Dawn's Reading Nook: Blog Tour Stop: The Light Beyond the Storm Series

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Book Title: The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I

Author (s): A. L. Butcher

Genre: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy/Fantasy Romance

Synopsis:

In a dark world where magic is illegal, and elves are enslaved a young elven sorceress runs for her life from the house of her evil Keeper. Pursued by his men and the corrupt Order of Witch-Hunters she must find sanctuary. As the slavers roll across the lands stealing elves from what remains of their ancestral home the Witch-Hunters turn a blind eye to the tragedy and a story of power, love and a terrible revenge unfolds.

18 rated for adult scenes, themes and violence.

Tell us about your characters:

Dii’Athella Ar’thina, known as Dii –is the primary female character - she’s an Elven sorceress in a world where elves are, essentially slaves, and magic is forbidden. She’s a Kept – a slave/concubine to a nobleman – Lord Joset Tremayne, who treats her very unkindly. She has no rights, not even to her own person, no property and if she leaves his lands she’s fair game for the Order of Witch-Hunters who hate all mages.

Lord Archos of Tremellic – He’s a mysterious nobleman, and an arch sorcerer who lives in a remote area of the land. He likes elves, and he and his household help elves and those who fall prey to the Slavers and Witch-Hunters where they can. Archos appears as a reclusive rich eccentric, but in reality he’s the dangerous Oncoming Storm – a thorn in the side of the slavers and the Order of Witch-Hunters.

Olek – Ostensibly the manservant and confidante of Archos, but also the feared thief/assassin known as the Shadowdancer. A half-elven male adept, weaponsmaster and alchemist he appears good natured, obsessed with food and good with a sword. A master of lies, deception and making people dead.

Ozena – a young Forest Elf who braves the human lands seeking help to find her missing sister when their village is destroyed by slavers. A huntress and scout she is adept with a bow but naïve, and sheltered.

Lord Joset Tremayne – Lord of Reldfield. A human, wealthy nobleman – and Dii’s Keeper. He has dealings with the slavers, for his own gain and pleasures and largely neglects his lands in the pursuit of his own pleasures. He is the main ‘bad guy’

Ulric Tremayne – bastard son and heir of Lord Joset, foster brother of Dii. He fears his father’s wrath, particularly towards his mother, Malana if Dii displeases Joset, goes to seek Dii to return her, but still treats her as property. He’s not a ‘bad guy’ as such, he simply does little to help Dii, or to change his father’s behaviour. He’s complacent to the situation and rather arrogant.

What is the setting?

Erana is a world of magic, tyranny, and division.

Possession of magic is illegal, but magic doesn’t know or care and goes where it likes. Most people who are magical hide it, or don’t understand that’s what it is. Maybe they are a little faster, or a better healer, or a better craftsperson than average, Many villages would have a wise woman or cunning man to offer healing, or predict the weather, or tame the beasts but such people live a precarious existence. It needs one failure, or one person to complain and the Witch-Hunters are at the door.

There are still magical creatures on the fringes, within the mountains and the Shimmering Forest and in the remote areas.

The Order of Witch-Hunters rule by divide and rule – keep the general populous hating the elves and mages and too ignorant to understand the lies – or to afraid to speak out. Slavers roam the lands – mostly looking for elves but anyone is fair game. They take human children, women and those without papers and the Witch-Hunters do nothing, unless it suits the Order. They get a cut of gold from the Slavers so it’s in the Order’s interest to maintain slavery. A fearful population is easily controlled.

After the Great Plague and the wars martial law was instigated by the rulers at the time to ‘protect’ the populus. Three-hundred years later the Order has become a corrupt and cruel organisation who aren’t planning to give up being in charge easily. There are very few people alive who can remember the time before the Plague came, or the rule of the Order.

Literacy and knowledge are not encouraged in the general population, so many people are ignorant of the reality, or believe the lies. What is truth and what is a lie are relative in Erana. The fact is the rule of the Order, the presence of the Slavers and the subjugation of the elves has been normality for a long time and most people either won’t or can’t do anything to change the status quo.

