Tag Archives: Dragons Rule OK

announcement, book release, fantasy, novel

Immortal’s Death has Arrived

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I’ve now been informed that Immortal’s Death is available on multiple platforms. The links are below.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/b6AYN0

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G33NG9GJ

APPLE BOOKS: https://books.apple.com/us/book/immortals-death/id6755531622

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortals-death-vm-sang/1148784243?ean=2940182385084

GOOGLE BOOKS: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=I_uZEQAAQBAJ

RAKUTEN KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/immortal-s-death

A royal wedding. A missing duke. An empire on the brink of war.

Carthinal and his companions gather to celebrate Princess Randa’s wedding to Prince Almoro—until news arrives that Duke Larrin of Sendolina and his wife are missing, and their lands have fallen to enemy forces. With tension rising between Grosmer and Erian, the king dispatches a dragonet to uncover the truth.

As the Wolf mercenaries set out on a dangerous rescue mission, they are blown off course and forced into battles on land and sea. Meanwhile, rebellion brews in Hambara, and young Thadora—noble by blood but raised in the shadows—must uncover Erian’s next move.

Soon, loyalties will be tested, lives lost, and Carthinal will have to face a betrayal from someone he trusted the most.

A richly detailed epic fantasy adventure, IMMORTAL’S DEATH is the fourth book in the Wolves of Vimar series by V.M. Sang.

The first 3 books are available as a Collection. It says ‘The Complete Series’, but that was before Book 4 was published.

The Wolves of Vimar Collection: The Complete Series

The Wolves of Vimar Collection: The Complete Series

by V.M. Sang  | 18 Dec 2023

Kindle Edition £3.99

Paperback £21.99

Hardcover £37 54

All three books in V.M. Sang’s ‘The Wolves Of Vimar’ series of fantasy novels, now available in one volume!

The Wolf Pack: Carthinal is ready for his rite of passage to become a mage. What he doesn’t expect is ending up on a quest to find the long-lost sword of the legendary King Sauvern. Followed by Randa, the daughter of the Duke of Hambara, and the young thief Thad, Carthinal will need all the help he can get in order to complete his quest.

The Never-Dying Man: After straying into Erian, Carthinal and his friends find preparations for war. Carthinal will need to face unpleasant truths about himself; Is his desire to further his magical career more important than his friends, and his country?

Wolf Moon: An invasion is planned to Grosmer. As the heroes make their escape, they accidentally stumble upon an old Dwarven city. Facing enemies on all sides, the five must find where their loyalties lie, But can they save their homeland from certain destruction?

Although it is better to read the whole series, I believe that each book can be read on its own. There are some things that hang over, as it’s a series, but most things are settled in each book. There is an overarching quest of finding and killing the Never-Dying Man to save the land of Grosmer.

If you choose to read any or all of the books, I would be more than grateful for an honest review, and if you would like a free review copy of Immortal’s Death (or any of the other books), please let me know in the comments.

There is no obligation to review, but I would be greatly appreciative.

announcement, book release, Cover Reveal, fantasy, novel

Interview with Sandron from The Wolves of Vimar Series.

5 Comments

I’ve been told that the release of Book 4 is imminent.

I invited Sandron, brother to Duke Larrin of Sendolina, to come and have a chat. He eagerly agreed.

Image: young man with a dragonet on his shoulder sitting in a castle room .
Image generated by Vivienne Sang using Bing AI Generator

Hi, Sandron. It’s good of you to agree to join me.

Sandron: Thank you for asking me.

Me: I understand you are the youngest of three. What was it like, growing up with two older brothers?

Sandron: Well, I’d have preferred being the second. Not the eldest, though.

Me: Why was that? The eldest would become the Duke of Sendolina. Wouldn’t you have liked that?

Sandron: *Shakes his head.* Nah! Not for me. Too much work. But it suits Larrin perfectly. He was much more serious than either Brand or myself.

Me: Brand is your other brother–the middle one of the three of you?

