Hi there!!!! today is my stop in this so far amazing tour, I have all the information on this title and a very cool guest post from James Calbraith it´s called
The Dragon King´s Blessing, also the author and FMB Promotions have an incredible giveaway so stay tuned =D.
Title: The Shadow of Black Wings
Series: The Year of the Dragon #1
Author: James Calbraith
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Epic
Fantasy, Alternate History,
Publisher: Flying Squid
Format: Ebook and Paperback
Length: 70000 words
Purchase: Amazon
|
Book Description:
"Fast paced and full of
energy"
--Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of the
Shadows of the Apt
"This manuscript is full of
highly crafted detail that will make readers shiver at times with fear and
delight ... a familiar yet highly original fantasy that is a worthwhile
read."
-- Publishers Weekly
"The real-world cultures are
incredibly well-researched and truthful, and yet well-balanced with the fantasy
elements. An intriguing and impressive series."
-- Ben Galley, author of the Emaneska
Series
It
is the Sixteenth Year of Queen Victoria
They
don't know it yet, but their paths will cross... And when they do, nothing will
ever be the same again.
Welcome
to The Shadow of Black Wings, a steam-powered romp across the land of dragons,
wizards and samurai. It's big, it's fast, it's been compared to Tolkien in
terms of world-building, it has strong female characters and lots of carefully
researched detail. You will meet the Royal Marines sailing mighty ironclads and
Chinese walking machines; mysterious warlords and crazy inventors; you will
discover dark prophecies, family secrets and blood-thirsty demons. And all that
in just the first volume!
About the Author
Growing
up in communist Poland London US UK
Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ |
Super Excerpt
A single gear whirred and clicked into place. A valve
opened, letting out a thin plume of grey steam with a quiet hiss. A gold-plated
dial moved by a notch. A tiny mallet sprang from its compartment, striking the
brass gong - one, two, three, four, five, six times.
Master Tanaka
looked up in surprise - an hour of the Hare already? He turned towards the
window and the pink light of dawn illuminated his face. The temple bell only
now started to ring out the time. He sighed then yawned, rubbing tired eyes.
Another night had passed without him noticing.
The
elementals inside the clock awoke with a soft purr and the automatic brush
began to move swiftly inside the glass cloche. A slot opened in the mahogany
pedestal and spat out a piece of paper upon which was written the day’s
divination. Hisashige reached for it absentmindedly, his attention focused on
the piece of complex clockwork on which he had been working. He glanced briefly
at the calligraphy - Oku, ‘a gift’.
He smiled to himself and nodded knowingly.
A higher-pitched chime rang eight times – counting out
the hours of the Western reckoning. The door slid open and a small boy entered
the workshop. With his long and angular face, puffed lips and wide straight
nose, he bore no resemblance to Master Tanaka.
‘It came from
Kiyō this morning, Father,’ the boy said, presenting Hisashige with a large,
ornately packed wooden box.
‘Excellent!’
the old master exclaimed.
He put the
box on the workbench beside the clockwork and began to unwrap it eagerly.
‘Shūhan-sama was supposed to send me some Walcheren glass.’
He stopped
abruptly and his shoulders sank when he saw the crest on the box, in golden
leaf – three lines in a circle. He lifted the lid without enthusiasm. Inside
was what seemed like a small human head, completely bald.
‘Some gift.’
Hisashige looked at the clock with reproach. ‘It’s just another of Zōzan’s
broken dolls.’
THE DRAGON KING’S BLESSING
I was standing on the threshold of a
cold, dark cave. The Pacific Ocean roared mercilessly against the rocks below
and on the horizon; Mount Fuji peered majestically through the clouds.
It
was my fourth trip to Japan, but the first one since I had started writing my
novel. I was still not sure of what the overarching plot would be, how certain
knots in the story would unravel. I was hoping to find an inspiration on my
journey.
I found myself on Enoshima by
accident. Other plans that we had for that day went awry, and I was stuck
browsing the guidebooks for an idea. Enoshima was supposed to have good
restaurants and stunning views of Mt. Fuji. I wasn’t disappointed with either;
the restaurants had a 90 minute wait for the table, as much sea food as I could
stomach for just a few hundred yen, and dark beer brewed locally from sea brine
and salted sardines. The Fuji, in Summer usually hidden beyond the haze, that
day was in full view, splendid and terrifying across the bay. It was easy to
believe the legend of the secret tunnel leading into the heart of the volcano
from the island’s bowels.
But the tiny island turned out to be
full of something else – dragons. There were dragons everywhere, dragon-shaped
fountains, dragon carvings, even dragon faucets in the bathrooms. In the middle
of the island there was a shrine of the Owatatsumi, the Dragon King God, built
inside a shallow cave, with rows of purple banners in front of the entrance.
Recognizing some of the the names on the banners, I consulted the guidebook and
discovered that this was where the Japanese artists prayed for guidance and
inspiration. And here I was, trying to write a book about dragons in Japan.
Could there have been a better omen? I dropped a hundred-yen coin into the
offering box, clapped my hands and bowed.
I moved on, discovering more
mysteries of the island. The dragon caves. The tunnels. The tide jewels of the
Dragon King. The doomed love story between a Goddess and a Dragon. I could
barely manage to write all those ideas down. Suddenly, the convoluted plots
began to unravel; the pieces of the puzzle were falling into their place, and the
main story for the entire saga took shape right before my eyes.
The Dragon King’s blessing proved
bountiful. For a hundred yen, it was a bargain.
GIVEAWAY INFO: tour wide for a 8 eBook copies and 2 print copies of The Shadow of Black Wings by James Calbraith Ends 04/03/2013
Please fill the Rafflecopter below.
