|
| Into the Forge now available on pre-order, plus lots more in this week's Medieval Musings. |
View in browser
|
|
|
|
We’ve been watching the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime as well as House of the Dragon on Crave (It’s on HBO in the US). I see many people online who seem to hate one and love the other. To some, The Rings of Power messes too much with Tolkien’s original notes, while others feel House of the Dragon lacks something that its predecessor, Game of Thrones, possessed.
I think both have their merits. It isn’t easy to adapt a book (or series of books) to a TV/Movie audience. Books often get into a character’s head, but this is difficult to do in a visual medium. Hence, they tend to focus on more action-oriented scenes. However, one thing true about both series is the incredible effects used to portray the cities.
Personally, I’m just glad that there’s more fantasy to watch on TV. It’s about time!
|
|
|
|
|
Should I, or shouldn't I?
|
|
|
|
|
In the world of Eiddenwerthe, there are very few magical weapons. In fact, only two play any part in my stories so far, and both are in the Heir to the Crown series.
The first is Nature’s Fury, wielded by Dame Beverly Fitzwilliam. Forged by Alric, the smith of Bodden, and made of sky metal, empowered by Albreda of the Whitewood. It can penetrate even the sturdiest of armour and is blessed with magic called Animal Fury that allows the wielder to attack faster and faster as the battle rages. Its last power is the ability to strike the ground and send vines crawling out from the place of impact to entangle its target.
The second weapon, Stormhammer, Dwarven-made and wielded by Kasri Ironheart, is also made of sky metal, though with a very different background. Similar to Nature's Fury, it can puncture armour with ease, but has the ability to throw bolts of lightning over short distances. An unknown Air Mage imbued it with magic centuries before the events in Heir to the Crown.
Will other magic weapons find their way into Eiddenwerthe? You’ll have to wait and see.
|
|
|
|
|
Pre-Order Today: Into the Forge
Heir to the Crown: Book 10.5
|
|
|
|
|
What does it take to rule?
Kasri Ironheart's future as the Vard of Ironcliff looms over her every waking moment. Her father wants her to forge with a Dwarf of the highest standing, but her heart has other plans.
Herdwin Steelarms' future was sealed the day he left the smith's guild in Stonecastle. After decades honing his skills in Wincaster, he was content to remain a bachelor until she came along.
To prove his worth, they must now travel east to the city of his birth to make amends. But all is not as it seems, for an unknown enemy lurks on the eastern reaches of the Dwarven lands.
Can Herdwin and Kasri stop this menace before it conquers the Dwarven people?
Mercerian Tales: Into the Forge explores the complex nature of Dwarven society and its grip on its people. This book is best read between books ten and eleven of the Heir to the Crown series.
Get ready for the trip of a lifetime when you crack open
your copy of Into the Forge!
|
|
|
|
|
Aubrey Brandon first appeared in Sword of the Crown
as the younger cousin of Dame Beverly. She started as a background character, created in the original Role Playing Game (RPG), to act as an apprentice to Revi Bloom. In writing her for the books, I knew I wanted more for her, so I laid the groundwork for her ascension to become one of the more powerful mages of Merceria.
If you pay close attention, you’ll see her display traits that reveal her magical potential even at a young age. As she grows, she becomes ever more powerful, finally learning her first spell in Heart of the Crown and playing a crucial role in the climactic battle in Riversend.
It isn’t until Fate of the Crown, however, that she becomes a major character, setting the stage for… well, I can’t say without giving away too much. Suffice it to say, she becomes crucial to the plot in Enemy of the Crown.
|
|
|
|
|
Congrats to Jessie for winning last week's giveaway. The Rings of Power was the favourite fantasy show of 2022.
|
|
|
|
| Your favourite device for reading digital books? |
|
| Please choose all that apply (I prefer to read on my Kobo) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thank you |
|
| You are now entered to win a free ebook of your choice |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guardian of the Crown is close to being finished. I originally planned to complete it last week, but then I added three extra chapters. :)
Once I’ve finished my first draft, I’ll read over the last third of the book (I’ve already read over the first 2/3) and make some minor adjustments. After that, I have to spend some time planning the next book in the series, Enemy of the Crown, so that we can tease you with a book blurb.