Sandron: Was. Brand is no longer with us. He was murdered by that fellow, Hammevaro, at a banquet. He’d come to Grosmer as Erian’s ambassador and poisoned the wine for the top table. That included all the dukes, Crown Prince Perdillon and his wife, Princess Helloria, King Gerim and Queen Carolla and Princess Dara.
Sadly, King Gerim died, along with several dukes. Princess Helloria had just gone into labour with Prince Gerim and so she and Perdillon had left, and Prince Almoro was sulking over Randa, so remained in his room.
Brand was one who succumbed, too. *Wipes his hand over his face.*

Me: Why did Hammevaro do this?

Sandron: In order to try to remove all experienced leaders to make Erian’s invasion easier. *Thumps the table.*

Me: You miss Brand.

Sandron: Yes. I miss him every day. *sighs* We had such fun, especially when Randa came to live with us. Her father sent her to share our tutor. *grins*. We called him Snagtooth. His real name was Professor Snaggletuf, as he had very uneven teeth the nickname fit.

Me: Larrin became Duke of Sendolina. What did Brand and you do?

Sandron: Brand joined the army. It suited him, and I’ve no doubt he’d have made it to the highest level. Second sons went into the army. Third sons, *pauses for a second* usually joined one of the temples and became priests. That wasn’t the life for me. I honour the gods, of course, but don’t have a preference.

Me: Why didn’t you join the army?

Sandron: No good at following orders. I’d have questioned them if I thought I had a better idea. Not a good trait in a soldier!

Me: So what did you do?

Sandron: *He broke into laughter.* I became the leader of a bandit gang. No one knew until we captured Wolf on their way back from finding Sauvern’s Sword and Randa recognised me. She then gave me the idea of becoming legit and forming a mercenary troop.

Me: You have a much bigger part to play in this current part of the story. Are you pleased about that?

Sandron: Yes… and no. It doesn’t always show me in the best light. But I was pleased to help my country.

Me: Thank you for coming to Dragons Rule OK.

Sandron: It was a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me.

I’m really looking forward to the release of this book. I enjoyed writing it immensely. It took a long time, but very shortly it’ll be released into the wild.

If you’ve not read the other books in the series, it begins with The Wolf Pack, goes on to Wolf Moon and The NeverDying Man, and now Immortal’s Death.

It all begins with a prophecy found in an ancient book.

When Kalhera descends from the mountains
And orcs once more roam the land:
When impossible beasts occur
And the Never-Dying Man is once more at hand,
Then the Sword that was lost must once more be found.
Only it can destroy the threat
And kill the Immortal Mortal
To balance out his debt.

A newly-promoted mage, a priestess in disgrace, an outcast ranger, an aristocratic young lady. These come together along with others, to try to find Sauvern’s Sword–a mythical, magic sword lost for hundreds of years.

Their quest leads them to near death, rescue by strange creatures, a visit to foreign lands, capture and escape.

Can they succeed in finding the Sword, in order to save the land of Grosmer from peril?

You can get the books by clicking on the cover in the sidebar.

If you have anyone who likes Epic Fantasy in your family, these would make excellent Christmas presents.

And here’s a review.

D. W. Peach

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot-driven high fantasy quest

Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2024

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The first book in the Wolves of Vimar series opens with the burial of a king and his magical sword, and the sacrifice of twelve warriors whose spirits will protect his body from harm until the eight “wolves” come. This prophecy results, many years later, in a quest, as eight characters are sent by a duke to bring back the sword.

The book is divided into thirds. Part I takes its time introducing the characters who represent a variety of races including humans, elves, dwarves, and their half-elf leader, Carthinal. The group includes the duke’s entitled daughter Randa, a married horselord couple, and a young thief with a thick accent. The backstory for most of the characters comes through multiple points of view with some omnipresent narration.

