by
Shami
Stovall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his
hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to
become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding
with a mythical creature. And he’ll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a
ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.
So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of
shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible
secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their
island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to
kill even more.
In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he
admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist
Gregory Ruma.
A fast-paced flintlock fantasy for those who enjoy How to Train
Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPTS
A
flash of rain pelted the entire city, but only for a few seconds, as though the
heavens coughed and forgot to cover their mouth. The man secured his pack shut,
protecting his vegetables.
“Oh,
this again,” he said.
“Does
this happen often?”
“Storms
happen frequently enough,” he replied. “This ain’t no storm, though. It’s those
flashy arcanists. They like makin’ a show. Just you wait. You’ll see somethin’
good yet.”
Making
a show?
I
headed toward the docks. Despite the creeping chill, I moved with energy and
purpose. Crowds of people clogged the roadways, making travel by foot damn near
impossible, even for an arcanist. Frustrated, I jumped onto the wheels of a
nearby carriage and used the extra height to pull myself onto the roof of a
building. The A-frame roof made for a steep trek, but the tiles were easy to
grip, even when wet.
Once
on top, I turned my attention to the nearest pier.
A
tremendous flash of lightning lit the sky. Thunder chased after, strong enough
to rattle the windows and pierce straight to my bone. Luthair shifted through
the shadows as another round lit the sky. I knew some arcanists could control
the weather, but I had never seen a demonstration so showy before.
A
flurry of snow soon followed, but like the rain, it lasted only a few seconds.
People lifted their hands in the air, trying to catch the snowflakes as they
approached the earth. Most evaporated before anyone could hold them, but I
managed to catch a few on my tongue.
The
ocean waters beyond the docks swirled into whirlpools. Two cyclones of
saltwater rose upward, forming pillars of ocean as thick as forty oak trees,
each stretching straight to the sky.
Rapt
by the show of magic, I almost didn’t notice the massive leviathan snaking
through the ocean. Its shiny scales glistened with each new flash of lightning.
The serpent-like body must’ve been as long as ten galley ships and as thick as
a three-mast sailing ship. Although the mystical creature never lifted his head
out of the water, I already knew who he was.
Decimus—Gregory
Ruma’s legendary leviathan.
Buy links:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Shami Stovall relies on her BA in History and Juris Doctorate to
make her living as an author and history professor in the central valley of
California. She writes in a wide range of fiction, from crime thrillers to
fantasy to science-fiction. Stovall loves reading, playing video games,
entertaining others with stories, and writing about herself in the third
person.
*******************
GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The tour dates can be found here
*******************
My review:
4.25 out of 5 stars
Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall features youngsters
who want to be arcanists, but have to pass a stringent test in order to earn a
bond with the mystical creature who will confer the magical abilities.
Unfortunately, training is reserved for the elite, so Volke Savan, gravedigger,
has ambition but very little opportunity until he has the chance to bond with a
knightmare—a walking suit of armor made from shadows and terror. The drawback
is that this is a second bonding, which will make the connection even more
difficult, if the trial itself doesn’t kill him first. And that’s just the
beginning of his challenges…
This young adult fantasy is the first book in the ‘Frith
Chronicles’ series and introduces a marvelously different world that provides a
different spin on magic and the concept of familiars. There are fascinating
complications like an occult plague, a mentor who doesn’t want to be bothered
with his students, and a competition for fledgling arcanists to join particular
guilds. I loved the twists and turns and the unexpected developments, as well
as the fact that the budding arcanists are not perfect and have to cope with
various handicaps, and the non-stop action kept me invested in the story. I
thought things were a little murky around the exciting climax and some things
felt very rushed but overall this was a great introduction to the series and I
look forward to reading more exciting adventures and learning what new talents
these folks develop.
A copy of this title was provided for review
-->
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning! Thank you for the book description.These tours are great and we have found some terrific books so thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteI love this kind of story. Magical creatures and magic throughout a story sure sounds good.
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, I can't wait to read this one!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds really great.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your favorite types of books to read?
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and the blurb is intriguing, This sounds like an awesome read.
ReplyDeleteHow did the characters in your book change from the initial draft to the final draft?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read
ReplyDelete