Thursday, October 5, 2017

Re-Release Blitz - THE BOURBON SERIES by Meghan Quinn

SBPRBanner-BourbonSeries-RB.jpg

The Bourbon Series by Meghan Quinn has a sexy new look!!

The Bourbon Series by Meghan Quinn Re-Publication Date: October 5th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

BOURBON SINS

BourbonSinsAmazon.jpg
On the streets of New Orleans, sins are committed every night.
My name is Jett Colby and I save tarnished souls.
In the downtown, under the glittery lights of Bourbon Street, I found her in cheap lingerie, flaunting her body for callous men and money.
From the lace of her cheap lingerie, to her garter belt, I knew she had to be saved.
She had to be mine.
Broke and destitute with no way of out, she had no choice but to come to me and into my club.
She had no other choice but to become a Jett Girl.
But see, that’s the thing about this city; you might think that under the dazzling lights and illusion of salvation, she’s the one that needed saving.
When the glitter fades and the dirt is washed away, the one worth saving just might be me.

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2wbtTlJ

BOURBON DECEIT

BourbonDeceitAmazon.jpg
The walls of my club hold many secrets. Depravity. Sin. Justice.
Come in; debauchery can be yours for the cost of a lap dance and a night of pleasure.
And I own every last part of it.
But she’s my weakness, and thankfully she followed me through the insolvent streets of New Orleans, giving me her loyalty and her heart.
My desire for her dominates my every thought, but my broken past could destroy us.
There are people trying to bring me down.
Two malicious men stand in the way of what I want: to own it all.
It’s either Lot 17 or Goldie, my Jett Girl.
I have to make a choice and for once, it won’t be easy.

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2yi0vuV

BOURBON KINGDOM

BourbonKingdomAmazon.jpg
Under the neon lights of Bourbon, money is everything.
Justice, faith, and power. They’re the key to my empire and she holds them all in the palm of her hand. Falling for her was a mistake; she stole my heart and consumed me. I was addicted, and she left me weak and vulnerable to my enemies.
They’re everywhere.
Now she’s gone, turning to my enemy’s business partner; the man I’ve hated my entire life. She said she’s protecting me. She said it won’t be forever.
But how can I believe her?
Lies, deceit and deception. They’re the sins driving us apart.
In a city that never sleeps—in a place where scandal hides behind every dark corner, my Jett girl might never be mine again.

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2jPHRIp

BOURBON TRUTHS

BourbonTruthsAmazon.jpg
Every choice you make in life comes with a consequence.
I was once on top, I was the professional boxer to be afraid of. I had everything I could possibly hope for. I was happy, satisfied, content . . . until one night.
One off day.
One wrong reaction.
I killed a man. The sound, the blood, the stagnant air, it’s forever imprinted in my mind and now dictates the way I live my life.
Desolate with nothing but my penance to pay, I didn’t expect to have my world flipped upside down when Lyla seductively strutted into my life.
I want her. I need her. I crave her.
But I don’t deserve her.
People like to celebrate the day they were born, I like to celebrate the day my soul died.
This is my story of repentance.

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2yvDN3j
JettFacebookBanner.jpg

About the Author:

A BLONDE AT HEART Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped. Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking. Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Connect with Meghan:

Sign Up for Meghan’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/MQWrapUp
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Release Blitz - Love Divide by Cary Hart @authorcaryhart




Title: Love Divide
Series: Battlefield of Love #2
Author: Cary Hart
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 5, 2017



Blurb

What happens when something you were not looking for comes along, and it's more than you ever could have imagined?

Changing you.

How do you live with yourself when you look in the mirror and don’t recognize the broken reflection staring back? Because it makes you do things that you never expected you were capable of.

Will a heart that's been torn in two pieces keep on beating? I'm about to find out.

Love Divided. The decision should be easy... It isn't.





