A
Knight to Remember
Dragons of
Astria series, Book One
M/M,
fantasy
Dreamspinner Press
Buy at Publisher
Blurb:
"The last of your line will be in the embrace of
a dragon."
Aric, Crown Prince of Astria, has been brought up to
believe that all dragons are evil. But when he speaks with one, he finds
himself questioning those beliefs. The dragon tells him to find a sword in Sherwin
Forest to save not only his kingdom but also his sister, Georgia, who must
otherwise wed the prince of a neighboring kingdom.
However Aric learns he is not the only one keeping secrets. Denys has a few of his own that could change both of their lives forever.
Excerpt:
Denys retrieved his water bladder and drank
deeply. His skin was flushed, but that was the only outward sign of his recent
intense physical activity.
“We need to rest for a few minutes.” Denys
shook his head. “The men have divided into two groups. We have shaken the first
but the second will be upon us as soon as we leave the forest.” His expression
was grim. “You can surrender if you wish, but I’d prefer not to. I have heard
stories of these men. Even if they are directed to bring us in alive, most of
their prisoners arrive at their destination very much the worse for wear, and
that’s if they’re lucky.”
Aric wiped water from his mouth with the
back of his hand. He lowered his water bladder. Could this Morwenna know about
his quest? Was she working for King Malachite? It was the only thing Aric could
think of that made sense. If that were the case, telling these men he was
Prince Brandric of Astria, and showing them the crest he carried as proof,
would not deter them from doing what they’d been paid to do. From what he’d
overheard, King Malachite wanted to invade Astria. The sword had the potential
to be a powerful weapon in the hands of whoever wielded it. If Astria possessed
it, it would give her the means to protect herself from Logan. But if Logan’s
king got hold of the sword first, there was the chance it would provide a
magical advantage Astria had no hope of defeating.
According to legend the sword also had the
means to unite kingdoms and bring peace to the land. Naturally, as seemed to be
the way of legends, it wasn’t very clear as to how it could be used to
accomplish that goal. It was just as vague as the dragon prophecy that had
haunted his family for generations. The price for peace achieved through a
bloody war could be a harsh one, especially if it resulted in a king such as
Malachite upon the throne.
“Perhaps you are right, and whoever these
men are working for know we are looking for the sword.” Aric met Denys’s gaze
directly. “Who I am does not appear to matter to them.” Otherwise why bring
down the wrath of Astria by killing its prince? If they knew about the sword,
they would know who Aric was. Wouldn’t they? But how had they found out about
the quest? Georgia wouldn’t have said anything, and the dragon…. The dragon was
an unknown factor in all of this. Even so, Aric knew his trust in it was not
misplaced. It? Him? It had sounded male, but who knew if that meant anything.
There was so much he didn’t know about this, and that in itself did not bode
well.
Denys raised an eyebrow, but Aric smiled
thinly. “We fight,” he told Denys, “and then I’ll tell you everything I can
about what you want to know.”
Author
bio:
Anne
Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is
run to suit them; this is an ongoing "discussion," and to date it
appears as though the cats may be winning.
In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.
She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare time" is really just a myth.
In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.
She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare time" is really just a myth.
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