QSFer Shiraluna Nott has a new MM fantasy book out:
For Gibben Nemesio, life hasn’t been easy.
Orphaned as a child and drafted into the army at thirteen, he’s no stranger to adversity. He’s fought hard for his coveted position as Seneschal Koal’s understudy and ever harder to make certain his young brothers live to see adulthood. Gib is prepared to sacrifice anything to ensure those closest to him, from his family and friends to his mentor and even the missing piece of his heart, remain safe.
But the stakes are higher than ever before. His beloved country, Arden, is in trouble. The new ruler has just sent the army to war. Gib’s world is shattered anew as he finds himself marching toward a dark and uncertain fate in the faraway sands of Shiraz.
Even with so much to lose, Gib goes bravely. But bravery will only stretch so far in a hostile land prowled by ruthless raiders and other creatures too sinister to speak of—and all the courage in the world may not be enough to keep his family, friends, and Gib himself alive when they ride into battle.
Book Three of the Chronicles of Arden
Giveaway
Shiraluna is giving away an Amazon.com kindle ebook giveaway for a set of books one, two, and three in the Chronicles of Arden series. One person will win a set of all three books, in the form of gifted copies, from Amazon. Comment below with your email address for a chance to win!
Buy Links
Amazon
Excerpt
Over the rumble of sand and his own rushing pulse, Gib could hear nothing else. He teetered on the unsteady ground, watching as rubble and dust skittered around his boots as if the world itself were tilting. Astora and the other horses, tethered together in a nearby circle, pranced in place and nickered nervously. What was going on up there to make the ground shake so? Not even the march of the entire Shirite army could cause such a roar.
Hasain’s panic-stricken voice reached Gib’s ears above the noise. “What is that?”
“Earth tremor?” Gib replied, uncertain. He’d never experienced one himself, but his Pa had told stories about the one he’d lived through as a boy. He said the entire cottage had shaken like it was a ragdoll.
Deegan clung to Tular’s arm. “A quake could swallow our army whole!”
Gib widened his stance as the ground jostled him. Was that true? Could the desert really drop out from beneath their feet and send them to Eternity? He sent a silent prayer to The Two.
Natori stood amid Deegan’s Royal Guardsmen, her ethereal blade aflame. The guards were as unsteady on their feet as Gib, but the Blessed Mage barely moved. Every muscle in her lissome body was pulled taut.
“This is no quake,” she said in a hollow voice.
The fine hairs on the back of Gib’s neck and arms stood on end. The air grew static, like the stirrings of a fierce midsummer storm. The swell of magic was so strong even he could feel the tinge.
Hasain stumbled back, clutching his dark hair in his hands. “The magic—it’s massive! It’s everywhere! Natori, what is this?”
Gib tightened his hands around Oathbinder and looked to the Blessed Mage for guidance. Cold dread barred his heart.
Natori stood frozen, white as death. Her irises clouded over until they disappeared entirely and the whole of her eyes became lanterns of violet light. She said nothing as she stared ahead, her sole focus locked onto a dune, rising in the distance.
Gib’s breaths hitched.
Rising. The dune was rising.
“Chhaya’s bane,” one of Morathi’s thugs exclaimed. He cowered with bulging eyes behind Deegan.
The second of the pair jabbed a meaty finger, terror lining his face. “Look!”
But everyone was already looking. Gib stared, gaping in horror, as a creature straight from the darkest Tale of Faeimaginable broke free of the sand.
Author Bio
Shiriluna Nott is a 30-something girl born and raised in the northeast. She currently resides in the backwoods of upstate New York with her four dogs and painfully slow internet.
She and fellow author SaJa H. created the world of Arden and its many colorful characters during their teenager years, and have been lost within it’s depths ever since. They have over two-hundred original characters, many of which will be featured in “The Chronicles of Arden”.
Believing the fantasy genre is overflowing with traditional heroes and heroines, it’s Shiriluna’s goal to feature non-conventional leads in her novels, including characters within the LGBT spectrum. Her favorite authors include Mercedes Lackey and Anne Rice.
