Blast: A World Apart by David M. Brown

Demetrius makes his first mistake when he lets his best friend Halcyon marry Eleyna, the love of his life, without saying a word. On the day of the wedding, he walks away from the Elencheran town of Dove's Meadow and joins the army.

He makes his second mistake when the pirate Black Iris tricks him into letting dozens of men, women and children die in a fire. Demetrius is imprisoned in grief and disgrace.

But he can atone. The Black Iris is dead. The Ivory Rose has risen to the top of the pirates and is leading brutal raids on the coast. If Demetrius can capture and kill her, he'll win his pardon.

And then Demetrius discovers the Ivory Rose is Eleyna. He must decide which will be his third mistake: losing his last chance at a pardon or destroying the one woman he's ever loved.

David will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter, so as always, don't forget to leave a comment!

Excerpt:

From Chapter 6: Eleyna & Halcyon (29617)

Demetrius made no response, he was lost in a battle all of his own making now. The challenge of Halcyon was forgotten, he had overcome that, but he now had to succeed in a new struggle – to be a soldier. Demetrius had decided to turn his back on the shepherd life that his father desperately wanted for him in favour of following and emulating his grandfather. Deep down, Demetrius hoped that if he made his grandfather proud then Granicus would reveal the most sought after secret in all of Dove’s Meadow – why Granicus had chosen not to join the Order and bring untold fame to the town.

Demetrius heard another rumble of thunder and between the Green and Pirels Mountains he saw lightning strike briefly. His clothes were now sodden and his feet were uncomfortable in his shoes but Demetrius was beyond such constraints. Dove’s Meadow didn’t feel like it was just below him to the left. Instead, it was almost as if just the narrow walk along the perimeter wall existed and that losing his balance either way would see him fall into a void of nothingness. Everything hinged on Demetrius’ continued steps.

Granicus had once told Demetrius of one of the rebellions he had fought when he was in the army. The rebels had lined up to take on the might of the Himordian army on a sodden battlefield with rain, thunder and lightning doing nothing to turn any man or woman from the conflict. Demetrius imagined he was in that moment now, facing the same dangers that his grandfather had faced.

From Chapter 25: The Edge of the World (29631)

Pockets of swirling magic dust rose from the surface of the pink and violet water as it came into contact with the white beam that formed the perimeter of all Elenchera. The beam was not a perfect circle around the world, or a straight line, but led a jagged and uneven course, creating four distinct edges from four heavily defined promontories.

The west edge of Elenchera had been known to the earliest settlers in Gremilda – the magic dust that rose from the surrounding ocean gave the Gremildans the silver streaks in their hair and their glistening blue eyes – but one had to stand right by the edge to be truly close to magic.

A small island of rock overlooked the west edge, its surface blemished only by the presence of eight beautifully carved statues that stood on the outskirts of the island. Each one depicted a Gremildan of great distinction. The oldest was of a pioneer named Victor who had led the first successful crossing of the Raintops Mountains, opening the route into West Gremilda in the Second Shard. The most recent was of Moravia, a brilliant naval commander who had kept the island safe from invasion in the Ninth Shard.

The island by the west edge had long been considered sacred ground to the Gremildans. Only the Protectors and scientists were ever permitted to make the short crossing across the ocean to step foot on the island. The code had been broken by successful rebellions in the past but none more desecrating than the arrival of the Eligantian colonists. Many of the colonists had made the journey to the island but despite relentless pressure and persecution they had failed to yield the secrets of how to cast magic.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Hons in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and A World Apart, and the in-progress Ansel's Remorse and The Stars Beneath the Parapets combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten. David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month travelling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.

LINKS:

Website – http://elenchera.com

Blog – http://tweeding.com

Twitter - @elenchera

Facebook - davidmbrownauthor

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/Nhagx3