Author Spotlight: Epic Fantasy Writer Ginevra Mancinelli
Author Spotlight:
Epic Fantasy Writer Ginevra Mancinelli
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meet Ginevra!
Ginevra Mancinelli was born in 1992 in Rome, Italy, to a Filipino mother and an Italian father. Growing up between France and Switzerland, she studied Literature, Foreign Languages and eventually graduated from Law school in Lausanne, Switzerland. Abandoning the idea of becoming a magistrate after witnessing the system's idleness in a case involving racial prejudice against a black student, Mancinelli spent two years rebuilding herself and chose to pursue her passion for writing.
Mancinelli writes from her perspective particularly when it comes to mixed races, age gap, stepfamilies, bisexuality, eating disorder, and depression. Her books are considered own voices.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
A Hallow of Talons and Tears
Prequel: An Empress of Beasts and Mist
SYNOPSIS:
The Empress of Beasts and Mist, the prequel to Mancinelli's epic fantasy series A Hallow of Talons and Tears. A fantasy with horror undertones, LGBT+ representation, and French-inspired lore.
A House that once ruled over an empire.
The Rochelacs are famous for being ruthless, sanguinary, and tied to the blood of an ancient warrior. Centuries have passed and war ravaged the continent countless times, and now the family rules as the overlords of the Fog Lands. Under the guidance of a scryer, Zander Rochelac changes laws and reinstalls traditions for his only daughter, Loveleen, at the cost of sacrificing diplomatic relationships with the rest of the kingdom.
A woman loved by many.
Loveleen is seventeen when she is to marry the lord of another house. Bold and free, she sees the marriage as a simple duty that will not prevent her from living her life the way she wants and blurring the line between friendship and lust. But Larcel Silenteye wishes to become more than a simple consort and will prove to become her only ally when Loveleen's father's actions put her on the path to self-destruction.
A curse that could bring an entire kingdom to heel.
The Fog Lands are the lands of the Beast, a sentient creature with desires and goals. When Loveleen uncovers what it really wants and what her father has agreed to, it may be too late for her family and the entire kingdom. The scryer speaks of a prophecy, but Loveleen sees a curse, and the color of the fog is changing.
Book One- A Realm Of Stones and Whispers
SYNOPSIS:
A Realm of Stones and Whispers, the first installment in the epic fantasy series A Hallow of Talons and Tears, recommended for fans of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and Brandon Sanderson.
An Ambitious House.
Kings ruled the Silver Lands until a mysterious fog descended from the Heights and devoured the lives of everything it touched. Generations after the event, only a few ruling houses are in charge, with House Lionhelm aspiring to unify the realm again through the appointed governors of the Regency.
A World of Politics and Magic.
At the age of fourteen, Tecla Lionhelm should take the reins of her future, but between religion and research, she must also consider marriage. After accidentally killing a man, Tecla discovers there could be more to the faith she practices. Unbeknownst to her, her brother, Theliel, is uncovering disturbing truths about the Regency, the King, and a missing noble family, the Rosenfields.
In the capital, Surveillant Opherus Goldsnout comes across a young healer and the man she’s treating, Jascha, and suspects him to play a role in the disappearances of several girls. As Jascha looks for answers regarding his health, while Opherus investigates the Rosenfields, they both find out about occult societies reclaiming their stolen lands.
A Journey Down a Bloodied Path...
In a tale of ladies and lords, criminals and sentinels, maids and soldiers, followers and heretics, each must choose between duty and resentment, spirit and flesh, love and vengeance. The dream of a united land is fading, morality crumbles, and a war horn blows.
CONCEPT ART GALLERY
My Reviews:
AN EMPRESS OF BEASTS AND MIST
RATING 5 STARS!
This is my second book by this author and I honestly don’t know where to begin. I love Ginevra Mancinelli, and I thought I couldn’t be blown away any more than I was by her first book. Turns out I was wrong. Mancinelli took the horror story of Loveleen Rochelac and Larcel Silenteye from a folk tale in the first novel of this epic fantasy series, and turned it into an emotionally wrought romantic tragedy that dug its claws into me from the very first page and refused to let go. This book gives you a look into the past lineage of Jascha, explaining many of his character flaws and actions in the first book of the series. A genius move on the part of the author as she managed to take my stony reverence (albeit with some confusing sexual attraction mixed in) of the guy and with detailed context elicit my sympathy.
I was so thrilled to get to see another part of the world this author has created, as her world building is tantalising and the way in which legend, magic, and lore seem to twist into something beyond grotesque and tangibly mortal is second to none. It’s no secret I’m freaking picky when it comes to indie authors. I hold myself to a high standard and I expect the same of those I pick up. Mancinelli has me floored. I have NEVER been left in such a horrific book slump as I was finishing this book, and I cannot describe to you how masterfully constructed this prequel was.
I also want to just point out that ENGLISH ISN’T EVEN THIS WOMAN’S FIRST LANGUAGE- a fact I actually had to go back and check because her prose is flawless. It’s dark, it’s twisted, it’s full of incest, bestiality, and explores the darkest corners of the human psyche as well as showing us the reality of cruelty and what it takes to rule in excruciating detail. It’s like Game of Thrones gone wild, it’s perfect, it’s fantastic… I’m gutted It’s over and I now have to wait until December for the second release.
Buy it. Read it. Love it as I have and tell your friends. Mancinelli is a magician storyteller, and I for one am completely enthralled by The Empress of Beasts and Mist which is so far winning the race for my favourite read of 2021.
A REALM OF STONES AND WHISPERS:
Rating 5 Stars!
I absolutely adored this book. After coming across the author on Tiktok I was absolutely delighted to find that she wrote Epic Fantasy so i dived in without hesitation. The worldbuilding is superb, the characters fiesty, brave, terrible, and inspiring all at once, and the way this novel is written is simply beautiful x Perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and Brandon Sanderson, if you love Epic Fantasy with a little spice this series is a MUST READ!!!
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