I’m bowled over! Another Fire Dance review was uploaded on Amazon and Goodreads and it has me grinning from ear to ear. I mean, who won’t be left speechless by a review that compares Fire Dance to From Blood and Ash and Fourth Wing, two of the hottest bestsellers of the moment. You can read the review HERE. Moreover, copies of Fire Dance have arrived, and the cover, inside map and chapter layout look just great, so it’s been a great week. 😊
To continue with what I started in my last post, I’m including another extract from Fire Dance which introduces an important character. This is the first time the reader meets Vane, a young man the protagonist grew up with and loves.
Maia weaved her way through the crowd still waiting to enter the temple’s sacred stone circle. As she was about to step into the preparation room, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her to his body.
Maia instinctively balled her fist. A soldier’s belted tunic; a short sword. The boyish face grinning down at her made her release her breath in exasperation. “Vane, you came close to having your stomach punched and knee kicked in.”
He released her, his eyes crinkling in the mischievous smile she knew well. “Since I taught you the few moves you know, I think I can defend myself from your dainty fists and dancing feet.”
“Ha-ha.” She glanced around, but no one was paying them much attention. “Come inside.” She stepped into the preparation room where they could talk more privately. Vane had filled out these past months since he’d stopped coming to the temple for lessons. His bare arms and legs had a more solid look than they’d had before his half-brother enrolled him in the island’s military. But Vane’s shock of untidy hair, as if he’d forgotten what a comb was for or even that such a thing existed, was still the same. “Aren’t you on guard duty?” She motioned to where she’d last seen Governor Hoore and his unwelcome guest.
His smile deepened. “I volunteered, seeing as it’s the only way to meet you.”
“You know I can’t visit the town without permission.”
“Excuses. You can get permission whenever you want.” The smile dropped from his eyes, and he lowered his voice. “I’m being sent to Lisenthe.”
Maia’s insides tightened. The main island of the Empire, home to the Emperor, lay many days away from Basica. “Why?”
…
And now on to today’s fantasy creature…
N is for Naiads
Naiads are beautiful minor Greek goddesses associated with fresh water. There are naiads of wells, springs, fountains, rivers, lakes, marshes and wetlands, for example. Several towns, cities and islands have been named after them and they are revered by the inhabitants as protectors of the area’s water supply.
The water under the protection of some naiads is thought to have healing powers while particular springs are believed to inspire poetry and prophecies.
Naiads are long-lived young women but they are not immortal. They often marry kings or are loved by gods. They are also found as nurses of young children and protectors of girls, helping them get through their childhood till they reach adulthood.
While naiads are mostly well-meaning, they can be dangerous, especially when events trigger their jealousy. One naiad is known to have destroyed a ship’s crew in revenge, while another blinded an unfaithful shepherd.
References: https://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/Naiades.html; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naiad; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Naiad-Greek-mythology
Books You Might Like
For lovers of all things fantasy… a ton of FREE BOOKS
If like me you love a novel seeped in history and entwined with magic and romance, one of my author friends has a great historical fantasy which she’s currently offering for FREE. I’ve downloaded it and I can’t wait to start reading it.
A runaway thrall. A “cursed” thief. One daring quest for freedom.
A heart-warming coming-of-age medieval adventure with budding romance
“Wow! Adventures, grace, mercy, incredible world building, and a heart-warming story. Truly a perfect historical fantasy to introduce a reader new to fantasy or just in love with great storytelling.” – Goodreads
“This action-filled story doesn’t let up for a minute, propelling me from one dire event to the next…the found family in this one warmed my heart. So poignantly written.” – Goodreads
“This book was so gripping I started at midnight, and though I DID put it down for a couple hours of sleep, I finished it within 18 hours of starting. I just couldn’t stop. The heart break, the triumphs, and the FEELS… the book ends on a very strong hope point that I absolutely loved.” – Amazon/Goodreads
******
In the aftermath of a rebellion against William the Conqueror, northern England lies in ruins, its people scattered and starved.
Aelfric, a 14-year-old thrall, flees from his master and stumbles upon a cache of stolen laundry. The thief? Aliwyn, a girl around his age ostracized for being “cursed.” In her care is a lost toddler she has rescued from the clutch of greedy thrall traders.
Forced to cover each other’s secrets, Aelfric and Aliwyn form an unlikely friendship…and maybe something more. They embark on a perilous journey to reunite the child with his family and seek a cure for Aliwyn’s mysterious condition.
But time is running out. Aelfric’s master is on the hunt, and the shadows of death loom ever closer over Aliwyn. Will they find the courage to press on and defy fate, or will their quest end in capture and ruin?
*****
Immerse yourself in a fast-paced tale of unforeseen twists and heart-stopping challenges. The Thief’s Keeper is a thrilling young adult novel that transports you to an alternative medieval world, where Celtic-inspired tribes live alongside the last Vikings. Begin your adventure today!
And more intriguing free books…
Fantasy. Adventure. Romance.
