J. L. Bryan

Speculative Fiction


Songs of Magic, Books 1-4

Now available as a boxed set on Kindle!


Fairy Metal Thunder (Songs of Magic, Book 1)


Available on Amazon, Nook, Smashwords, Apple, and KoboCurrently free on all ebook platforms! 



***

A rock & roll fairy tale.

Jason plays guitar in a teenage garage band called the Assorted Zebras, but they have no fans, no gigs, and they're going nowhere. Even worse, Jason has a crush on their lead singer, but she doesn't seem interested in him at all.

Then Jason steals instruments from the fairy world. Soon the band is enchanting crowds, and Jason's a step a closer to the girl of his dreams, but the new gear is brimming with dangerous and destructive magic they can't control.

Their shortcut to success has cost a troupe of innocent fairies their livelihood and turned Jason and his band into enemies of the powerful Queen Mab of Faerie.  She sends supernatural bounty hunters to the human world to track them down, including one of the most dangerous horned creatures in Faerie...

***
Songs of Magic series edited by Vicki Keire

Songs of Magic series cover art by Phatpuppy Art
Cover typography by Brunette Designs

 
 
The Fairy Metal Thunder playlist:


 



Some blogger reviews of Fairy Metal Thunder:

"
Fairy Metal Thunder has the same feel that the movie Labyrinth has, this wondrous fantasy world that you’re desperate to have at least a small part of, even to the point of stealing." - Bending the Spine

"Even if I wasn’t a lover of all things Fae, Mr. Bryan would have still captivated me with his dazzling tale of what can happen if you sneak into the world of the Fae and leave with enchanted objects." - The Book Faery

"I enjoyed the magical 'bad guys' as much as I did the main human characters. I think this is a great start to what looks to be a really rocking series."
- Books and Things

"Everything about this book is so much fun to read! From J.L. Bryan's vivid yet quick writing style, to the perfectly incorporated fairy lore, to the enchanting plot, it all adds up to a book that you HAVE to read, whether you're a fan of fairies of not!"
- Mimi Valentine

"Goblins, fairies, elves and some bad-ass unicorns (trust me; you want to find out what they do) and magical instruments -
Fairy Metal Thunder by J.L. Bryan is an entertaining, original read." - Misfit Salon

"You know that feeling you got when you took your first trip down Diagon Alley with Harry and Hagrid? Well that was a little like how it felt to see Faerie for the first time. There was so much going on, and all sorts of new creatures to see and discover...the description of this new world was like an ultra-vivid, H-D, 3-D experience for the mind."
- Unabridged Andra

"Overall, I found this to be a fun, delightful first volume in a promising new series. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the series and learning more about the world of Faerie, seeing if a real romance between Jason and Erin ever blossoms, and finding out just what the heck is up with Buddy McSlawburger’s slaw.
" - Word Spelunking




Video review of Fairy Metal Thunder, by Amy Leigh Strickland:



Fairy Blues (Songs of Magic, Book 2)



Available on Amazon.


“Fairies...live in green hill sides, more especially affecting the ancient tumuli. Any one straying near these on a fine summer's evening would probably hear delightful music; but he must take care, especially if he is a musician, not to linger lest he should be entrapped.”

-Arthur William Moore, The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man, 1891


***

The sequel to Fairy Metal Thunder.

With their enchanted instruments charming the crowds, the Assorted Zebras attract interest from record producers, and soon they’re off to cut their first album and music video. Jason and his friends don’t know they’ve just become pawns in a sinister plot by a cabal of evil fairies...

Meanwhile, Aoide and her band pursue a new strategy for regaining their stolen instruments, one that will take them into the most haunted region in Faerie.

 
 
The Fairy Blues playlist:


 

Fairystruck (Songs of Magic, Book 3)



Available on Amazon


While their first single shoots up the Billboard charts, the Zebras hit the road as the opening band for an epic stadium tour across America. The future looks bright for the band...if they can survive the rioting fans, Queen Mab of Faerie, the dullahan, and a few evil teddy bears.

Aoide the Lutist and Liadan the banshee wolf cross into man-world on the trail of the stolen fairy instruments. Aoide is shocked at the strangeness of life among the humans, but she also learns about a thrilling new kind of music never heard in Faerie...rock and roll.

 
 
The Fairystruck playlist:


 

Fairyland (Songs of Magic, Book 4)

Now available on Amazon!


"Such a soft floating witchery of sound
As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve
Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land"
-Coleridge


Jason and Erin’s urgent mission takes them deep into the colorful and deadly wilds of Faerie, full of bizarre and rude creatures, and past the glittering volcanic islands of the Southward Sea.

In man-world, Mitch and Dred try to prepare for a live concert in front of millions of viewers while half their band is missing. The record company is furious with them, and so are a certain violet-haired fairy and her banshee wolf friend, who finally catch up with them in Los Angeles.

In Faerie, Queen Mab and the leprechaun Aonghus Mac Lobhar enter into a secret agreement over a new kind of magic that will change fairyland forever...

Fairyland, Songs of Magic Book 4 by J.L. Bryan
 
 

The Fairyland playlist:





 

Fairyvision (Songs of Magic, Book 5
)


Now available on Kindle.


Jason, Erin, and the other Zebras go on a world tour with their enchanted instruments, only to encounter the mysterious supernatural Folk of India and the Far East. While they tangle with their record company, Erin tries to avoid dealing with the secrets she's learned about herself, while Jason pieces together a mystery surrounding a very special golden guitar called Caliburn.

In Faerie, Aoide the Lutist and her troupe finally return home from their long adventure. They're struggling to get new gigs, but Aoide senses opportunity in the form of special new magic mirrors that can broadcast concerts, plays, and other entertainment all over Faerie...




Fairy Luck (Songs of Magic, Book 6)

Now available on Amazon.

Fairy Luck (Songs of Magic, Book 6)