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Heir of Thunder (Stormbourne Chronicles Book 1)

Page 28

by Karissa Laurel


  “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you avoiding me, Evie.”

  The warm spot clouded over again. I sighed, crossed the room, and eased onto the settee.

  “You still don’t trust me,” he said.

  “You once said I should trust no one, not even you, if it meant staying safe.”

  “You’re right.” The settee squeak as he changed positions—hunching over, forearms braced on his knees. The moonlight turned his hair into a stream of pale silver, trickling down his back. I had known a young man with hair that color. In broad sunlight Jonathan Faercourt’s hair had gleamed like the palest corn silk—but that shiny, bright exterior had camouflaged a dark and depraved soul. “And I promised to be here for you as long as it took.”

  “I don’t like it either, Gideon—this doubt. It’s not just you. I doubt myself, too. What’s happened to me? Why does the thunder defy me? Why can’t I do anything right anymore?”

  His arm snaked around my shoulder, and he pulled me close. I exhaled and slumped against him, soaking up his warmth and strength. “If you don’t know, then I sure don’t, either,” he said. “I believe in you, though. You have to know that.”

  “I do. I can feel it. But....”

  “But it’s not enough, is it?”

  A knot rose in my throat. “After a month of failure, how do I keep up my hopes?”

  “Maybe we should go back to Inselgrau. Go back to your people and their faith.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not sure that would be enough anymore, either. Maybe this is the end of the line for me.”

  A soft snarl rumbled in his throat. “Don’t say that. The Evie I know, the Evie I gave up my home and country for, would never say that.”

  I huffed, raked my fingers through my hair, and rolled to my feet. Then I paced the short length of our sitting room. “You’re right. My strength does rely on faith, and there’s not much of that around anymore. Maybe... maybe I need to stop hiding. Maybe if people knew who I was...”

  He stood and put himself in my path. I stumbled to a halt, nearly falling against him. “It’s a huge risk.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I grumbled.

  “Le Poing Fermé is still looking for you, don’t you think?”

  “I do think.” I suspected the nightmare that had awoken me was the one I had suffered while in captivity at Ruelle Thibodaux’s home in Pisha. I had dreamed of Jonathan Faercourt, Jackie, forcing me through a ritualized marriage ceremony before devouring me like a beast. The Jackie I knew wouldn’t give up on his schemes, and with his ability to manipulate Magic, it was a wonder he hadn’t found me already.

  “Either way,” I said. “We should move soon. I’ll visit the church tomorrow and see if they’ve heard anything from their messengers. If they’ve had no news, we’ll need to decide where to go next.”

  Staying too long in one place invited all kinds of danger. Unless I decided to come out of hiding and face my enemies head on— No... not yet. I wasn’t ready for that yet. I needed more time—more training.

  I needed the Fantazikes.

  ---END OF SNEAK PREVIEW—

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  We hope you loved Heir of Thunder. If so, you’re sure to love these other great YA fantasies:

  For lovers of romantic fantasy (suitable for readers 13 and older), with all the fun of a YA read, but written to please adults too:

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  This science fiction & fantasy story exploring the clash of cultures, prejudice and war, and the promise of love and peace, is now available. For more information about this book, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.

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  Praise for Two Moons of Sera:

  “The world building and population are mind-blowing. This author has a real knack for creating new races, and even factions within each race. And instead of any one people being clearly defined as the good guys, she portrays the Sualwet and Erdlanders as two different groups of individuals struggling against one another, both fighting for survival. There’s more I’m leaving out so I don’t spoil anything, but the creation of the characters alone is impressive.”— Jessica

  “I was instantly and completely drawn in to Sera's world after just a few pages. In fact, my intention when I first started Two Moons, was to just read the first few lines, to see if it would be something I might be interested in, as I was already in the middle of reading another book, and I'm generally not a big fan of fantasy. Well one hour later, my family was eating a very well done dinner—I had completely shut the rest of the world out to dig deeper into the lives of Sera and Tor.”— Karen Toz

  For lovers of young adult fantasy thrillers with a Native American twist, this series is suitable for readers 13 and up:

  CHOSEN

  Book 1: Wind Catcher

  Book 2: Brink of Dawn

  Book 3: Scorched Souls

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  Book 1: Wind Catcher

  Juliet Wildfire Stone stands between two worlds. Her eccentric grandfather tells her stories about the Great Wind Spirit and Coyote, but he might as well be speaking another language. She’s started to hear voices and see visions, but even they don’t make any sense. All she wants to be is an average sixteen-year-old girl, but she has never been average—could never be average.

  She is the Chosen and the Seeker Slayer, and our only hope.

  Recently transferred to an exclusive school, Juliet is forced to choose between her new wealthy life and her Native American heritage. Unsure where she fits in, she stumbles upon a series of murders. Worried that her grandfather is involved, she discovers an ancient secret society, the Order of the Twisted Arrows—a society formed over two hundred years ago to keep her safe.