Purchase Links


Free in Kindle Unlimited





Playlist



Excerpt

Prologue

Niki
What happens when something you weren’t looking for comes along, and it’s more than you ever could have imagined? Making you do things you never thought you were capable of…changing you?
Dance with me.
Three simple words, demanding, challenging…tempting.
He came into my life, flipping it upside down, causing me to turn into someone I didn’t recognize. Secrets blurring lines between fantasy and reality.
Closing my eyes, clearing my thoughts, I push the demons down, ignoring the temptation that screams for me to run toward it instead of fighting against it. Those inner demons, creating a battlefield, dividing the heart.
I wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I was searching for something more. Anything that would give me a reason to care. Someone to tell me they wanted me.
Needed me.
I thought I had it but was too afraid of losing everything. Of losing the comfort of his security.
But, those three little words were all it took for me to freefall over that line. Risking it all.

**********

“Dance with me.” His gravelly voice tempts me over the pulsating beat bumping through the speakers.
No he didn’t? I swing around ready to give this guy my best “back the fuck up” glare… only it doesn’t come. Steely blue eyes meet mine, throwing me off balance.
“Now.” His hand reaches for my elbow, steadying me.
“I can’t…” I nod back to Aubrey, who looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world, but I know different. This is her first weekend without her daughter, Reece, since she and her ex-husband got a divorce.
“Yes, you can, and you will.” His hand slides from my elbow to my hand, his grip firm and strong.
Everything about this moment is more than just an invitation to dance.
Intense.
The way his eyes land on mine. The way he tugs me across the dance floor and into a dark corner.
Dangerous.
“Here.” He yanks my hand, causing my body to collide with his.
“Oh!” It slips out before I have a chance to stop it.
“Yeah. Oh.” He smirks before he pulls me in tighter, and I can feel every single ridge of muscle hidden behind his suit and tie. “Just feel it. Feel us.” He begins to rock back and forth. Too slow for the music, but it’s a rhythm that promises more.
Throwing my arms over his shoulders, I let go.
Our bodies tangle. Eyes singing the forbidden lyrics, song after song. My mouth dying to taste the unspoken words.
Raising a hand, he tucks my hair behind my ear, before leaning in, whispering, “I’m going to kiss you now.” His words are a warning, not a question.
I nod, giving him the permission he doesn’t need.
His steel eyes pin me in place as he lowers his mouth so close I can taste the scotch on his breath. Hovering. Teasing.
He is a predator and I’m his prey. I have nowhere to go, nothing to do but wait for his attack. My mouth waters; my body waits to be devoured.
“But first…” His eyes leave mine, scanning the crowd before he spins me around and slams my back against the metal wall. My back arches away from the cold and settles into the warmth of his arms as his mouth comes crashing down on mine.
Captivated.






Also Available


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio


Cary Hart hails from the Midwest. A sassy, coffee drinking, sometimes sailor swearing (Shhh… don’t tell.), wine sipping, Spotify addict, lover of all things books!

When not pushing women down the stairs in the fictional world, Cary has her hands full. She is blessed to be the sports mom of two wild and crazy, spoiled kiddos, and wife to the most supportive husband (took a few years to train). In addition to working full time, she bakes cookies on the side to fund her newly found love of writing and to keep her Sephora VIB Rouge status. The addiction is real, folks!

Believe it or not, writing was never a dream for Cary. Reading was something she never enjoyed growing up. All it took was one friend, who went MIA for a weekend on a book binge, to share her passion and loan an ebook, lighting a fire inside her.  Two years, and hundreds of ebooks later, she connected with one of her favorite authors, who patiently listened to her plot ideas. Her encouragement and saying those three little words “You write it!” changed everything!

So, welcome! Hop on board, and enjoy the ride!