Excerpt

The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book I

Dii fled to a room, small and sparse, containing little more than a small bed and a wooden armoire. Setting her staff in the armoire, she removed her damp clothes and boots, changing into a patched long dark woollen skirt and petticoats with a black bodice and a grey blouse. The clothes were not clean and smelled musty but at least were dry. With luck she could trade for some more, this hamlet did not look like it came supplied with a resident apothecary. Stuffing her dagger into her belt, she hoped she would not have need of it. Barefoot whilst her boots dried, she returned to the common room to find a steaming bowl of mutton stew, fresh rolls, and a warm spiced cider. Dii heard the muttering and tried to ignore the stares and murmuring from nearby tables, and the whispers from behind her, as she began to eat.

A man moved closer to the table and hissed, “Witch, you bring the storm. You are Elfkind, so your magic must bring the storm. Do not think we tolerate your kind here. Where is your Keeper, Witch?” As he moved closer, he took a seat and snarled, “I bet you fetch a goodly price, Witch. Are you trained as a whore?” Reaching across the table, he grabbed her hair and tried to pull the young woman across it towards him.

Resisting the urge to use her magic in such a public place, she tried to squirm away, painfully tearing out a chunk of hair. “Go away! Leave me be! I am no whore, I am just a herbalist.” Before Dii had a chance to reach for the dagger, a man intervened and pulled her assailant away.

“Get home to your poor wife, Ranulf, and leave the wench alone. Elf or no, she is not for your taking if she refuses,” said the bystander. “He is nothing but an ignorant fool, miss. He will not be a bother again. From what I hear, he could not have made good his threat anyway,” continued the man.

Ranulf skulked away, muttering and slamming the door. Dii's protector went and sat alone at his table. Watching the elf, he said, “I like my own company, miss. I am not the social type, but I will not see a woman threatened.” He drained his mug and, taking one last glance at the pretty elf, he ventured back through the storm to his own dwelling in the smithy.

Dii and her friends appear in the following.

Book links and synopses

The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I

18 rated.

https://www.books2read.com/Lightbeyondstorm1

The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book II

Who rules in this game of intrigue where magic is forbidden, and elves enslaved? Journey where beliefs shatter like glass, truth is unwelcome, and monsters from ancient times abound: share the romance and revenge, magic and passion, and the wages of greed in a world of darkest fantasy.

(18 rated)

Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/ShiningCitadel

The Stolen Tower – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book III

What stalks the land cannot be, but is.

Where magic is outlawed a troll Shaman calls from her deathbed to her heiress, Mirandra Var, daughter of the storm. Mirandra vows to find her missing kin, sort friend from foe, and claim the dangerous secrets guarded by unthinkable creatures. If she succeeds, she will become the leader of her tribe. If she fails, there will be no tribe to lead.

Universal link https://www.books2read.com/StolenTower

Author Bio

British-born A. L. Butcher is an avid reader and creator of worlds, a poet, and a dreamer, a lover of science, natural history, history, and monkeys. Her prose has been described as ‘dark and gritty’ and her poetry as ‘evocative’. She writes with a sure and sometimes erotic sensibility of things that might have been, never were, but could be.

Alex is the author of the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles and the Tales of Erana lyrical fantasy series. She also has several short stories in the fantasy, fantasy romance genres with occasional forays into gothic style horror, including the Legacy of the Mask series. With a background in politics, classical studies, ancient history and myth, her affinities bring an eclectic and unique flavour in her work, mixing reality and dream in alchemical proportions that bring her characters and worlds to life.

She also curates speculative fiction themed book bundles on Pubshare - for the most part - the Here Be Series

Alex is also proud to be a writer for Perseid Press where her work features in Heroika: Dragon Eaters, Heroika Skirmishers – where she was editor and cover designer as well as writer – as well as Lovers in Hell and Mystics in Hell – part of the acclaimed Heroes in Hell series. http://www.theperseidpress.com/

Awards:

Outside the Walls, co-written with Diana L. Wicker received a Chill with a Book Reader’s Award in 2017.

NN Light Book Heaven awards:

The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales won the best fantasy for 2018

Echoes of a Song - one of her Phantom tales – won the best fantasy in 2019

Tears and Crimson Velvet won the best Short Story category in 2020

Dark Tales and Twisted Verses – won the best Short Story Category in 2021

Blog https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/about-a-l-butcher-fantasy-author-poet-author-promotion/

Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/LightBeyondtheStorm/

Twitter https://twitter.com/libraryoferana/

Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/2hK33OM

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-l-butcher