Jada

In Jada, the second part of the epic 19th-century historical fantasy The Tomb and the Stone, disgraced noblewoman Irina Morozova and her sister are finally reunited with their exiled brothers in Siberia, with all its privations, mysteries, and joys. Though Irina longs to leave it behind, the quest for Genghis Khan's tomb and the magic stones it contains continues. In a complex web of romance and danger, surrounded by resourceful herders and enigmatic wanderers, Irina tries to determine who is friend and who is foe--and what her ultimate decision will be to thwart the evil that threatens to grasp the power of the jada, the stones hidden in the legendary conqueror's lost tomb.

Rich in historical detail, drawing gleefully on the humor and ardor of an era rarely chronicled in English, The Tomb and the Stone weaves Slavic lore with Buddhist belief, historical fact with fantastic horrors, all from an intimate female perspective. Supernatural adventure intertwines with the stirring fates of the Decembrist rebels and their families, fates gleaned from letters, touching diaries, and other personal writings. The story moves from the stark sensuality of St. Petersburg to the unsung beauties of Siberia's landscapes and indigenous nomad cultures. In Jada, the second part of the epic 19th-century historical fantasy The Tomb and the Stone, disgraced noblewoman Irina Morozova and her sister are finally reunited with their exiled brothers in Siberia, with all its privations, mysteries, and joys. Though Irina longs to leave it behind, the quest for Genghis Khan's tomb and the magic stones it contains continues. In a complex web of romance and danger, surrounded by resourceful herders and enigmatic wanderers, Irina tries to determine who is friend and who is foe--and what her ultimate decision will be to thwart the evil that threatens to grasp the power of the jada, the stones hidden in the legendary conqueror's lost tomb.

T. Newyear is a scholar and writer based in the Midwest, with a PhD in Mongolian and Siberian history. After a childhood spent hearing about the mysterious Soviet Union, she went there as a high school student. This sparked a lifelong fascination with Russia, Central Asia, and South Asia. She has given Siberian shamans tours of lower Manhattan, ridden the Trans-Siberian alone (more than once), performed country songs at remote mountain festivals, and worked in a Moscow newsroom. Her historical writing is based on extensive research in Russian, German, French, Buryat-Mongol, and English (no surprise there), to bring to life eras and places rarely discussed in English-language fiction, in as lively and sensual a way as possible.