Night's Sorceries

Tales from the Flat Earth #5

by Tanith Lee

The final entry in Tanith Lee’s classic fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, Night’s Sorceries forms a breathtaking conclusion to a dark and intricate epic of demons, gods, and mortals.

Azhriaz, daughter of Azhrarn, Demon Lord of the Night, has defied her father’s wishes. Taking on the mantle of Delirium’s Mistress, she escapes her island prison in the Underearth, where she would have spent her life in eternal slumber. With Prince Chuz, her lover and the sworn enemy of Azhrarn, she flees to the mortal realm of the Flat Earth to escape her father’s wrath.

But Azhrarn will not be so easily deterred, and the lovers’ journey has not left the world untouched. In the wake of their flight, bizarre new enchantments emerge, exposing a world of chaos and mystery. The mortals of the Flat Earth are inextricably entwined in circumstances beyond their understanding, caught in the midst of grand conflicts of ambition and betrayal.

Night’s Sorceries spins seven of these tales of wonder—of humans confronted with the supernatural. Trials of true love, tests of humility and fortitude, and startling transformations weave together in these lush stories of passion, revelation, and the human soul.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Short Stories, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Tanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.

Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.

Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.

Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.

Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.

Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.

Reviews

[Jay Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am giving this short story collection from Tanith Lee 5 stars. This is the last book in the Tales from Flat Earth series, a must read for any fantasy fan.

This collection of short stories soars, reaching the heights I have come to expect from Tanith Lee. Rich and vivid imagery written in a romantic prose that verges on the dreamlike. Tanith Lee's world's are brimming with imagination, beauty and treacherous danger. As always the writing is gorgeous, enriching the fairy tale style of the stories presented here.

Tanith lee is a hopeless romantic, romance is a theme that runs through out the book and in fact the Tales from Flat Earth series as a whole. Love being the unifying common denominator among all the beings of flat earth from Demon kind to the Lord's of Darkness and mortals alike.

The flat earth is a fabulous fictitious world of legends and myths. Each story in this collection reads like a fable, mortals are meer pawns in the games of the super powered Lords of Darkness and Demons of the flat earth. The saving grace and importance of mortality is explored again in the last story of the collection.

I can't recommend this book enough for anyone who enjoys fantastic fiction. A colourful cast of Magicians, seductive and treacherous demons, anthropomorphic representations of concepts like Madness, magical winged horses and an enchanting world set on the moon with giant bears; what more can you ask for? You will not be disappointed.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

On one hand, this is an afterthought of the series, revisiting events and themes from Delirium's Mistress as the fairytale digressions that pepper the earlier books.

On the other, this is astonishingly done, at times a worm's eye view of these events. In some tales, they are seen from the perspective of barely-involved lowly mortals whose paths cross the demons or Princes of Darkness in some incidental way and are affected or blasted by the experience. The weaving in and out of the earlier storyline is masterful, and each tale here is lapidary prose and a jewel of craftsmanship. Some, like "Children of the Night", subvert the conventions of fairy tales, and in this particular case intertwine two separate fairy tale stories.

The stories themselves have trended to a sense of inner justice: right is rewarded, wrong is punished. This is a change from the earlier books in the series, which are indifferent to the concept and the mere involvement of a Prince of Darkness spells doom for the involved mortals.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Basics

Night’s Sorceries serves as a companion novel to the previous volume in the series, Delirium’s Mistress. While the events of Azhriaz’s story are unfolding, she and the other players are inadvertently affecting the human lives that stray too close. These are their stories.

My Thoughts

At first I wasn’t sure how to feel about the fact that this story is not a continuation of the Tales of the Flat Earth so much as an expansion upon the last book. Yet like most of Lee’s books, it endears itself so quickly that I couldn’t be annoyed by that for long at all. Each of these tales has a different tone to it, some light and fluffy, others dark and cynical. Each one brings something fresh to the table.

One of my favorites was “Children of the Night”, wherein a young woman is betrothed to an evil lord. That sounds pretty straightforward, but the story is anything but. It has a decidedly Midsummer-Night’s-Dream feel to it, with a lot of whimsy and humor. In the same vein as that play, dark and powerful creatures are about their business, and humans get caught in the crossfire.