Author Links




Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Cover Reveal - His Little Bad Girl by Madison Faye

 
Cover Reveal
Title: His Little Bad Girl
Author: Madison Faye
Cover Designer: White Rabbit Creative
Release Date: October 9, 2017
    
    
  Tempest: His name is Christian Knolls. He’s thirty-eight. He’s the headmaster of my school. And literally everything about him makes me want to drop to my knees in front of him and worship his body. Every single thought I’ve had since that day in his office has revolved around wanting him to tear my clothes from my body, bend me over his desk, and do every single filthy, depraved thing that he wants to me. Christian: Her name is Tempest Kensington. She’s eighteen years old. She’s my student. And I want to know what sounds she makes when she comes. I want to know how tight she’d feel as I emptied every drop of my cum deep inside her sweet little pussy. She's mine, she just doesn’t know it yet.
    
Madison Faye is the dirty alter ego of the very wholesome, very normal suburban housewife behind the stories. While she might be a wife, mom, and PTA organizer on the outside, there’s nothing but hot, steamy, and raunchy fantasies brewing right beneath the surface! Tired of keeping them hidden inside or only having them come out in the bedroom, they’re all here in the form of some wickedly hot stories. Single-minded alpha hero, sinfully taboo relationships, and wildly over-the-top scenarios. If you love it extra dirty, extra hot, and extra naughty, this is the place for you! (Just don’t tell the other PTA members you saw her here…) Join the mailing list for author updates, special prices, and a **FREE BOOK!** http://eepurl.com/b-b5Pz
Social Media
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Excerpt Reveal - FROM THIS MOMENT by Melanie Harlow @MelanieHarlow2

SBPR-ExcerptReveal-FTM

From This Moment, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today Bestselling author Melanie Harlow is coming October 10th!

MHFromThisMomentBookCover5x8_BW_300

From This Moment by Melanie Harlow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publishing Date: October 10th, 2017

It was like seeing a ghost.
When my late husband’s twin brother moves back to our small town, I want to avoid him. Everything about Wes reminds me of the man I lost and the life we’d planned together, and after eighteen long months struggling just to get out of bed, I’m finally doing okay. I have a new job, an amazing support group, and a beautiful five-year-old daughter to parent. I don’t want to go backward.
But I’m drawn to him, too. He understands my grief and anger and loneliness like no one else—and I understand his. Before long, that understanding becomes desire, and that desire becomes uncontrollable.
We make excuses. We blame our sorrow. We promise each other it will never happen again.
But it does.
And when our secret threatens to destroy his family and my reputation, we’ll have to decide what’s more important—loyalty or love?

Excerpt:

