Patricia Briggs

Beauty and The Beast Hated and feared, magic was banished from the land. But now, freed from the spells of the wicked bloodmages, magic-both good and evil-returns. And Aren of Fallbrook feels her own power of sight strengthen and grow...Overcome by visions of mayhem and murder, Aren vows to save her village from the ruthless raiders who have descended upon it-and killed her family. With the return of wildlings to the hills and forests, she strikes a bargain with the Hob, a magical, human-like creature imbued with the power of the mountains. But the Hob is the last of his kind. And he will exact a heavy price to defend the village-a price Aren herself must pay...Review“[A] fun fantasy romance...There’s plenty of action, with battles against raiders and magical creatures, a bard who isn’t what he appears, and an evil mage—but there’s also plenty of humor, and some sweet moments of mischief and romance.”—Locus“I ran across Patricia Briggs—literally—at our local book store, while sorting through the shelves looking for another book. The cover art intrigued me, then I read the first page and went straight to the counter. This is a “Beauty and the Beast” story but unlike any I’ve ever read. Ms. Briggs blends adventure, romance, and innovative fantasy with a deft hand. Highly recommend this one to all my readers.”—S. L. Viehl, author of the Stardoc series“It is easy to like Patricia Briggs’s novels. Her books are perfect for a Friday evening or a late Sunday afternoon when you don’t want to have to work to enjoy your reading. Her books are clever, engaging, fast-moving and with plots that manage to be thought-provoking without being heavy-handed. A warning, however—make sure you don’t start the dinner cooking or the lawn watering before you curl up with one of her books, because you’ll end up with a burnt dinner and a soggy lawn and an enjoyable few hours lost in another world.”—Romantic SF & FantasyFrom the AuthorIf you've read any of my other books, you'll know that I like my worlds dark, and my characters tough and funny enough that the books don't really qualify as dark fantasy, The Hob's Bargain is no exception. I first started this book because I wanted to write an apocalyptic fantasy. Since I was reading Charles de Lint and Emma Bull's The War of the Oaks, I decided to set up my world with Northern European (primarily British and Gaelic) fey. Like most storytellers, though, I couldn't help but add my own 10 cents worth (especially to the Hob) -- so don't expect a Spenceresque fairy story. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comments are welcome. My email is roadkill@owt.com -Patricia Briggs PS. Roadkill is my cat's name.