Cry of the Firebird (The Firebird Faerie Tales #1)

“Kuivalainen skillfully blends Russian and Finnish folklore into a delightfully whimsical urban fantasy [and] breathes fresh life into fairy tale characters like Baba Yaga, and fantasy staples like wizards and dragons. With its masterful combination of richly detailed scene setting, humor, romance, quirky characters, and supernatural conflict, this is a story to be relished.” —Publishers Weekly

Filled with magic, adventure, and mythology pulled deep from Russian and Finish folklore, Cry of the Firebird is a dark fantasy that dives deep into the world of magic, pitting those who would abuse it against those sworn to protect it.

A firebird is reborn on the borders of Russia, a gate to a world of monsters and magic is breaking, and only a reluctant, untrained shaman stands in the way of a flood of supernatural darkness...

Anya is still reeling from the death of her grandfather when a strange encounter with the Finnish God of the Dead changes her life forever: Her family has been guarding the gates to the Russian otherworld on their farm for centuries, and she’s the new gatekeeper. Worse, if she doesn’t awaken her magical abilities and assume her new role, the gate will break, unleashing a flood of monsters and dark gods into their world.

As Anya struggles to make sense of her changing world, she can’t deny the strange encounters. She’ll need to accept her fate and work with the legendary firebird if she hopes to survive—and protect humanity.