn can't afford to leave. She needs access to the texts within the guild's archives, which may help her decipher the locations of the last two orbs sought by the Ancient Enemy.

There are five orbs in total. Magiere and Leesil have two of them in safe-keeping. Chane Andraso, the vampire who loves Wynn, has hidden the Orb of Earth on her orders. To complete her task — and protect the orbs — Wynn must remain sequestered from her friends

But she's essentially a prisoner. One of the guild's superiors is just as eager for Wynn to translate the ancient texts, but she knows the others will not permit her to share that knowledge — knowledge Magiere and Leesil desperately need if they're going to stop the Ancient Enemy from unleashing war on the land…

* Library Journal

S3B2: The Dog in the Dark

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The Noble Dead series has been hailed as “a crowd-pleasing mix of intrigue, epic fantasy, and horror.”* Now, national bestselling authors Barb and J.C. Hendee present the latest thrilling novel following the adventures of the dhampir Magiere and half-elf Leesil…

Barely escaping the city of Calm Seatt — and the elven assassins hunting them — Magiere, Leesil, and the elven dog Chap sail south in their quest to find the powerful orb of Air before their enemies do. But they are not alone, much to their frustration.

The aging elven assassin, Brot’an, has forced himself on them by offering his protection for Magiere from enemies among his own caste. Chap doesn’t believe this ruse and seeks to uncover the assassin’s true agenda — as well as the cause of the secret civil war that has erupted into the open among Brot'an's people.

Meanwhile Magiere is struggling with her own dark nature, using Leesil’s love as an anchor to keep her grounded. For the personal price she paid to procure the orb of Fire up in the northern “Wastes” was more than she thought — and more than she wants to reveal to anyone else.

But that is exactly what the cunning Brot’an wants to know. And he is willing to do whatever it takes — even if he must reveal his own dreaded secrets that may cost the entire party their lives.

* Publishers Weeklyy

S3B3: A Wind in the Night

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[Pending]

COMING JANUARY 2014

National bestselling authors Barb and J.C. Hendee present the latest thrilling novel in their epic Noble Dead saga…

In her quest to find the Orb of Spirit, Wynn Hygeorht is torn between two men who hate each other—her vampire protector, Chane Andraso, and the elf Osha, who has tender feelings for her. Now a strange series of clues leads them to a remote keep built on the dark cliffs of the coast of Witeny. The young duke there has been undergoing some disturbing changes—and so have the people and livestock in the outlying villages. Wynn has no idea what awaits her at this keep—an old enemy who wants nothing more than to see her dead.

At the same time, Dhampir Magiere, Leesil, and Chap continue their desperate search for the Orb of Air, still burdened with the master assassin, Brot’an, and the elven outcast girl, Wayfarer. Still hunted by a team of assassins, they escape on the first available ship only to find themselves under the power of a sadistic captain. Even if they manage to survive this voyage, there is a trap waiting for them at the journey’s end that is beyond anything they can imagine…

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EXCERPTS!

MW1: The Mist-Torn Witches

Barb Hendee

National bestselling author Barb Hendee presents a dark, fascinating new series set in the world of the Noble Dead Saga… the story of two sisters who will discover they have far more power than they ever envisioned…

In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop. Céline earns additional money by posing as a seer and pretending to read people’s futures.

But they exist in a land of great noble houses, all vying for power, and when the sisters refuse the orders of a warlord prince, they must flee and are forced to depend on the warlord prince’s brother, Anton, for a temporary haven.

A series of bizarre deaths of pretty young girls are plaguing the village surrounding Prince Anton’s castle. He offers Céline and Amelie permanent protection if they can use their “skills” to find the killer.

With little choice, the sisters enter a world unknown to them—of fine gowns and banquets and advances from powerful men. Their survival depends on catching a murderer who appears to walk through walls and vanish without a trace—and the danger around them seems to grow with each passing night.