“Want to go out in the canoe?” he asked. “Okay.” I ditched my flip-flops on the small, beach-level deck, and we set our wine glasses and the bottle on the deck’s little round table. Wes was already barefoot. Together we dragged the forest green canoe from the tall beach grasses on the side of the deck down to the water’s edge and tipped it over. “Let me rinse it out a little,” Wes said, frowning at the dirt and spider webs inside. “Want to grab the paddles? They should be in the shed.” “On it.” I went to the small shed on the embankment, opened it up and grabbed the oars, which stood in one corner. On the shelves were life jackets and sand toys and deflated rafts that probably had holes in them, and scratched into the wooden door among other graffiti was WP + CB. Huh. I’d never noticed that before. Who was CB? I glanced over my shoulder at Wes, who’d taken off his T-shirt and tossed it onto the sand. My stomach full-out flipped. Quickly, I shut the door to the shed and brought the oars down to the canoe. Wes stood up straight and stuck his hands on his hips. He wore different sunglasses than Drew had worn, more of an aviator than a wayfarer. The body was similar, though Wes’s arms seemed more muscular, especially through the shoulder. Other things were the same and caused a rippling low in my body—the soft maroon color of his nipples, the trim waist, the trail of hair leading from his belly button to beneath the low-sling waistband of his red swim trunks. In my head I heard Tess’s voice. Arms. Chest. Shoulders. Skin. Stubble. Muscle. The smell of a man. The solidity of him. “What’s the law on drinking and canoeing?” he asked. What’s the law on staring at your brother-in-law’s nipples? I wondered, swallowing hard. What was wrong with me? “I think we’re okay,” I said, handing the oars to him. Our hands touched in the exchange. “Let me grab our glasses.” “Perfect. If you hold them, I’ll take us out.” I retrieved the wine glasses from the table and walked carefully across the sand to the lake’s edge, taking deep, slow breaths. A sweat had broken out across my back. I was wearing a swimsuit beneath my cover up, a modest tankini, but I didn’t want to remove it. Wading ankle deep, I attempted to step into the canoe, but it wobbled beneath my foot. “Whoa.” Wes took me by the elbow and didn’t let go until I was seated at one end, facing the other. “Okay?” I nodded. Despite the heat, my arms had broken out in goose flesh. “All right, here we go.” As he rowed us away from shore, the breeze picked up, cooling my face and chest and back. “Drew and I used to have canoe-tipping contests.” I snapped my chin down and skewered Wes with a look over the top of my sunglasses. “Don’t even think about it.” He just grinned, the muscles in his arms and chest and stomach flexing with every stroke of the oars through the water. Momentarily mesmerized, I allowed myself the pleasure of watching him. It was okay if we were both thinking about Drew, wasn’t it? In fact, it was only natural that I was intrigued by the sight of Wes’s body. He was my husband’s identical twin, for heaven’s sake, and I missed his physical presence in my life. I missed looking at him naked. I missed feeling the weight of him above me. I missed the feeling of being aroused by him, of my body’s responses to his touch, his kiss, his cock. Deep in my body, the rusty mechanism of arousal creaked to life. My nipples peaked, my stomach hollowed, and something fluttered between my legs. Oh, Jesus. I sat up straighter, pressed my knees together, and closed my mouth, which I realized had fallen open. Hopefully I hadn’t moaned or anything. After another sip of wine, I turned my head and studied a freighter off in the distance. My heart was beating way too fast. It’s only natural. It’s only natural. Wes stopped paddling and set the oars in the bottom of the canoe, their handles resting against the seat in the middle. “We’ll have to bring Abby out here.” “Definitely.” Did my voice sound normal? “She’ll love it. Here, want this?” I held his wine glass toward him and he reached out to take it. His fingers brushed mine, and I pulled my hand back as if the touch had burned me. “Thanks.” He tipped the glass up then looked along the shore. “I’d like to find a place on the lake. Maybe not along this stretch of beach, though.” I caught his meaning and smiled. “A little too close to home?” “Yeah. But I don’t want to be too far away. I’d like to get a boat too.” “What kind of boat? Drew always talked about it, but we never quite settled on one.” “Not sure. Maybe just a little fishing boat, something to ski behind.” “That sounds fun. Drew loved to ski.” “We’ll have to teach Abby.” I laughed. “You, not we. I managed to get up and stay up a few times, but I am not the expert.” “You can teach her to cook, I’ll teach her to water ski.” “Deal.” Separate activities seemed like a good idea. “Breakfast was incredible.” “Thanks.” I tucked a strand of hair that had escaped my ponytail behind my ear, but the wind blew it right back into my face. “I really like working there. I’m so glad Georgia suggested it to me.” “How long have you been there?” “Since spring, when they got busy. I’m not sure what I’ll do this winter when it slows down. I’m dreading it, actually. Abby will be in school full time, and it will just be me at home alone.” This was something else I hadn’t talked about with anyone, how worried I was that the gray skies and cold weather and silent hours would set me spiraling into depression. “I always thought I’d have another baby to take care of, but life saw things differently.” “You’re still young, Hannah.” I shook my head. “I’m really not. And I feel even older than I am.” Please don’t go Grief Police on me and tell me I’m being ridiculous, I begged him silently. This isn’t the life I chose. It was handed to me and I’m doing the best I can. But he didn’t say anything more, just sipped his wine and looked out at the horizon. I was grateful. “What about you?” I asked. “Think maybe you’ll get married now that you’re back? Have a family? Abby won’t have any siblings so she needs some cousins.” “That seems to be a popular topic of discussion around here,” Wes said, shaking his head, “but I really have no idea.” “Small town. We like to know everyone’s business.” I smiled. “Hey, what about CB? I saw your initials carved with hers on the door of the shed. Maybe she’s still around.” He groaned. “Is that still there? Jesus. That had to be twenty years ago.” Hugging my knees, I leaned forward. “First love?” “Not even.” He hesitated, as if he were trying to decide whether to confess something. “Come on,” I cajoled, carefully reaching out of the canoe, and splashing water toward him. “Tell me. I’ve been spilling my guts for an hour.” “First kiss.” I squealed. “And?” He cringed. “It’s too embarrassing.” “Wes, I had a completely humiliating breakdown in front of you last night. I got snot on my arm.” “This is worse.” “Get it out. You’ll feel better.” “Let’s just say it was a very awkward, very fast experience.” I gasped. “You lost your virginity to her?” “No. Just my dignity.” Laughing, I tilted my head back and felt the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, and something like joy in my heart. It had been a long time.