Part II of the story begins the journey. The author’s attention to world-building is evident as the “wolf pack” wends their way across the land. Part III covers the journey home. The pace is moderate throughout with tangents for fun, humor, and a bit of romance. Much of the book’s journeying reminded me of a Dungeons and Dragons quest, with a variety of creatures offering challenges along the way including Yetis, dragons, nymphs, bandits, hobgoblins, and other fantasy monsters.

The characters are distinct but for me, the book was more of a plot-driven read than an emotionally-deep character-driven one. Most of the characters don’t have significant arcs apart from Randa, the entitled duke’s daughter, and for that reason, I found her the most interesting. Though the first book in the series, it also stands alone well. Recommended to YA readers of high-fantasy quests who enjoy a leisurely pace, plot-driven stories, and encounters with otherworldly creatures and monsters.

book reviews, short story, stories

Glimpses by Hugh W Roberts. Book Review.

5 Comments

Blurb

After publishing some of his short stories on his blog, Hugh W. Roberts, who is dyslexic, received numerous requests to publish his short stories in a book.

Here, at last, are 28 short stories that will take your mind on a roller coaster of a ride into worlds that conceal unexpected twists and turns.

‘Glimpses’ allows the reader a peek into the lives of everyday people who are about to have life lead them on an unpredicted path. From a mysterious deadly iPad app to a hole in the fence that is not all it seems, to a strange lipstick that appears to have a life of its own, you will encounter terror, laughter, sadness, shock and many other emotions on journeys which promise a thrilling and gripping climax.

If you are a lover of shows such as ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘Tales Of The Unexpected’, then you are in for a real treat with this first collection of short stories from Hugh.

Dare you take a glimpse into the lives of these unsuspecting characters?

As this is a book of short stories, my usual format for reviews won’t work.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories. There were stories of different lengths, so you could choose a short one if you haven’t much time, or a longer one if you wanted to settle down and relax.

I began at the first story and worked my way through. 

Every story has an interesting twist, which, for me, made it very interesting and exciting trying to decide what the twist would be.

Some of these stories will horrify you, some will sadden you, yet others will make you smile, but they will all surprise you.

The book is well written and I didn’t notice any typos of grammatical errors.

If you are a fan of such TV programmes as The Twilight Zone or Tales of the Unexpected, then this is the book for you.

I give it 5*

 My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

And another review from Amazon


“If you are looking for a thoroughly entertaining read, Glimpses is the book for you. Each story, cleverly crafted through Hugh’s wonderful imagination, will whisk you away to many different worlds, past, present and future. Every story makes a compelling read and just when you think you know what’s going to happen next, Hugh masterfully reveals a brilliant twist. With bite-size and longer stories, Glimpses is a must-read. I loved it.” – Esther Chilton, Writer, and Author.

Poetry, World War 1

Remembering Armistice Day: A Reflection on WW1

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Today is Armistice Day, the day when peace came to the world after WW1. It was said to be the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. For convenience, I suspect, it seems to have been moved to the nearest Sunday,

As I’m having to spend a lot of time trying to get through checking the edited manuscript of my latest WIP, I’m unashamedly reposting the one I posted for 100years since the end of that dreadful war.

Britishtrenchww1

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

I’ll never truly understand
How World War 1 began.
The death of Archduke Ferdinand
Started the deaths of many more,
The young, the old, the rich, the poor.
All died with guns in hand.

02grandad

My Grandad went with Uncle Jim
And Our Poor Willie, too.
They sent them off, singing a hymn.
Grandad went to Gallipoli,
Uncle Jim left his love, Polly.
Gas in trenches did kill him.

I cannot see, in my mind’s eye
Grandad with gun in hand.
A peaceful man, sent out to die.
He fought for us, for you and me
So we can live and so that we
Safely in our beds may lie.

015gtunclewilly1

Grandad came home, and Willie too,
But millions more did not.
Their duty they all had to do.
They died in fear, in noise, in blood.
Everything was caked in mud.
Yet in those fields the poppies grew.

The War to end all wars, they said,
So terrible were the deaths.
The youth of Europe all lay dead.
Yet 21 short years to come
Another war. Once more a gun
In young men’s hands brought death.