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  Praise for Wind Catcher:

  “Many young adult books revolve around young adult decision-making processes, but the joy and excitement fueling Wind Catcher is that Juliet's search for truth doesn't end with its emergence, but with the bigger picture of what she'll choose to do with it. That's the heartbeat of a powerful saga that fully immerses readers in all the possible scenarios that can stem from one's choices in life—and the reason why Wind Catcher stands out from the crowd.” ~ D. Donovan

  “Wind Catcher is one of the best thrillers for YA that I have read in some time. ... If I hadn’t had to eat and sleep, I would have read it right through without stopping. It is just that good!” ~ S. Price “Suze”

  “What an amazingly unique story!! I can honestly say I have never read anything like it! I loved the strong Native American themes running through it as well as the deep plunge into the rich culture then and now. This story seemed to quench my thirst for knowledge of the more supernatural aspect to the Native American history and storytelling and I loved the creativity of the authors. Even though this is, in essence, a young a
dult book, I was literally kept at the edge of my seat while reading. The plot has some very intense situations as well as mature threads running throughout the story. I love that our authors see our “young adult” crowd as more than older kids; they see them as very intelligent and can handle the more mature themes including murder and secret societies. And come on, who doesn’t love secret societies?”~ Amy @ Read to My Heart’s Content

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  Book 2: Brink of Dawn

  They walk among us as if they are gods.

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  And only the Chosen can defeat them.

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  ~~~

  Book 3: Scorched Souls

  Fate and destiny clash in the explosive, heart-pounding conclusion to the award-winning Chosen series.

  Survival is not enough.

  Alliances will be formed.

  Loyalties tested.

  A choice made.

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  Plunged into a conflict between two ancient foes, one that threatens to rip Earth apart, Juliet must navigate her new path, form unlikely alliances, and solve ancient mysteries. She needs to set aside her fears, make the tough choices set before her, and become the Alpha Chosen once and for all.

  The cost to Juliet does not matter; too much depends on her. She cannot allow Earth to be cast into a darkness from which it might never escape.

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  For lovers of urban fantasy, this young adult series is suitable for readers 13 and up:

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  Book 1: DREAM WARRIORS

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  The first book in this young adult urban fantasy series, featuring magic in a modern setting, is now available. Watch for the second book to release early in 2016. For more information on these books, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.

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  DREAM WARRIORS:

  Joseph Colafranceschi is a fifteen-year-old, self-described geek, living in the Bronx. The second youngest of twelve sons of the former U.S. ambassador to Italy, Joey discovers that a small Egyptian statuette, given to him by his father, endows him with power to control his dreams.

  After his brothers throw him down a manhole, Joey is drawn into a hidden society of warriors who have been battling a reincarnated Egyptian Pharaoh for over 3,000 years. In the dream world, everyone is not what they appear to be, and it’s impossible to tell who to trust. As Joey slips deeper into a world of gladiator battles and clandestine missions within other people’s dreams, he catches the eye of a beautiful Egyptian princess.

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  Praise for Dream Warriors:

  “I loved Noah Zarc, Mr. Pease’s MG trilogy. And I enjoyed his recent grown up fantasy, Shadow Swarm. But this is his best book yet. Just as Noah was a loose parody of the Bible story, so Joey has similarities to the biblical story of Joseph. If you’re familiar with those old favorites, I’ll let you pick out the parallels--there’s a bunch. But Joey soon takes a dive into the fantasy world that’s full of originality, fun, danger, romance, and suspense. There are some great twists and turns in here that I never saw coming! This one is appropriately billed as YA. There is some violence, but it’s mostly, well, dreamlike. Dream warriors have some great gladiator scenes, but they can’t die. Mortal blows simply send them back to wakefulness. But they can be killed if they’re followed back to their physical bodies. Also, romance is sweet. There’s some very mild sensuality. Nothing I’d censor for my kids (and I’m pretty conservative), but it might be enough to gross out fourth or fifth graders. Language is 100% clean. I highly, highly recommend this one for anyone eighth grade or older.”— Michelle Isenhoff

  “Must say I was very impressed with this book. Very enjoyable. It even had me jumping off my bed in anxious excitement at one point. A mix of fantasy, action, mythology and our very own dreams. There is a bit of romance, some fun fight scenes, lots of ‘familiar’ faces, magic and a hint of mythology. A wonderful blend that I quickly latched onto and held on to the end. As soon as I finished this book, I jumped online to learn more about the next book. I am so impatient to read it!”— J. Rivera

  “Yes, this is a book intended for young adults, but I enjoyed it so much that I immediately turned around to read it a second time. I wanted to make sure I had not missed any subtle clues Mr. Pease may have given. I didn’t miss anything that might have warned me of the ending to come, but was surprised at the detail that went into building the dream world and how it works. The characters are the type that stay with you long after you turn the page and close the book. I am admitting that as a woman well into middle age I am eagerly awaiting book two in this series to be released in March of 2015. I will definitely have a note on my calendar to be on the lookout for the next gem. If you do not want to wait for March after you finish Dream Warriors, you may want check D. Robert Pease’s Noah Zarc Trilogy.”— Del Anne

  “What nerdy, geeky kid wouldn’t want to fall asleep and wake up in a dream world where he morphed into a cross between King Leonidas and the Incredible Hulk? This element of the story alone is enough to draw readers to Dream Warriors. The story rates five stars, it was a fun read and I’d recommend it to readers age 13 and up.”— Kevin Gerard

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Books by Karissa Laurel

  THE STORMBOURNE CHRONICLES

  Bonus Content

  CLICK HERE

  Dedication:

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Books by Karissa Laurel

  Bonus Content

  Dedication

  BOOK ONE – EXODUS FROM INSELGRAU

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  BOOK TWO – A PRINCESS WITH NO KINGDOM

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  BOOK THREE – A GODDESS REBORN

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  What’s Next fr
om Karissa Laurel?

  SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW: Quest of Thunder (The Stormbourne Chronicles – Book Two)

  More from Evolved Publishing

  BOOK ONE

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  BOOK TWO

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  BOOK THREE

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  What’s Next from Karissa Laurel?

  Special Sneak Preview

  More from Evolved Publishing

 

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