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KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST by Shami Stovall
GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy
BLURB
Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.
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
I outlined a
fresh grave for the cemetery as bells rang from the isle’s tower, signifying
the start of the celebrations. The soil reeked of ammonia and rot, but the
crisp morning breeze washed the scent away, dispersing it over the ocean. I
removed my shirt, allowing the wind to cool me while I worked.
Every ten
years, the people on the Isle of Ruma gathered to watch the fledgling phoenixes
bond with a few chosen mortals. Lamplighters did their duty despite the
glorious sunshine, each lamp’s fire representing the flames of phoenixes.
Merchants cleared their horses and carts from the main road in anticipation of
the crowds.
This was my
second Day of Phoenixes. A decade ago, on my fifth birthday, I missed the
bonding ceremony to attend my father’s trial. He was convicted of murder, but
because he hadn’t been born on the island, he was taken to the mainland for
final judgement. That was the last time I saw him.
Although the
last Day of Phoenixes had been inauspicious, I intended to change that. Once I
had finished digging a shallow grave, I would make my way into town.
I slammed the
shovel’s head into the dirt and scooped deep. The cemetery sat near the edge of
the island, far from those gathering to observe the hopeful students trying to
win the favor of the phoenixes.
Tradition
stated that anyone who handled sewage, waste, and dead bodies wasn’t allowed to
attend the bonding ceremony, which was just my luck. After my father was sent
away, I could’ve been given to any profession for apprenticeship. I could’ve
gone to the carpenter and learned the craft of woodworking, or I could’ve gone
to the silversmith and learned the art of fine metal work, but misfortune
hounded me like a shadow. I was given to the gravekeeper, slated to dig
corpse-holes until the end of time, forever exiled from the festivities.
I still
intended to go. Even if it meant ignoring the traditions of the isle—something
unheard of on our tiny spit of land—no one could stop me from proving myself to
a phoenix. No one.
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.
- Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/
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