The hardest part of reviewing a book at the end of the series is my fear of spoiling someone into not wanting to read it at all. That would especially be a shame with a series as amazing as this one is. Having said that, in the spirit of not giving away too much about the ending, the last story, a substantially long one, does turn out to be a continuation. It’s beautifully done and as well crafted as I could hope. A wonderful note to end on, though I am hopeful that this won’t be the last we see of this series.

Final Rating

5/5

[Zan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become little more than a monotonous bell, a broken clock, repeating over and over again the praises I have for Tanith Lee's gorgeous Flat Earth series. Dark and vivid fantasy unmatched by any other, the imagery and imagination all at once familiar but so strange and unique, everything feels like a twisted retelling of a familiar myth, but all presented with Lee's gorgeous prose, and unerring arc towards a satisfying, poignant conclusion.

Look, this isn't anything new or different, and even within the series it's one of the more skippable entries - the conceit this time is sorta "During the last book while all this epic world changing stuff was happening, here's some scattered stories that like tangentially fit in." So yeah, this is the extra stuff, but still - don't skip it. Here, harkening back to the unparalleled first entry, we have a series of short stories that mostly all deal with near characters, situations, but still all within the arch-magical sword and sorcery and sexual world of the Flat Earth

and... it's great! You already knew this, because 5 books in I'm not changing anyone's mind here, but if you're at all a fan but somehow on the edge about committing to more, yeah just keep going. Lee didn't let you down before, and she's not going to start now.

[D.D. Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanith Lee you’ve done it again! After what seemed to me to be a disastrous fourth book my favorite fantasy author has gone back to form and expectedly delivered a fantastic set of stories of myth and magic. The stories in this collection take place during the events of Delirium’s Mistress. One way to think about this collection is as being side stories that expand on the events of Delirium’s Mistress and that help to fully explain things better and that in the very end advances the story between Azhriaz and Chuz into a nicely resolved conclusion that brings the series full circle and that was satisfying. I admit that I didn’t really understand Delirium’s Mistress so I might have to go back and re-read that one now that this book has better informed my understanding of events. In fact, I’m going to have to go back and re-read the entire series at some point. Then that way maybe I’ll catch on better to some of the underlying themes that thread through the entire series that I may not have really caught on the first time around. After this read the Flat Earth series has officially cemented itself as being an all time favorite series.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

В поредицата за плоските земи на свръх активни демони и твърде безразлични богове, заема своето бляскаво място и един сборник разкази , за времената преди последната и част, и след нея, когато любовта е давала сила за добри решения, а не е била извинение за нечовешки жестокости и игрички между абсурдните умове на нереални същества. Нощни вълшебства е част от Господарката на дерлириума, като шлейф от магични приказки, родени от умовете на бъбривите нормални , станали временно любими играчки на по-съвършените и възвишени създания от мрака.

Истории за справедливо наказание и неразбираеми мъчения, за смъртта като прегръдка и прераждането като агония, за пътуване до Луната и Слънцето, и един цял живот без светлината на деня или нощта. Добрите финали идват по спиралата на лудостта, раздавайки блага и болка по правилата на някоя не точно разбираема от човешкия род логика. Но крайната схватка се печели винаги от петия господар на мрака – никога невижданата и еднакво невиждащата Любов, независимо дали е загубената или спечелената обич. Демонични чародейства, номера и подлъгвания между различно злите незачитащи правилата същества, в които хората сме винаги обекта, средството и жертвата на поредното съревнование между несравними по никоя скала висши сили.

