Black Opera

Conrad Scalese is a writer of librettos for operas in a world where music has immense power. In the Church, the sung mass can bring about actual miracles like healing the sick. Opera is musicodrama, the highest form of music combined with human emotion, and the results of the passion it engenders can be nothing short of magical.

In this world of miracles, Conrad is an atheist - he sees the same phenomena, but sees no need to attribute them to a Deity. . . until his first really successful opera gets the opera-house struck by the lightning bolt of God's disapproval. . .

. . .And Conrad comes to the attention of the Prince's Men, a powerful secret society, who are trying to use the magic of music to their own ends - in this case, an apocalyptic blood sacrifice.

Life is about to get interesting for Conrad.

Mary Gentle is one of the world's most acclaimed writers of fantasy and science fiction; ASH, the largest single fantasy work ever - longer even than THE LORD OF THE RINGS - combines the authentic details of Bernard Cornwell and the magical storytelling of Terry Goodkind; all editions were Gollancz bestsellers.Mary has a number of academic degrees, including an MA in War Studies, and has hands-on experience of sword-fighting and armour, amongst many other useful talents.She lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Conrad Scalese is a writer of librettos for operas in a world where music has immense power. In the Church, the sung mass can bring about actual miracles like healing the sick. Opera is musicodrama, the highest form of music combined with human emotion, and the results of the passion it engenders can be nothing short of magical.In this world of miracles, Conrad is an atheist - he sees the same phenomena, but sees no need to attribute them to a Deity. . . until his first really successful opera gets the opera-house struck by the lightning bolt of God's disapproval. . .. . .And Conrad comes to the attention of the Prince's Men, a powerful secret society, who are trying to use the magic of music to their own ends - in this case, an apocalyptic blood sacrifice.Life is about to get interesting for Conrad.

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