It’s one thing to pretend you’re not in pain, and it’s another thing to know you’re pretending and fake it till you make it anyway. Own it!

Chapter 29.

Alice Cooper - “House of Fire”

Tosspig and Nose Cabbage's theme song, as they build their marriage on a solid foundation.

Chapter 30.

Game Theory - “Regenisraen”

This lovely song has such an odd title, I always thought it belonged in a fantasy novel.

Chapter 31.

Guided By Voices - “Teenage FBI”

Balancing out Tails’s journey is another song about acting foolish around the object of your infatuation—but this time with a little more self-awareness and a far more triumphant tone.

Chapter 32.

Pretenders - “Love Colours”

Nobody mixes softness and steel quite like Chrissie Hynde.

Chapter 33.

Le Cassette - “I Will Show You”

I debated picking a more heroic song for this chapter, but between the wedding backdrop and Alix baring her heart, there was really no other choice.

Chapter 34.

The Albion Band - “Ragged Heroes”

This is Gally’s big moment, so we finally get to hear her true, triumphant theme song.

Chapter 35.

Battlefield Band - “One More Chorus”

The perfect song for an all-night party…

Chapter 36.

The Cure - “Plainsong”

And the perfect music for kissing in the snow.

Epilogue.

Shadow Academy - “Kaleidoscope”

I imagine this as sort of “end credits” music—I had it set to finish out this playlist even before I wrote the epilogue.

Gally and Alix will return in

The Great Elvish Bake Off

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nathaniel Webb is an author, editor, and musician. His writing includes the novels A Conventional Murder and Expedition: Summerlands, the bestselling music biography Marillion in the 1980s, and the Old Humblefoot mysteries. His stories have appeared in Swords & Sorcery Magazine, The Consultations of Sherlock Holmes, MYTHIC, and more. He publishes Wyngraf, the magazine of cozy fantasy, and wears many hats for New Edge Sword & Sorcery.

As a lead guitarist, Nathaniel toured and recorded with numerous acts, including Grammy-nominated singers Beth Hart and Jana Mashonee, Colombian pop star Marre, and Talking to Walls.

He has degrees from Phillips Exeter Academy, Wesleyan University, and (eventually) Northeastern University. He lives in Portland, Maine with his wife and son under a huge pile of cats.

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