Meredith Ann Pierce Books In Order

Publication Order of Darkangel Trilogy Books

Publication Order of Firebringer Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

Meredith Ann Pierce is an American young adult, fantasy, and science fiction author best known for the “Firebringer” and “Darkangel” series of novels. She is known for writing novels in the fantasy world in mythical settings. However, she often goes against convention by writing in young women who wish to be loved and love. These women usually face all manner of dangers and hazards as they try to save their world and their way of life and will usually not receive recognition or respect for their efforts until much later in the story. Born in Seattle in Washington, Pierce went to the University of Florida from where she got her bachelor’s and masters before she went to Florida State University, where she graduated with an MLS. She now works a 9-5 as a librarian and writes in the night and during the weekends. When she is not writing her novels, she can be found playing her harp and composing music. She currently lives in her solar-powered house in the small town of Micanopy, Florida.

Pierce developed her creativity and imagination when she would entertain herself as a child. As a child, she loved collecting stuffed animals and at some point, she imagined herself living in an alternate world with her stuffed animals. She played with everything she could get her hands on whether it was animate or inanimate. She was always imagining herself in a different setting and she asserts that it felt like she was doing role-playing games in the mold of “Dungeons and Dragons” though such types of games were yet to be invented. Meredith Pierce was also a voracious reader of books and these played a significant role in fueling her imagination, as she was already reading at the library by the time she was three years old. She particularly remembers “Alice in Wonderland “by Lewis Carroll that became almost like a religion for the budding author. It became wired into her psyche as it was introduced into her system even before her bodily immune system was fully developed. As such, her early influences and the creative mythology, she came up with as a child often inspire many of her characters and storylines. She has said that some of the stuff from the likes of “The Wizard of Oz” and “Alice in Wonderland” made a huge impact on the impressionable girl she was and hence became an inseparable part of her thinking.

By the time she was a student in junior high school, Meredith was spending much of her time in the adult section of her school’s library. She would constantly pen stories and ideas she had, but never once did she think of making a career as an author of fiction novels. For her parents, writing was something that they saw as an obsessive hobby, and given this attitude, she pretended not to like it so much and found a career that was more acceptable to them. But while she was at the University of Florida, she went to the creative writing class and it was here that her teachers opened her eyes to the opportunities available in professional authorship. They also encouraged and nurtured her enthusiasm and talent. During her studies at the University of Florida, she was required to hand in something worthy of submission to a publisher at the end of the school term. Once the teacher had looked over the story, Pierce mailed off the manuscript for what would become “The Darkangel” her debut novel. She submitted it to seven publishers and it was finally published by Atlantic Monthly Press in 1982, soon after she graduated from college.

“The Darkangel” by Meredith Ann Pierce is the intriguing story of “The Darkangel.” Once upon a time, he was a mortal with some characteristics of a vampire though he is not yet come into his full powers. To become fully vampire, attain immortality and unlimited power, he needs to bed 14 brides. His wives live in his cold castle since he has taken their souls leaving them cold wraiths while he wears their souls in lead vials that he walks around with. When he kidnaps Eoduin, her friend and slave Aerial vows to avenge her and lies in wait or the time the Darkangel comes around looking for another victim. But when he reappears, she finds that he is too handsome that she just cannot kill him. She thinks she is destined to be one of his wives but he dismisses the idea saying she is too unattractive or him. Instead of making her his bride, he brings her back to his home as a servant that will make the clothes for his fourteenth bride. In the dungeons beneath the castle is Talb, a little magician who takes pity on Aerial and helps her make it through the first few months. He keeps her company when the souls of the brides make too loud of a din and also offers her food. Being the gentle soul that she is, she soon makes friends with the gargoyles the Darkangel has in the dungeons and comes to love and even feed them. It is not long before she is friends with Darkangel and who knows what will happen as things progress.

Meredith Ann Pierce’s “A Gathering of Gargoyles” continues with the fascinating look into the life and times of Aerial. She is a brave young woman that has decided to stand against a dark evil threatening to take over her world. She had cut out her heart and offered it to Irrylath the Darkangel and believes she has found a way to save his soul and save her world from the evil and vicious White Witch. They had finally managed to break the curse that had been placed on Darkangel and head to Irrylath’s childhood home. It is the place where Dirna his nursemaid had sold him to the White Witch in exchange for power and life. Back home, Darkangel finds his true brothers, his mother, and finally claims his birthright as heir to the land and eldest son. But even though their Esternese kin welcomes them with open arms, things are not so easy. Irrylath still has to deal with horrible nightmares and begins withdrawing from Aerial’s compassion and touch. Upon further investigation, Aerial discovers that her husband is still in the clutches of the White Witch. To save the man she loves from the Witch she needs to go on a perilous quest and solve a hidden, and ancient puzzle.

Meredith Pierce’s “The Pearl of the Soul of the World” is the last of the Darkangel Trilogy. Aerial had given her heart to Irrylath her husband to ensure that he did not have to live as a true Darkangel. Since then she has been on a quest to solve an ancient riddle. She has been through the vast seas hoping to save her world and husband from the White Witch that is still interested in making her husband a Darkangel. She has finally managed to bring together an army powerful enough and she believes she has the firepower to defeat the Witch. But then her memories are lost when she is run through the cruel pin by the Witch. She now needs to go on a quest to NuRavenna the great city and get a precious pearl that she will use to save her world and stop the Witch.