One hundred years have passed since then.
What have we learned? Not much!
Too many men are killing men.
Wars still abound around the world.
Bombs and missiles still are hurled
At those who disagree with them.

My Grandma always referred to her brother as ‘Our Poor Willy’. No one knows why she called him that, though.

Please leave a comment. I love to hear from you and of your thoughts.

This poem, and others, can be found in Miscellaneous Thoughts. You can buy it by clicking on the cover in the sidebar where you will be taken to the online store of your choice.

The book is available in a number of formats.

history

Bonfire Night

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Remember, Remember
The 5th of November
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
I see no reason
Why Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

So we used to sing as Bonfire Night approached, but what is that rhyme all about?

Here is a link to English Heritage’s post about it.

Take me to English Heritage

I would normally have written about it myself, but I’ve received the edited manuscript of Immortal’s Death and need to go through it. I’m consequently a bit short of time.

I hope you enjoy reading about it.

free book, Guest Post, history, novel, stories

My Visit to Mary Deal.

3 Comments

First of all, before I begin this post, I would like to say that I tried to respond to the comments and suggestions that many of you gave for my story based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. For some reason, WordPress said they couldn’t respond. Apologies. I hope the replies get through eventually. I did try several times!

I have been honoured to appear on Mary Deal’s blog. I love Mary’s books, she is an excellent author of mystery and thriller, and all the books I’ve read kept me on the edge of my seat.

Mary has featured an excerpt from my historical novel, Vengeance of a Slave. This is set in Roman Britain and tells the story of a slave boy, ripped from his family at merely six years old, and how he builds up his hatred of the Romans in the hope of escaping and taking revenge.

There is also a link to an interview I did with Mary some time ago.

V. M. Sang

If you would like to be featured on Mary’s website, she is kindly offering to do so. You can contact her by clicking on ‘Write Any Genre’ above.

nature, Photography, plants

Discover the Beauty and Benefits of Trees

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I was looking through some of my photographs the other day and came across several of lovely trees. I thought I’d share them.

I love trees, and they are so important, not only for helping with removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it to oxygen, but also to preserve other wildlife.

ASCI
announcement, fantasy, novel

Just a Quick One!

9 Comments

I thought you might like to know that I’ve just signed the contract for Book 4 of The Wolves of Vimar series. It’s called Immortal’s Death. I’ll keep you informed as to the progress!

fantasy, maps, novel

Exploring the World of Vimar in The Wolves of Vimar Series

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Last week I sent the manuscript of Book 4 of The Wolves of Vimar series. It’s called Immortal’s Death.

I thought you might like to know a bit more about the world of Vimar, so here’s a post about it.

Map created using Inkarnate

Vimar circles its sun in almost exactly 360 days. This leads the people to have divided their year into 12 months of 30 days. Since it is not exactly 360 days, but in fact 360 days and 4 hours, this means that every 6 years an extra day is added to the year. This is added at the end of the year and is called the Day of the Gods. It is a holiday for everyone and as it comes just before Grillon’s Day, also a holiday, when the New Year is celebrated. Everyone looks forward to this time. 

Because all the important astronomical timings are 6 or multiples of 6, the people of Vimar have come to believe that six is a holy number. Thus when they came to devise the timings of the day, they decided to divide it into 24 hours, much as we do on Earth, However, they begin to count their day from the time of sunrise on the 2 equinoxes, unlike Earth, where timing is taken from the mid-point of darkness at this time, more or less. 

Once every place began their day at dawn, regardless of time of year or place on the planet, but as trade increased this became somewhat confusing, and so the standardised time began. Thus what on Earth would be 6am, on Vimar it is 0 hour, and Earth’s 12pm is Vimar’s 6th hour.

Vimar has 2 moons, Lyndor and Ullin. Lyndor is slightly nearer to Vimar than Ullin and appears to be a gold colour. Ullin appears more silvery. It is considered propitious when the moons are both full together, and if both moons are dark, that is considered to be the least lucky time for any ventures. The best times for starting any venture is when both moons are waxing, and conversely, if they are both waning, that is a bad time, although endings can be good at this time.

