Greetings, travelers, and welcome to our next trip into the Otherworld! This time around, we’re taking a step into a fantasy world from the perspective of a commoner, but then watching that perspective shift as he meets and befriends someone of royal blood. Add in a dash of hero-worship, and you’ve got all the elements you need for a great tale. Read on to learn more about it in The Withered (Before Ember Book 1).
Author Derik Lopes brings a beautiful verbal palette to his debut, The Withered, (Before Ember Book 1), painting with descriptions that are eloquent and catching. It helps to have that talent, because Lopes does double duty, telling stories from characters who are from two different parts of the world, and in both cases, it feels like a lived-in experience, rich with detail and more like we’re getting permission to take a peek behind the curtains into their lives, rather than the author predetermining anything. The world also looms large, and feels as though its rife with lore and legend, the kind of place that’s great for the sort of reader that wants to explore the possibilities that are referenced in discussions between characters and in the books and tomes they read.
Ayron is an ambitious commoner with a taste for change. In the hopes of becoming an Evera Knight, he must separate from the one living relative in his life, his mother. The Princess of Evera, Selise, wanders about searching for something personal. Keeping things to herself is about the one thing she feels would have the best outcome, not just for her. Their worlds collide, faced against the Withered, monsters that slaughter anything in their path. Throughout this harrowing journey of survival, they soon come to learn that it takes a lot more than self-reliance against a common enemy.
While Lopes is great at presenting a story that is at first cozy and warm, things take an abrupt but exciting turn when the first of the monsters appear and throw his heroes’ lives into turmoil. That is also another place where Lopes shines, as the pacing lands exactly where it should, with nothing lingering too long, but with enough time spent to appreciate what’s transpiring in the story. And from cover to cover, readers will be on the edge of their seats, wondering what is about to happen next. It’s a breezy first volume from the author’s world, so don’t hesitate to take a quick dive in. Check out The Withered (Before Ember Book 1) on Amazon today!
The post Fantasy Promo – The Withered (Before Ember Book 1) was originally posted on Tellest.com. Please note, as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Images provided courtesy of Tom Crowen.