FROM THIS MOMENT PREORDER

Preorder Today!

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/J3ogH4

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER TODAY!

SBPR-MH-FtM-teaser3

About the Author:

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak. Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
   Harlow Headshot BW

Connect with Melanie:

Twitter: @MelanieHarlow2
Sign up for Melanie’s Newsletter: http://www.melanieharlow.com/subscribe/
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Blog Tour / Giveaway - Reapers of Souls and Magic by R.E. Fisher

Title: Reapers of Souls and Magic
Series: The Rohrlands Saga Book 1
Author: R.E. Fisher
Genre: Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: September 29, 2017
Page Count: 472 Pages
The Gods created the Rohrlands. Then they created the Elfaheen to give breath, and life to their once barren world. Endowed with the power to create life, the Elfaheen created mystical and wonderful creatures of legend to fill this world. Until pride, envy and rebellion crept into their idyllic realm.

Led by Lavalor, thirteen Elfaheen used the power the Gods gave them to create Asmordia, in their arrogance they inadvertently created the multitudes of multiverses, including Earth…and for every one of those worlds, they created their own eventual dooms as well as their own.

Tetra, another of the original children of the Gods, having followed all the tenants of the Gods must now save them all. Filled with innocence and naivety she is forced to ally with Lavalor to save both, the Rohrlands and his corrupted realm, Asmordia. To do this she must find the three outworlders from the realm of Earth and send them home, or kill them, to prevent the Im’Shallene, the end of all things.

Tetra must also face the realization that she not only battles Lavalor’s dark desires of rule and independence from the Gods, but also her own inner demons.


