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Elizabeth Haydon

    January 1, 1965

    Elizabeth Haydon crafts intricate fantasy worlds, weaving together elements of romance and mystery into epic tales. Her narratives explore profound themes through a distinctive lyrical style, drawing readers into richly imagined universes. As a seasoned storyteller, Haydon's work is celebrated for its depth and immersive quality, offering a unique blend of adventure and emotional resonance.

    Elizabeth Haydon
    Rhapsody
    Destiny
    Elegy for a Lost Star
    Prophecy
    The Weaver's Lament
    His Whole Life
    • 2017

      The Weaver's Lament

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      Acclaimed author Elizabeth Haydon returns with a heartbreaking tale of love and valor in The Weaver’s Lament, the ninth and final installment of her USA Today bestselling Symphony of Ages series that began with Rhapsody. For a thousand years, the lands ruled by the Cymrian Alliance have been at peace. When the brutal death of a dear friend catapults the kingdom to the brink of civil war, Rhapsody finds herself in an impossible situation: forced to choose between her beloved husband, Ashe, and her two oldest friends, Grunthor and Achmed. Choosing her husband will mean the death of thousands of innocents. Siding against him will cost Rhapsody the other half of her soul, both in this life and the next. In The Weaver's Lament, the lines between the past and future are irrevocably blurred, and the strength of true love is tested in unthinkable ways. Bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon has delivered a spectacular conclusion to the Symphony of Ages. "A full-scale tale of warfare and political intrigue that high-fantasy fans will enjoy. Fans of the series will be satisfied, and newcomers will find themselves welcome." —Booklist on The Hollow Queen

      The Weaver's Lament
    • 2016

      Hollow Queen

      • 498 pages
      • 18 hours of reading

      In this installment of the Symphony of Ages series, the Cymrian Alliance faces dire challenges against the merchant emperor Talquist. Rhapsody, wielding the powerful Daystar Clarion, fights to protect her hidden True Name and infant son. Ashe seeks help from the Sea Mages, while Achmed attempts a perilous mission to assassinate Talquist. As they navigate Talquist's intricate schemes, the leaders confront significant sacrifices, realizing that victory may demand the ultimate cost: the lives of their loved ones.

      Hollow Queen
    • 2016

      His Whole Life

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      The captivating new novel by the #1 Canadian bestselling, Giller Prize-winning author of Late Nights on Air and Alone in the Classroom

      His Whole Life
    • 2015

      The Merchant Emperor

      • 544 pages
      • 20 hours of reading
      4.0(37)Add rating

      Acclaimed author Elizabeth Haydon returns with the long-awaited Book 7 of the USA Today Bestselling Symphony of Ages The war that they had feared is now upon them. Ashe and Rhapsody, leaders of the Cymrian Alliance, are gathering their allies to combat the machinations of Talquist, who will soon be crowned emperor of Sorbold. Gwydion Navarne remains by Ashe's side. Anborn, Lord Marshal, has taken to the field. And Rhapsody has been forced into hiding to protect the life of her infant son. The Merchant Emperor of Sorbold has unintentionally allied himself with a pair of demons and has begun targeting the dragons that remain on the Middle Continent. Talquist will stop at nothing until the Cymrians are wiped out and the entire continent and the rest of the Known World is under his rule. Assailed by danger from all sides, surrounded by lies and intrigue, Rhapsody is left with one undeniable truth: if their forces are to prevail, she must join the war herself, wielding the Daystar Clarion, an ancient weapon whose power is nearly unparalleled. As she struggles to reconcile her duties as a mother and ruler, a danger far more devastating than Talquist is stirring beneath the surface of the land itself. In The Merchant Emperor, beloved characters are forced to make soul shattering sacrifices. Bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon has delivered a breathtaking seventh installment to the Symphony of Ages.

      The Merchant Emperor
    • 2009

      The Dragon's Lair

      • 384 pages
      • 14 hours of reading
      3.7(21)Add rating

      Barely one day after fulfilling his second mission for King Vandemere as Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, young Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme--known as Ven--is off on another adventure. To keep them safe from the wrath of the Thief Queen, whose rage at their escape from the Gated City knows no bounds, the king sends Ven and his friends on an important mission. Their journey takes them across a wondrous land filled with marvels--and danger. For the mission the king entrusts to Ven is a delicate one: to discover the cause of a dispute between two warring kingdoms--and the answer leads Ven straight into the lair of a very angry dragon.... Fans of The Floating Island and The Thief Queen's Daughter--both chosen as Book Sense Children's Picks--will love this third enchanting adventure in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series by bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon.