Прекрасно допълнение към един свят, в който не ви се иска да прекарате и час, но не можете да откъснете поглед от цветовете, нито да затворите ушите си за звуците, или душата за идеята за абсолютна красота, перфектно съвършенство и абсурдно удоволствие, потънало в необяснима пелена от свръхестественост и давеща сетивата мистичност. Една последна демонска мелодия от времена, които никога не са се случили, освен в съзнанието на една ходеща по земята ни богиня на словото. Последна глътка екзалтиран въздух, последен проблясък на земите обградени със слънца с лица, последен поздрав от измерението на сънищата и кошмарите на хладните божества и погубващи демони. Затаете дъх, ще е последен.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains seven stories, and all of them are somehow connected to Delirium's Mistress. There are dark comedies and fairy tales with unexpected twists, which are able to profile the life of Sovaz/Azhriaz/Atmeh from the viewpoint of different bystanders. The last two stories, "Game Players" and "The Daughter of the Magician", relate what happend to Atmeh after the end of previous book, and the ending is so lovely and delightful. Besides, there is also a short story about Azhrarn, an important character who appears in all five books in the series: "Black as a Rose" is perhaps the darkest story in this book, and also my favorite.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this volume is perhaps the weakest of the 5 published in the Flat Earth series, the consistent flavor of the writing, the energy of the phantasmagorical imagery and the lovely, cyclical ending keep it consistent with the brilliance of the rest of the series.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is one of my all-time favorite fantasy series, but it's been probably 10 years since I read the original trilogy. This one didn't blow me away like those books, but it had the same fantastical, emo, gothic, fairy tale feeling. Tanith Lee is often hit or miss with me, I've read many short stories from her that bored me to tears, but I liked ALL the stories in this collection, so I definitely recommend it, especially if you've read the other books and you like dark, fantastic fiction.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, comprising of shorter and more compact works, marks the return of the author to form. And here we have the nicely ironical prose combining with breathtaking world-building and grey characters drawn sharply.
Liked it a lot. Recommended.

[Δημήτριος Καραγιάννης · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unimpressed, Tanith writes this book merely to complete a five book series. The stories are fun to read but they are nothing too special or unexpected by her.

[Adam Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final Lord of Darkness is definitively revealed in the concluding volume of Tanith Lee's Flat Earth series.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fifth volume which concludes the series consists of shorter works set in the time of the previous book, and sometimes featuring characters from that book, such as Azhriaz, daughter of the demon Lord of Night. Love is a main theme as before and in the last one, which ties up with a previous tale in the book concerning a gift made to Azhriaz when she was living as a self-made goddess, we learn what happens to her soul in her next incarnation.

I must admit, after finding that previous volumes 'dragged', I did skim read this and so only fully read about three of the stories. I enjoyed what I read but didn't feel compelled to spend more time to read all of it, so am awarding it a 3 star satisfactory rating.

[Carl Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incidental tales to the grander ones of earlier books in the series. In the night, by the side of a crackling fireplace, Lee whispers into your ear rich, heady (and often hedonistic) stories that seem slightly familiar and might offer lessons in life... or might be there simply to entertain (which they certainly do). Dunsany's in there, Clark Ashton Smith is, and there's a smattering of Howard and Vance. A good end to the Flat Earth series.

[Zak Strassberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this a while ago but forgot to update goodreads. Tanith Lee is a gift to mankind (or at least to fiction).

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, after a book 4 that was a low point for this series, Lee returns to her forte – the short story. (But as I've said before, Lee is such a splendid wordsmith and fabricator of fantastic reveries that even a “bad” book by her is still pretty good.)

This collection forms a lovely coda to the Flat Earth series and returns to the same format used in the first book, in which a series of short fables develops the overarching story of Azhrarn. Here, the individual fables are each a bit longer and more developed, and the indirect focus of them is Azhrarn's daughter Azhriaz.

Like Night's Master, this tale shows us Azhriaz in a mirror, by mainly telling stories of the ordinary mortals caught in her orbit. They are roughly chronological, opening during the period of Azhriaz's youth living in a wood with her lover Chuz, and the wood's strange reputation for odd occurrences, proceeding through the major stages of her life, concluding with a tale of the fate of Azhriaz's human soul after her mortal life ended. It will help if you have some vague recollection of the events of Delusion's Master and Delirium's Mistress. And it will be a long while before you will see the connections between the individual stories.

The places Lee takes us are endlessly inventive. As if the scenes of the previous books weren't fantastic enough, in this book, a young man will visit the moon, and a crippled young girl will be taken prisoner by a nest of flits (a bit like nasty waspish fairies) in a swamp. And in the end, a sort of cosmic justice will prevail.

Night's Master was a perfectly crafted gem that mostly holds up decades later and earned a rare 5 stars from me, and in my judgment, this book isn't QUITE as exquisite in structure. It's a 4 at least, but I'll have to think a while about whether to round it up.

[Ricardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

El último libro de la saga de la Tierra Plana no es una novela como los anteriores sino una colección de relatos ligeramente conectados acerca de la influencia que deja en el mundo la presencia de Azhriaz y su amante, el señor de la Locura, Chuz/Oloru. Esa es prácticamente la única continuidad que tiene con los volúmenes anteriores ya que incluso el personaje de Azhram, protagonista de la saga hasta ese entonces, está casi completamente ausente de las historias salvo una muy breve mención.

Ligeramente superior a la novela anterior pero sin el mismo nivel de los primeros libros de la saga, y con historias más intimistas reducidas a un número menor de personajes. Lo que más me sorprendió sin embargo fue encontrar un ligero componente humorístico en varios de los relatos ya que muchos de ellos se basan en una trama de enredos que está incluso mucho más presente que el contenido erótico o romántico. De todas formas un cierre más que digno y una autora de la que definitivamente pienso leer más cosas.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 *
I did enjoy this book and I didn't want to finish the series so I did take my time. It's not a 5 from me because I didn't want short stories, I wanted a glorious novel. The short stories were so random and off to the side of the meat I wanted but nonetheless, so beautifully written and interesting in their own right that I did enjoy it after all. The final book in this series really is for lovers.

As usual, her writing makes me laugh out loud where I'm least expecting to. There is a story that is set in this world's moon and her take on this archetype as its own world is great. You can't tell me she didn't study western mystery traditions with these quotes floating in the book:
"... with the gentle care of love... They rode the air, clove through fire and water, sank in the closeness of earth."

"...for matter is mutable, or how do magicians play with it?"

[Panda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is less book 5 of the series and more of a book 4.5
A collection of short stories that take place between (and after) the events of Delirium's Mistress

Like all collections it's a mixed bag with some stories better than others. The most obvious one is a re-telling of (A Midsummer Night’s Dream With demons in place of fae.

Overall it's just ok. Unlike her previous works though it did give off the feeling of a contractual obligation, it did seem like she was losing interest in this series from the previous installment.

[Barrita · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sé porqué dejé este pendiente de la serie pero me alegra haberlo conocido al fin. Aunque no es una continuación directa, definitivamente tiene lo mejor del worldbuilding y el estilo que caracteriza al resto de las historias de Flat Earth (a veces bastante oscuro, a veces divertido y astuto, a veces tierno) en forma de diversas historias, con el plus de que una de ellas habla del destino de Azhriaz.

Este es un mundo tan fascinante que es imposible no disfrutar regresar a él aunque sea para conocer ciertos detalles tangenciales de personajes o cosas conocidas.

[Miles Isham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly my favourite book of Tanith’s so far which is remarkable as on the face of it this is just a collection of secondary tales relating to an earlier novel. Some of them are quite light in a silly fantasy way but the writing is so good that you don’t care. How this woman is not regarded as a leading light in the genre is a mystery, every line is dripping with atmosphere and originality. Time for a quality reissue of her work as the cover on this edition hardly hints at the pleasures within.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better volumes in this series. Tanith Lee excels at shorter works, and this is a book of short stories set on Flat Earth touching on events associated with Azhriaz, the half mortal daughter of Azhrarn. In most of the Azhriaz is only a minor character, but her mere presence often triggers major events. A fitting end to the series and a much better book the Delirium's Mistress.

[Aldo Campos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This road took me fifteen years to complete. Since I read Night's Master, the flat earth of Tanith Lee has become a part of me. This particular book, the last in the series, is more similar to that very first one; separate stories barely conected between them, without much of the epicness of the fourth book. The great characters and unbound imagination, alas, persisted in all of them.

[Lync Lync · Rating 3 out of 5]

A loosely tied collection of short stories in her Flat Earth Universe. Reminiscient of Scherezade's Tales. The stories are variable in quality, and sometimes seemingly pointless, but it does all come together in the final story.

[Eve H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is everything written by Tanith Lee so gorgeous?! What a unique style. "Dreamlike" doesn't even begin to describe her writing.

I recommend the entire series to anyone who loves mythology and fantastic romance/tragedy.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Juno Birch voice) STUNNING

[Florin Pitea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good.

[Sarah Koz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Calvino, yet very very Tanith.

[Angela Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books ever written in my opinion. This is why Tanith is the Queen!

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope. That’s enough. A little of this goes a long way.