The Shadow of Black Wings by James Calbraith Blog Tour/Giveaway

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. In the powerful empire of Dracaland, Bran, a young dragon rider, joins his father on a military expedition to the mysterious lands of the Orient. In the reclusive Yamato, Sato, a tomboy samurai girl, strives to prove her right to inherit her father's school of western magic. Nagomi, a timid shrine apprentice, is haunted by the visions of dark future she must keep secret even from her best friend.

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

James Calbraith is a 34 year old Poland-born writer, foodie and traveller, currently residing in South London.

 

Growing up in communist Poland on a diet of powdered milk, Lord of the Rings and soviet science-fiction, he had his first story published at the ripe age of eight. After years of bouncing around university faculties, he moved to London in 2007, found a decent IT job and started writing in English. His debut historical fantasy novel, ""The Shadow of Black Wings"", has reached ABNA semi-finals. It was published in July 2012 and hit the Historical Fantasy and Alternate History bestseller lists on Amazon 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

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