Monday, October 20, 2014

Wizard of Ends (Book 1) by Vanessa Finaughty

Release Date: October 9, 2014
Subgenre: Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Magical Realsim

ABOUT Wizard of Ends Book 1:

A powerful sorceress wants the Queen of Ends dead, hoping her demise will render the king unable to defend his crown. Only the wizard Lashlor Leaflin is in a position to protect Queen Narraki Dragonsbane, but he avoids using magic – at almost any cost. With creatures of darkness hunting the queen, however, he may be left with little choice but to call on the power he holds within.

Excerpt:

Lashlor asked to go home, and King Lanaran agreed. “But first, I must ask you… I’m told Assassa cursed the queen. Do we need to be concerned?”

Lashlor scrutinised the queen. He’d been so angry and caught up in defending himself that he hadn’t noticed… dark magic clung to Queen Narraki, almost unnoticeable as it merged with her aura.

“Wizard?”

Lashlor held up a hand. “Give me a moment.”

Try as he might, he was unable to see exactly what the dark magic was intended to do. It could be anything from causing mild depression or making her suicidal or homicidal to a death or disease curse, or anything in between. Assassa had hidden her intentions well.

“What was it Assassa said before she died?” Lashlor murmured to himself.

Queen Narraki said, “The Queen of Ends is cursed. She will be but the first. A rabid bitch is she, and a creature of darkness all will see.”

The king smiled. “She has a better memory than all of us put together.”

Lashlor nodded. “Dark magic surrounds the queen, but I cannot see what harm it’s intended to do. However… ‘she will be but the first’ – I suspect that means that every future Queen of Ends will suffer the same curse at some point. As for the rest…” He didn’t want to say it. It was unthinkable.

“Am I to turn into a creature of darkness?” the queen asked, calmer than Lashlor would have been had it been he Assassa had cursed.

Lashlor hesitated. “It would seem so, My Queen.”

“Undo it,” King Lanaran ordered.

“I cannot, My King. As I said, I cannot see exactly how the curse was created. Meddling with a curse when one doesn’t know the method used to cast it has the potential to make matters far worse.”

“What could possibly be worse than turning into a creature of darkness?” Queen Narraki asked. “And a rabid one, at that! If that happens, I will most likely kill my beloved! Remember Assassa said if she cannot have Ends, no one will.”

“What could be worse?” Lashlor shook his head at her ignorance. “Worse could be cursing the king to the same fate, or myself, or anyone else in the vicinity. I cannot meddle without more information.”

“You mean you will not,” Lanaran growled.

Vanessa Finaughty is an author of many genres who now focuses on fantasy and science fiction. She’s published 15 books, of which 6 are fantasy. Vanessa grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, and still lives there with her husband of fifteen years, her baby daughter and plenty of furry, four-legged ‘children’.

Vanessa has always been passionate about books, and knew from a young age that she wanted to write them one day. She loves animals, coffee and the smell of wet grass, and hates liars, sweltering weather and long queues. Her interests include reading, photography, the supernatural, mythology, aliens and outer space, ancient history, life’s mysteries and martial arts, of which she has five years’ experience.
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