Reapers of Souls and Magic: A Rohrlands Saga © R.E. Fisher 2017

Arrival to the Guarded Isle
They drew closer to the Guarded Isle, where the Dragon Magi had their order and practiced their arts, in the early evening of the thirteenth day. As they neared the island, they could see the nine mages’ spires and the simple dwellings in which the other mages lived and trained. She could also sense the power that place held.
Telerex flew close enough to the towers to enable Tetra to see the layout, hoping she would remember it without his having to ask her to. They both looked at the main tower, which was sitting in the center of a large hexagon; it was joined with what appeared to be a confusing series of paths connecting them with one another. If you were patient, you could see that each point of the hexagon where each of the outer towers had been built connected with the others, forming a large square with tens of triangles within.
Each of the eight outer towers rose more than a hundred feet into the air and were topped with parapets. Within the walls of the parapets, the stone had been painted with the sigil of each of the disciplines of magic.
The tower in the center stood half again taller than the outer towers, and it, too, was topped with a parapet rather than a roof. Tetra realized that if you flew above the center tower, the lines on the ground continued onto the stone of the parapet, each line connecting to a couple of squares drawn in gold and surrounding a painted sun with a multi-pointed compass over it.
“Impressive, is it not?” Telerex asked his rider.
“It is! I had no idea they could build such structures!” Tetra said.
“That center tower belongs to the Master of Towers. He is the mage in charge. The outer towers house the masters of the various magic disciplines that they have vast control over. The one painted as a lantern’s flame is the Tower of Divination. The yellow-and-black one that resembles the face of a bird is the Tower of the Dead, and that symbol represents the Blackwing; he’s the master of necromancy. I can’t remember the rest of them.”
“What’s a Blackwing?” Tetra asked, not remembering any of her brethren or sisters creating a beast with that name.
“It’s how they see death. A demon bird for the dwarves, a beautiful avian woman for the humans, and a giant raven for the elves. Each is different, but really, they are the same thing,” Telerex answered.
“What do you mean? They have a death magic?” Tetra asked.
“Not like you’re thinking. Their magic can kill, but they can raise the dead, speak with the dead, and sometimes give the dead an immortal existence in this realm—preventing them from going to their heaven or Asmordia. Whichever would be appropriate. They try to cheat death, too.”
Unsure of what to say to such a foreign concept, Tetra said, “Let’s land away from them; I don’t think I wish for you to frighten or anger them.”
Telerex turned away from the compound and looked for a secluded place to come to rest, not wishing to gain the attention of the mages. He knew that would be dangerous for both. Upon landing on the outskirts of the island in a small clearing, Tetra threw her leg up over the dragon’s neck and slid down, not waiting for his customary courtesy of dropping a shoulder for her climb down. She landed gracefully on her feet and turned to Telerex.
“Rest, my friend! You did wonderful! I’ll come back when I’m done,” Tetra stated.
“Be careful, my lady; mages are a suspicious lot and can be dangerous,” Telerex offered.
Tetra winked at him and turned toward the direction she had last seen the mages’ keep. She spied the tall spires with their lit windows climbing high into the night sky and began her trek toward them. As she walked, she examined the plants by the moonlight and saw that they were somehow different from those around her isolated village. These plants didn’t move to make way for her as they did at home, which was a little disconcerting to her. On numerous occasions, she had to actually force her way through them as if they were trying to block her way forward. She placed her hand on her sword and began pulling it from the scabbard to cut away the brush, wondering why they were behaving like that. Using the black blade that had been the weapon for her attempted murder, she hacked her way through the thick brush that was impeding her. It sliced through the massive underbrush with great ease. She managed to keep the view of the towers in front of her as she worked, until she made her way into a clearing on the edge of the small village that lay outside the towers.
After a brief rest, she passed through the village and started to enter the Circle of Towers when she was met by a young elf dressed in a brown robe and carrying a simple staff. He looked up at her as she towered above him.
“Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am; what business do you have here?”
“I would speak with your Master of Towers,” she replied, also in the common tongue. She looked past him, sensing something amiss.
“I gather that your need is important for you to have journeyed here, but none may enter who isn’t of the orders. If you wish to leave a correspondence for his eminence, I will be happy to pass it on to him, my lady,” the acolyte informed her.
She studied the acolyte—as well as several spots behind him—for a moment before uttering something in her native language and then saying in common, “Enough of this charade!” She waved her hand as if brushing away an annoying insect.
