Amber Elby

After Cauldron's Bubble, after Double Double Toil, and after a devastating flood, Alda and Dreng find themselves lost in a realm of nothing, facing revived enemies and unexpected perils. They must rely on wit and magic to evade deadly sorcerers and overpower weird witches. Old friends come to their aid, although not always for honest reasons. Sycorax and Caliban, Prospero and Miranda, who can be trusted, and who will betray or be betrayed? Can Alda and Dreng distinguish their allies from their enemies and truth from lies in time to defeat their foes and finally rest in peace? Or will their fate lie in the grave? Not all will survive... but can they save their world and the realms beyond? Or will all fall to insidious doom?Trouble Fires Burn further illuminates the worlds of Shakespeare, returning to the universe of Cauldron's Bubble and Double Double Toil while exploring new themes and conflicts, intertwining the plays in a reinterpretation of the Bard's characters and plots combined with original elements. Acclaimed author Amber Elby appeals to new readers and established Bard fans alike as she weaves Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet, and other well-loved tales into a fast-paced, engaging fantasy world with surprising twists and turns. Join the journey that began in Cauldron's Bubble and Double Double Toil. Read on...

Six months after the events of Cauldron's Bubble, Alda is stranded in her remote cottage, unable to recreate the magical object that allows her to travel between time and place. Meanwhile, Dreng's home with Miranda on a distant island begins to crumble. They both escape to Fairy Land, where they become embroiled in a battle of immortals as the clans of Queen Titania and King Oberon fight for supremacy. In order to evade capture and return to their worlds, Dreng must rely on his adversary, Caliban, while Alda discovers an ally in the mysterious Ophelia. In a realm where only humans can die, will Alda and Dreng save themselves and, more importantly, each other? Or will they succumb to the fantastical powers in play? Double Double Toil continues to build on the world introduced in Cauldron's Bubble by intertwining Shakespeare's plays in a unique and exciting way, introducing their stories to new readers and established Bard fans alike. Elements and characters from Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet combine in this fast-paced tale of magic and adventure. Read on...

Imagine that Shakespeare's characters could interact off-stage and that their adventures could span beyond the bounds of the Bard's fiction: Hamlet deviously escapes from the pirates who capture him on his way to England; Macbeth's witches perform their magic on unsuspecting victims; and a shadowy figure awakes from the backstory of The Tempest. These stories and more come to life in Cauldron's Bubble, as readers explore the worlds of Shakespeare's plays with an orphan girl named Alda and a cabin boy called Dreng, who each search for something lost. Alda discovers a magical bubble that transports her to witches on a moor. Dreng, meanwhile, saves a prince. They are finally united on an enchanted island, where Alda is on a quest to free a magical being, and Dreng is smitten with a mysterious young woman. Ultimately, Alda must find power she gained in a forgotten realm to defeat a dreadful summoner, and Dreng must awaken to the realities around him before they are both consumed by magic.