      The Dragon's Lair
    • 2009

      Late Nights on Air

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading
      3.7(24)Add rating

      A moving and powerful study of love, rivalry and friendship in a remote radio station in the furthest reaches of the Canadian North.

      Late Nights on Air
    • 2008

      Die Rhapsody-Saga: Tochter des Windes

      • 766 pages
      • 27 hours of reading

      Rhapsody is high fantasy, descended from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings through Eddings's Belgariad and Malloreon series, complete with an elf-like people, cannibalistic giants, fire-born demons, and dragons. Inquiring fantasy readers will wonder whether it can live up to such distinguished predecessors. The answer is yes. Haydon's first fantasy is a palpable hit. The three protagonists are well-realized characters whose adventures are by turns hilarious, horrific, and breathtaking. Best of all, though elements are drawn from familiar sources ranging from Norse myth to Mozart's The Magic Flute , Haydon's magic worldbuilding is convincing, consistent, and interesting. Rhapsody, a young woman trained as a Namer, can attune herself to the vibrations of all things, tap the power of true names, and rename people, changing their basic identities. Her magic lies in music: "Music is nothing more than the maps through the vibrations that make up all the world. If you have the right map, it will take you wherever you want to go," she tells her adoptive brothers. They are "the Brother," a professional assassin able to sense and track the heartbeats of all natives of the doomed Island of Seren, their homeland, and his giant sidekick Grunthor, a green-skinned Sergeant Major who enjoys making jokes, using edged weapons, and honing his cannibalistic palate. Inadvertently, Rhapsody has renamed the Brother Achmed the Snake, breaking his enslavement to Tsoltan the F'dor (a fire-born demon). Tsoltan sends minions in pursuit to rebind Achmed. The three escape into the roots of a World Tree, Sagia, emerging transformed into another country and century. But have they truly escaped the F'dor's evil? And how does all this relate to the prologue's story of Gwydion and Emily, two young lovers brought together across history and then separated by the mysterious Meridion? Like most first volumes, Rhapsody contains a lot of background information and foreshadowing, though Haydon ties up numerous plot lines at the end. The dislocations in time can be confusing, and some readers may find that the very 1990s dialogue clashes with the epic storytelling of the descriptive passages. Overall, however, Rhapsody is a smashing debut that delivers hours of great reading and will have you impatient to read the rest of the series. --Nona Vero

      Die Rhapsody-Saga: Tochter des Windes
    • 2008

      The Floating Island

      • 368 pages
      • 13 hours of reading
      3.9(61)Add rating

      Entries from the long-lost journal of Ven, a Nain youth, relate his adventures as he faces pirates and is rescued by a mermaid and a kindly sea captain who sends Ven to an inn, where he encounters fairies, ghosts, and other strange boarders.

      The Floating Island
    • 2008

      The Thief Queen's Daughter

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading
      3.8(51)Add rating

      On his first day on the job as Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme--known as Ven--is sent by King Vandemere on a secret mission within the walls of the Gated City. The king warns Ven to take care--because once you enter the Gated City, you might never be allowed to leave. The Gated City is ruled by the powerful Raven's Guild, and the guild is ruled by the Queen of Thieves. Ven and his friends enter the Gated City ready for adventure. But when one friend is kidnapped and it is revealed that they are traveling in the company of the runaway daughter of the Queen of Thieves herself, their adventure turns deadly. For the ruthless Thief Queen will stop at nothing to get her daughter back....

      The Thief Queen's Daughter
    • 2007

      The Assassin King

      • 398 pages
      • 14 hours of reading
      3.7(28)Add rating

      Now in trade paperback: Book 6 of the USA Today bestselling Symphony of Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon The Assassin King opens with the arrival of a mysterious hunter, a man of ancient race and purpose, who endlessly chants the names of the pantheon of demons that are his intended victims, as well as one other: Ysk, the original name of Achmed, the Assassin King of Ylorc. At the same moment of this portentous arrival, two gatherings of great import are taking place. The first is a convocation of dragons, who gather in a primeval forest glade—the site of the horrific ending of Llauron, one of the last of their kind. They mourn not only his irrevocable death, but also the loss of the lore and control over the Earth that it represents. The second gathering is a council of war: Ashe and Rhapsody, rulers of the alliance that protects the Middle Continent; Gwydion, the new Duke of Navarne; Anborn, the Lord Marshall; Achmed, the King of Ylorc, and Grunthor, his Sergeant-Major. Each brings news that form the pieces of a great puzzle. And as each piece is added it becomes quite clear: War is coming, the likes of which the world has never known.

      The Assassin King