A stubborn princess vrs a devious outlaw. Winner takes the throne.
A ruthless outlaw determined to conquer her kingdom. A courageous stranger who saves her life. She never suspected they would be the same man… With the king bound in enchanted slumber, unrest spreads through the Seven Rivers. Outlaws ravage the land, destroying peaceful villages. Left alone to rule, Crown Princess Tahlea leads her army in defense of her people. When her efforts fail to capture the criminals, she makes a perilous journey to seek aid from a reclusive mystic. He grants her power to erase the memory of her enemy, Andevaar.
Betrayed and ambushed, Tahlea fights for her life. Captured by outlaws, she learns the attacks are only the beginning, and her entire kingdom is in danger. Desperate to stop Andevaar, she casts her spell. Bent on vengeance, Andevaar plans to conquer the Seven Rivers. Only Princess Tahlea stands between him and seizing control. But everything changes when he loses his memories. Can he abandon his past and become a new man? Or will he deny his feelings for the stubborn, courageous princess and destroy her to win the throne?
How do you get into witch school?
YA Urban Fantasy Academy story
A teen girl fears her family’s reputation will label her for life. Her mother wants her to follow in her footsteps and learn witchcraft. Can she become a witch on her own terms? Brie knows two things about the witches in her family. Her grandmother almost destroyed their hometown with magic. Her mother saved it. But the upheaval from their fight has caused problems for twenty years. Now witchcraft is subjected to strict laws and everyone knows the McAddams family is to blame. When Brie is old enough to study witchcraft under the new laws, her mother, Rosa, assumes that she’ll attend the school where she teaches. But everyone would put Brie under a microscope to see if she’ll turn out to be a hero like her mother or a villain like her grandmother. She wants to hide in anonymity. Then her second mother suggests that she try a different school—one where people won’t know her family name. Brie would have to be accepted under her own merit. The MATs—Magical Aptitude Tests—will score her ability to learn magic. But if she succeeds, Brie might find a more welcoming home at Santa Cruz Witch Academy. She just has to pass the entrance exams. Third Generation Witch is a prequel to the upper YA urban fantasy academy trilogy, Santa Cruz Witch Academy. The series takes place twenty years after the Fae of Calaveras trilogy, but does not require prior reading. If you like teen witches, magical schools, and queer families, you’ll enjoy Kristen S. Walker’s story about the struggle to be accepted.
If you prefer a mix of Sci-fi and fantasy, click the following picture.
And Free through KU…
Some self-promo!
When sixteen-year-old Shael helps a mortally wounded messenger, he entrusts her with delivering to the queen three magical statuettes stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. But Shael accidentally cuts her fingers while handling the statuettes and magic links her to them—any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh. Shael’s fate is now inexorably tied to the Hyllethans, the statuettes, and the political turmoil in the land.
A terrified girl with a deadly ability. A penniless soldier who loves her. A lord with the power of life and death over them.
For seventeen years, Maia, a promising acolyte of the Goddess of Light, has hidden her unholy ability to conjure flames. But when she performs in the temple’s Summer Solstice ceremony, the Emperor’s envoy, Lord Quei, tells her he knows her secret. Quei threatens to enslave Vane, the young man Maia loves, and execute her as a demon unless Maia recovers coins that were stolen from him. He claims these will reveal Maia’s true nature and restore their memories of who he and Maia were in previous lives.
To save herself and Vane, Maia goes against her principles and resorts to deceit and thievery in her search for both the coins and the truth about her fire. But if what Quei says is true, the coins will destroy her beliefs about who she is, the nature of her world, and even worse, Vane’s trust and love.
How do you choose between protecting your family or following your heart?
Maia, her family, and Ryse, the love of her several lives, are desperate to reach their spacecraft and return to their home planet. Only Ryse’s presence there can prevent a devastating war from erupting. But Maia’s heart is torn: the spacecraft is too small to take them all and leaving means abandoning family members in a land ravaged by conflict and rebellion.
Their plans are further thrown into disarray when they attract the attention of General Dardarin, who suspects they are enemy spies.
With the enemy armed with alien weapons, with the rebellion entangling Maia in its web and with Dardarin following their every move, Maia races against the clock to find a way to protect all those she loves on both worlds. Even if it means sacrificing her happiness and her centuries-long love for Ryse.
Colours of Fantasy (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Not enough time to read, but love fantasy?
Colours of Fantasy is an anthology of short stories that range from magical realism to sci-fi fantasy. They are short enough to be easily read while commuting or during a lunch break. Read about paintings that are truer than true-to-life, or the heart-wrenching decision Poseidon’s human son-in-law has to take, or perhaps you’ll prefer a glimpse of life after an apocalypse, or a story about a space pirate with an uncomfortable past.
And if you like longer reads, Colours of Fantasy gives you a taste of Book One of two series: The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy and Fire Dance Chronicles.
Till next time! Wishing you a great two weeks with a good book!
Caroline
Caroline Sciriha 