Chapter 21 Excerpt
Ever since I posted the Prologue to The Dark Thorn people have asked me if I'd post any other excerpts. I've largely said no, simply because I want some semblance of my marketability left in tact if I do get a book deal. I need chapters to post before a book comes out, chapters that will hopefully entice people to buy the book the week it comes out.
But a year is a long time to wait and we are coming up on a year since I began talking about this project. I thought it time to post something new.
This excerpt is taken from the middle of Chapter 21, where knight Richard McAllister and college student Bran Ardall are within the cave city of Caer Glain, trying to convince the obstinately reclusive coblynau leader Lord Fafnir to join the Seelie Court and wage war on their common enemy. The coblynau are Celtic fey creatures, similar to dwarves in many respects, who burrow and mine the mountains of the Snowdon in the middle of Annwyn. They have long not been a part of the governing body known as the Seelie Court, protected from Caer Llion and the murderous High King by the mountains they reside within. That protection is near an end, however, as the war expands into the very reaches it once could not reach, and Richard comes to inform Lord Fafnir he must join the Queen of the Seelie Court and wage war on the High King if Caer Glain is to have a chance at survival.
Chapter 21 Excerpt
I cannot stress enough this excerpt is not the entire chapter. One, I don't want to give away plot points that take place before and, Two I don't want you to know what happens after. How is that for secrecy? This excerpt is also not edited, so if you see something feel free to let me know.
And be sure to post your thoughts in the Comments section of the website.
But a year is a long time to wait and we are coming up on a year since I began talking about this project. I thought it time to post something new.
This excerpt is taken from the middle of Chapter 21, where knight Richard McAllister and college student Bran Ardall are within the cave city of Caer Glain, trying to convince the obstinately reclusive coblynau leader Lord Fafnir to join the Seelie Court and wage war on their common enemy. The coblynau are Celtic fey creatures, similar to dwarves in many respects, who burrow and mine the mountains of the Snowdon in the middle of Annwyn. They have long not been a part of the governing body known as the Seelie Court, protected from Caer Llion and the murderous High King by the mountains they reside within. That protection is near an end, however, as the war expands into the very reaches it once could not reach, and Richard comes to inform Lord Fafnir he must join the Queen of the Seelie Court and wage war on the High King if Caer Glain is to have a chance at survival.
I cannot stress enough this excerpt is not the entire chapter. One, I don't want to give away plot points that take place before and, Two I don't want you to know what happens after. How is that for secrecy? This excerpt is also not edited, so if you see something feel free to let me know.
And be sure to post your thoughts in the Comments section of the website.
Labels: Excerpt, The Dark Thorn
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 3:49 PM
12 Comments:
Oh, i love it :) Now the chapters that surround it please!
p.s. who is caswallawn? :)
Chris: Why did you love it? Just curious. I was apprehensive about posting it since barely anything happens...
And Caswallawn is a lord who... how to put this... has lost his lordship, has turned to drinking, wants more than he can give, and who possesses a very cool fey artifact. That's all I'll say...
I'm a big fan when "games" show up in fantasy and a whole lot rides on something seemingly trivial. It reminds me a lot of The Hobbit where Gollum and Bilbo play the riddle-game. Silly, but i like it ;)
Chris: Glad you liked it then! The Celtic stories of our past always have games going on so I felt I had to have something similar in my story.
I have browsed your site now and then for some time now (more then then now) and I can tell you after returning to it after a respite your writing has improved- both in the flow and mechanics. Well done.
Tom
Tom: Thank you for the compliment. I hope to continue to improve. I'm fairly certain I'm a better writer than two years ago when I began Fell Hammer. Not sure if I am a better writer since I began this project. I hope so! I'll know more about that when I finish the book and go back to edit.
I love it! Bran could have won, but doing so would have defeated the entire purpose. His comment, "No one wins in war" is a bit reminiscent of teaching the tic-tac-toe logic of war to Joshua in the old movie 'War Games' I can't wait to see the final product of your hard work.
Okay you have me curious about the rest of the book. Chapter 21's excerpt is great. I love chess and the match between Faric and Bran was well-written. Now I'm wondering about the rest of the book.
Sorry for the lateness of this post.
just one more thing--you said "purpled quartz" so why not just say amethyst. It's the same thing.
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beansidhe: Why didn't I use amethyst instead of purpled quartz? Easy.
My vocabulary is terrible. :)
I didn't know amethyst was what I was looking for. Now I do. And will make the change!
You see, this is why I like the internet. People can be helpful!
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