Celia Lake

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About Celia Lake
Celia Lake spends her days as a librarian in the Boston (MA) metro area, and her nights and weekends at home happily writing, reading, and researching.
Explore https://celialake.com for additional information about the books, including content notes, historical background, timelines and maps.
Born and raised in Massachusetts to British parents, she naturally embraced British spelling, classic mysteries, and the Oxford comma before she learned there were any other options.
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Books By Celia Lake
New magic brings new challenges.
Charged with creating a magical journal that would allow rapid communication during the Great War, Lynet has worked with a papermaker to overcome the technical challenges.
But brilliant magical innovation isn't enough. When she returns from a leave after the death of her father, Lynet is told they have to make more journals, cheaper and faster. The last thing she needs is a set of unskilled hands assigned to help her at this impossible task, and she's dubious that a man will be more of a help than a hinderance given her ongoing problems with most of the men of the research department.
Reggie is recently invalided out of the Army but has no relevant skills other than being a magically trained Schola man. When he's assigned to help Lynet, he's not sure how much use he'll be. He’s soon swept up in Lynet’s ambitious project and fascinated by her skills and knowledge.
Together, Reggie and Lynet must figure out how to get the magical materials they need for the project and move forward despite unexpected obstacles. Their mission is quickly complicated by odd goings on with other research in the department, something that might change the War itself!
Bound For Perdition is the first book in the Mysterious Arts series. A cosy historical fantasy romance set in 1917 in the magical city of Albion, Britain’s magical community, it is a great entry to Celia Lake’s Albion books. Bound for Perdition is full of bookbinding, coming to grips with injury, navigating class differences, and making a new future in a rapidly changing world.
Enjoy this gentle and kind historical fantasy romance set in the magical community of Great Britain after the Great War.
Lydia yearns to make her name as a journalist
More to the point, Lydia can't keep going as she has. There's never enough money, nor enough time. She's always scrambling, never sure of the ground beneath her or whether she can rely on anyone for help.
Galen needs to figure out who he is now.
The last year has brought too much change. His parents are rightfully under house arrest, and Galen and his brother are setting up new lives. Restoring the family business after it was nearly run into the ground by a serious of bad decisions is only the first problem.
But Galen knows people.
When Lydia asks help investigating the aftermath of an odd news story, Galen is intrigued. So are his friends in the secret society Galen has been part of since his school years. The investigation begins with a horse race, but it soon leads them from the clubs to a decadent house party to a far more dangerous gathering that could change everyone's life forever.
Point By Point is the sixth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. All of Celia Lake's Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order.
It is full of the power of friendship, creative solutions, horse-racing, journalism, and powerful ritual magic. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!
Enjoy this kind and gentle 1920s historical fantasy romance series set in the magical community of Great Britain.
Mabyn keeps her commitments.
The land magic in Suffolk has been failing for years. When the current Lord asks the Council for help, Mabyn knows it’s her obligation to see it through. Even if that means immersing herself in a role she failed at in her younger and more optimistic days decades ago. Back when she was married.
Cyrus likes a challenge.
He doesn’t know Mabyn well, but Cyrus does have a gift for ritual, and a broad experience of the world. A widower with a grown daughter, he’s up for tracking down a lost heir and seeing if they can learn to take up the land magics.
When they arrive at Baddock Hall, it’s clear there’s more going on than the current Lord’s troubles. The land is boggy, the gardens are failing, the bees have fled, and there’s no obvious cause. Together, Mabyn and Cyrus must face their own pasts while getting to the root of the problem and making space for the future.
The Hare and the Oak is the fifth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. All of Celia Lake’s Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order.
It is full of land magic, a late in life romance, a failing family line, and healing old wounds to the heart and soul. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!
Enjoy this kind and creative 1906 historical fantasy romance set in the magical community of Great Britain.
Alysoun wants more than duty.
Born into the aristocratic circles of Albion's upper class, Alysoun has done everything expected of her. She has married well, produced two healthy children, and handled her social obligations with grace.
It's not enough. Her husband is kind but distant, and she lives with ongoing mysterious pain. Worst of all, she is frankly bored. When Alysoun spots something odd in a stained glass exhibition at the museum, she seizes the opportunity. Perhaps it will finally give them something to talk about.