~~~~~
Here's another snippet from Into the Forge. Enjoy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Will you take your armour?" asked Vard Thalgrun.
"I didn't intend to," replied Kasri. "After all, I'm not going to Wincaster to fight."
"Still, you might bring a shirt of Dwarven mail, just to be on the safe side."
"Very well, I shall take my old training armour. Will that suffice?"
"And a full helm, of course. You can't go advertising the fact you're female."
"For Gundar's sake, Father. I'm going to Wincaster, not the frontier."
"Still, you never know where life might take you, and I insist."
"Very well."
"Oh, and Kasri?"
"Yes, Father?"
"I love you."
"And I, you, but sometimes you can be a little pushy."
Thalgrun laughed. "That's one of the perks of being vard!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Favourite 5-Star Review of the Week:
|
|
|
|
'The vortex is amazing'
'I think Athgar had the most fun in this story. Read it and see if you agree.
Mr. Bennett is the only author whose battles I read without skipping through them. The battles make you hold your breath. They are just long enough that you don't pass out.
Most of the characters are good hearted folks you want to root for and the bad folks, you just want them to disappear.'
-Sky - Amazon.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Waiting for Into the Forge
Why not give one of these great authors a try!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There will be no victory here for anyone but those who thirst for blood.
Forced to choose between his mother’s life and his own exile, Dwapek embarks upon a journey wrought with trials no ordinary Renzik could hope to survive. Relics of legend, plagues of old, and monsters of unthinkable dread all collide in this epic fantasy adventure as a weapon capable of destroying an entire people is set to be unleashed.
This standalone story will be enjoyed by new and established fans of Smythe’s bestselling Passage to Dawn series. Patrons of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Michael J. Sullivan, Edward W. Robertson, Patrick Rothfuss, and Michael Wisehart!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Their world is ruled by life and death. They are the Immortals.
Something smells off and it’s not just the undead.
Emaranthe and her team are sent to protect a village. They must stop the enemy from taking the Starstone hidden in their mines. With it, an unimaginable power source, the enemy can create portals and use them to spread destruction across the planet and into the universe.
What they find confuses them…the Necromancer and her generals are leading a legion of the undead and looking for trouble, but not the Starstone. What is really going on and is Emaranthe and her found family being led into something sinister? This is just the beginning of something far bigger than they could ever imagine...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Julie Melton is a fraud. She knows it. But a murder at Melton Manor puts her well-kept secret at risk.
Every Oseran is born with a Mage Gift but, for the talented Inspector Russell Gaines, even his abilities could not help him prevent the death of his sister at the hands of a serial killer known as the New Age God.
Years later, the once-promising inspector is a retired, washed-up drunkard who finds himself plagued by the demons of his past. But, when a member of the prominent Melton family is found dead, and one of their own is implicated, he's reluctantly drawn back into the world of detecting.
He quickly realizes the suspect, Julie Melton, harbors a shocking secret of her own. Can she keep her secret hidden to save herself and her family from ruin?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
During the destruction of the Farendell Academy of Dracomancy, Yenderen, former master of Iclindir, makes his escape, wading through the crumbling hallways of the Academy as its paltry forces wage war with the Alliance brought by Albrecht Therin.
As he escapes the Academy, Yenderen’s wounds and exhaustion get the best of him, as he collapses by the edge of the nearby jungle, only to be accosted by memories returning after being locked away for centuries.
Yenderen remembers his days as a scholar from Farendell, a time he shared with the only woman he had truly loved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are some great stories just for you!
|
|
|
|
|
Extra Book Deals & Giveaways
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| "Every review I receive inspires me to write more!" |
|
Paul J Bennett,
Author of Epic Fantasy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