The vision of the acolyte was replaced by a regal wood elf that was dressed in ornate robes of royal blue trimmed in gold. Several human and elvish mages dressed in various colors and whose robes were less regal also appeared behind him. She saw one who wore robes trimmed in black with the sigil of the Blackwing on the cuff of his robe, while another mage wore red with what looked to be a stick figure stretched over a rack on his cuff. Others wore robes of grey, green, and indigo, but she was unable to see their sigils.
With looks of shock and anger, they began to raise their staffs as Tetra spoke again. “I mean you no harm,” she said.
The wood elf raised his hand; the mages paused but held their staffs ready for action should the need arise. The ornately dressed mage rested the butt of his staff on the ground. Leaning forward, he asked, “How did you do that?”
“As I said, sir, I mean you no harm.”
“T’isn’t every day a myth flies into our little realm while sitting atop a legendary beast. You will forgive us for being cautious. Again, what is it you seek? We shall not ask again, madam,” he threatened.
“There is little need for threats. I have come among you to learn of the young races.”
“Who are you?” the mage asked.
“I’m Tetra, sir,” she answered. “I need information. There is much about your realm I don’t know and have need to learn.”
“You are one of the ancients? An Elfaheen?”
“I am. Will you help?”
Sensing her sincerity and knowing it was an unprecedented learning opportunity for those earliest beings of magic, the mage answered, “We would know more before we can agree to anything. I am Lleward Coreon, master of this school. Please, come with me.”
Lleward led her between the outer buildings and through a small gate, then into a courtyard where the towers sat. The other mages followed at a respectful distance in case their master needed them. Tetra looked upward at the spires, in awe of their height. The buildings themselves held no magic, but the contents within held all the power she had sensed. It was amazing to her that a structure could be built to such a height and could stay standing without the use of magic. In that moment, she realized how little she knew of these beings that she and her sisters had long referred to as the “lesser races.” She was amazed at what they had accomplished in what seemed to her to be a short amount of time. They weren’t as ignorant or as incapable as she and her sisters had come to believe. They had grown, and were growing still.
They entered the center tower, and she was escorted to an ornate room that was filled with thousands of books. Along each stone wall, she observed numerous burnished cabinets that housed all the books in an orderly and tidy manner. Throughout the room were also various chairs, tables, and couches. It was well lit by a large central fire pit and hundreds of candles and sconces. Lleward led them to a set of plush chairs, sitting next to the fire. He indicated for her to have a seat as he sat in the chair across from the one he had offered her. She took a seat, adjusting the malevolent sword on her hip as she did so.
He leaned forward and stated, “There are so many questions I would ask.”
“What would you know first?” Tetra offered.
“Where have you been all these centuries?” he asked.
This debut novel sets up a good person and a bad person together as they work to achieve their goals. I think this is a relatively fresh concept in fantasy. Similarly, while the central plot involves a prophesy, this novel shows most of the key actors in this prophesy taking actions out of self-interest as opposed to fulfilling some kind of preordained destiny according to the prophesy. Somewhat to my surprise, it also sprinkles in elements of alternate history (although it's speculation on future Earth history rather than looking to our past) and soft science fiction. I'm not a fan of either but I rather like the speculative history parts of this book for throwing perspective on society systems in a non-intrusive way.

The fresh concept of a good 'guy' and bad guy working 'together' to achieve separate goals is the main attraction of this novel to me. In addition, I appreciate good dialogue, humour and reflections of morals and values that are elements that I've always loved in fantasy and have enjoyed in this novel.

This is a complex novel. While I think aspects to do with character interactions between Tetra and Lavalor, our main good 'guy' and bad guy respectively, can be improved upon (currently it feels a tad rushed), I recognise that the author has handled most of the complexity in switching between different perspective and plotlines and other aspects well.

I would recommend the book and I look forward to the next book.
R.E. Fisher left home early, and began discovering the wide range of experiences that this wonderful world has to offer. He loves to wander, settling down in places for brief visits or stays. Thanks to Uncle Sam he has been to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Tower of London. He’s drank wine on three continents, and has never found one he doesn’t like! These are just a few of the many things that he has experienced in this wonderful life. Europe, check. Asia, partial check. He has tippy toed into Mexico, and found that the culture is awesome! He enjoys wandering and learning, as well as the feel of two wheels under him while he is rolling down the highway with classic rock and metal, blasting in the earbuds!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hosted By: 
 
​
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)