Richard lives for honour.
As a captain of Albion's Guard, he spends his days solving problems. As Lord of the land, he makes sure his estates in England are thriving. It leaves little time for anything else, even his wife or children. He's sure they understand. He was brought up the same way.
When Richard's mentor is injured, the ground collapses under his feet, shaking up all of his assumptions about how his marriage, his oaths, and his life work. The question is, can he figure out how to juggle his responsibilities and two different investigations in time?
Pastiche is a standalone novel of 90,000 words. All of Celia Lake's Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order. It is full of stained glass, living with chronic illness, an arranged marriage turned love match, and family of choice. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1906 with a happily ever after ending!
The Great War is over, and Clara's husband Owen has finally come home. All he wants is to set up as a shoemaker and enjoy a peaceful marriage.
Nothing about Owen's return is easy.
There's not enough money for Owen to start up his own business. Worse, he's having trouble finding work, like many other returning soldiers, and everything's getting more expensive. Clara's worried about running her aunt's apothecary shop while her aunt is away. Things at home are awkward and uncomfortable. Neither of them knows how to turn a wartime romance into a proper marriage.
When a lucky break gets him a new job backstage in a magical theatre, Owen is hopeful that his life - and Clara's - are beginning to turn around. Unfortunately, the new job brings new worries, and one of Clara's customers is taking a more personal interest in her than she's comfortable with. There might be a way to solve all their troubles, if they can just remember why they fell in love in the first place, and learn to trust each other.
Shoemaker's Wife is a romance about falling in love for a second time and learning how to have a happy marriage. Join Clara and Owen for shoemaking, a winter pantomime, the challenges of rebuilding a life after war, and all the ways kindness makes a difference. The second novel in the Mysterious Arts series about the magical community of Great Britain, it can be read in any order.
It is the early months of WWII and Rathna already has an idea of how bad it might get. If she can make the final connections she needs to create a new portal in a matter of weeks rather than years, she might just be able to get a few more people out of Germany's ever expanding grasp. But she's also been asked to take on a new apprentice. Rathna has no idea whether he'll be willing to help, if she can trust him, or if he can trust her enough to do what needs to be done.
Her husband Gabe has a challenge that will use every single one of his skills and then some. He's been charged by the Council to coordinate magical responses to the war, not only in Albion itself, but among the many esoteric and occult groups of Great Britain. His own apprentice is brilliant, in a different way than Gabe, but this project will ask everything of them both.
Together, Gabe and Rathna have built their lives to bend their passions, talents, and magics to making things better for the world around them, including their three growing children. Now their war work is going to separate them, certainly for months, possibly for much longer. As they tangle with ancient magics, seeking new ways forward, there are more unanswerable questions, tremendous risks, and a few glimmers of hope.
Old As The Hills follows Gabe and Rathna's adventures from the autumn of 1939 through the summer of 1940, a time of desperate plans to save lives and hold back invasion. It is full of ancient fae magic, the power of place, urgent witchcraft rituals, and unexpected encounters. The Land Mysteries series explores the Second World War in the magical community of Albion and is best read in order.
Arthur was born to service and war.
Arthur has the trajectory of his life mapped out for him. He'll work his way up through a series of Army postings, keeping up the honour and military traditions of his family. He is gifted with martial magics, clever with languages, and sensible enough to avoid getting trapped by bad decisions. It’s given him a head start.
Melusina has plans of her own.
She means to use her talents to their fullest, building a life as an acknowledged expert in warding and protective magics. Melusina loves beauty, fine clothing, and travel. She has no wish to settle down, and certainly not with a military man. How boring!
A challenge sparks a change of heart.
In 1882, Melusina travels to Calcutta to assist with a small matter of the Viceroy's safe. Arthur is willing enough to lend his assistance, but he expects it to be a purely professional task. When the assignment turns out to be more complex than they expected, they must reevaluate their both expectations and their future.
Forged in Combat is a prequel novella of 35,000 words leading into the Mysterious Powers series. (Arthur and Melusina are the parents of Roland Gospatrick in Carry On). Join them on their travels between England and India in the 1880s for competence, the hidden benefits of the Victorian bustle, and a swiftly growing mutual passion.
Celebrate the winter with three novellas about love, family, and what it means to be home after the Great War.
Casting Nasturtiums brings a family together.
Seth has no idea what's happened to Golshan since that awful day in the trenches in 1918. Now he's demobbed, Seth can track down Golshan, love Dilly (his wife), and get back to his woodwork. Of course, it's never that simple. Seth has to fight a bureaucracy, Golshan needs to reclaim his life, and all three of them need to figure out how their lives work now. (Polyamorous MMF romance set in 1919.)
Country Manners finds Kate and Giles happy in the life they are building together.
When the winter holidays require a visit to his family estate, Giles and Kate make the best of it. Fortunately, they stumble into a mystery along the way, inspiring Kate to take a new approach in dealing with his family's disapproval of just about everything. (This tale takes place in December 1921, between their engagement and wedding.)
Thesan, Isembard, Ibis, and Pross find themselves Chasing Legends during the winter holidays at Schola.
It's long past time to revive some of Schola's older traditions. As a few staff and guests settle down for a feast during the school holidays, a resounding knock on the door brings a knight out of ancient tales and a challenge that will need every one of their combined skills. (December 1926, on the anniversary of Thesan and Isembard's wedding.)
All three novellas in this collection can be enjoyed on their own without reading other books of Albion. However, they do contain some spoilers for the events of those books. Kate and Giles meet and fall in love in Wards of the Roses. Thesan and Ismebard's romance can be found in Eclipse, and Pross and Ibis's can be found in Magician's Hoard.
Come enjoy all the delights of winter with Winter's Charms! Get your copy now for enchanting holiday reading full of kindness, magic, and love.
Enjoy this kind and gentle 1920s historical fantasy romance series set in the magical community of Great Britain.
Laura wants to live her life.
Laura hasn't had an easy time since she was fifteen. Illness, recovery, and then a rough few years after her father's presumed death have left her reeling. Now in her mid-twenties, Laura can finally have the life she always dreamed off, full of parties and perhaps even romance and love.
Her first attempt ended badly - disastrously, actually. But now Laura's determined to put that all behind her. When she's invited to a house party on a remote island off the coast of Cornwall, she's glad to accept. If nothing else, the scenery will be stunning.
Friendship is everything.
Martin and Galen have been best friends since their first year in school. Martin is building a career as a journalist, but Galen hasn't had the same chance. His parents have kept him close since Galen's brother returned from the Great War with a devastating facial injury.
Recently, Galen's mother has become determined to get him married. She's planned an intimate house party and an evening ball. After his father unexpectedly invites a brash American brother and sister, the gathering takes an odd turn.
When the American woman turns up dead in the solarium and the entire island is cut off by storm and magical interference, Galen, Martin, and Laura must work together to find out who killed her and why. The investigation uncovers secret after secret, and Galen and Martin's membership in a radically progressive group puts them both at risk.
In The Cards is the fifth novel in the Mysterious Charm series. All of Celia Lake's Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order. It is a locked room murder mystery full of Tarot cards, friendship, family secrets, living with chronic illness, and a bit of espionage. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1925 with a happily ever after ending!
Enjoy this kind and gentle 1920s historical fantasy romance series set in the magical community of Great Britain.
Pross has a simple research question.
A widow raising her daughter on her own, Pross has begun taking on research projects as well as running the village bookstore. When she visits the Research Society in London for a consulation, it is nothing like she remembers. Books and materials are hidden away, and nearly everyone is dismissive.
Ibis is as prickly as a hedgehog
Too British for Egypt and far too Egyptian for England, Ibis has found a place for himself since the Great War translating and examining materials from excavations in Egypt. The work is wonderful and he's able to be close to his youngest sister, but the other scholars ignore or insult him.
When Pross asks for his help investigating tales of an ancient Roman hoard, Ibis is intrigued. It turns out they aren't the only ones interested. Ibis and Pross must use all their wits and every one of their skills - even the one Ibis is terrified to reveal - to protect themselves and the hidden hoard.
Magician's Hoard is the third novel in the Mysterious Charm series. All of Celia Lake's Albion books exploring the magical community of the British Isles can be read in any order. It is full of archaeology, magical artefacts, research, motherhood, an urgent trip to Paris, and the dangers of empire. Enjoy this gentle romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!