The world has 2 large continents, The one featured in the Wolf Pack is the continent of Khalram. Grosmer is the largest country on this landmass and has a climate ranging from Mediterranean in the south to cool temperate in the north. To the west, beyond the Western Mountains is a vast plain on which live the nomadic people known as the Horselords for their mastery of the beautiful horses they rear. It is said that a huge ocean lies beyond this plain, but no one knows for sure. 

Beyond the Mountains of Doom, a volcanic range in the east, are the lands of Pelimar, a loose coalition of city states, Erian, ruled by an elected Master and the elven land of Rindisillaron. 

The north of Grosmer is bounded by a huge range of mountains known as the ‘Roof of the World.’ What lies beyond that is unknown. No one who ventured over the mountains has ever returned.

There is a large, mysterious continent to the far east that occasionally comes to the attention of the people of Khalram because of the Raiders who come for plunder and slaves.

Millennia ago, three huge volcanoes stood at around the mid-point of the continent. Over a hundred years, all three exploded violently, plunging the land into a terrible darkness that lasted many years. Eventually, the eastern ocean broke through and created the Three Seas that now sit to the south of Grosmer and Erian.

To the south of the Three Seas is the Great Desert. That, together with the three seas, acts as a barrier. Little is known of the lands beyond.

It was from here that Fero came to live in Grosmer.

Building a believable world can be a daunting task. I did research into geography and geology in order to make it believable. The deserts, for example, are in the same places as they are on Earth.

North of the three seas, the climate is Mediterranean, and as one progresses northwards, it becomes more like the UK, especially around Frind, just south of the Roof of the World.

book reviews, novel

The Band by David Kummer. A Review .

4 Comments

OVERVIEW

An exciting tale of violence and mystery.

WHAT AMAZON SAYS

Because of Johnny, I went with the band. Because of Kate, I stayed. They played anywhere, all through Appalachia. They were the best show for miles around. But even I didn’t expect Oakville to be the end.Oakville, WV. It was supposed to be a quiet place: to catch our breaths, to fall in love. It was a chance to know each other completely. As long as Johnny didn’t find out.It would also be the last show they ever played.In a foggy Appalachian town, one of us wouldn’t make it home. And everyone else would never be the same.

STORY

This is a tale told in the first person. The protagonist is a young man, Aiden, who is the sound engineer with a band that is trying to break into the big time.

The Band have left their homes in Tennessee to travel around getting gigs wherever they can.They all have problems and reasons for wanting to spend the summer away from their families.

Tensions abound between the band members, but when they reach the small town of Oakville, things come to a head.

They play an impromptu gig outside the Courthouse one hot afternoon, which leads to a Saturday night gig in one of two bars in the town.

They find a week’s lodging in a run-down basement flat belonging to a mysterious old lady.

Then some gruesome murders take place. Rumour has it the old lady had killed three husbands and buried them in her garden.

Who has been killing the teenagers? Was it the old lady? Sam, a young man who appears to be following the band around? One of a biker gang, with whom the Band had an argument?

Nothing more shall be said by me as I don’t want to write a spoiler.

CHARACTERS

Aiden is the sound man for the Band. He has joined them because of problems at home. Like others in the Band, he’s running away from a dysfunctional family.

He has a thing for the only female in the band, but is lacking in confidence, so says nothing.

Johnny is the leader of the band. He is a very mixed up kid. With his family background making him crave attention, he is easily pushed into jealous outbursts if someone appears to be getting more than what he considers their correct amount.

He’s a bit of a loner, and often goes off on his own.

Kate, otherwise known as Echo, when in the Band, is a young woman who is an amazing singer. It’s she who ensures the Saturday night gig in Oakville. Whenever she sings, the place comes alive with her energy.

She enjoys nature and walking and often persuaded Aiden to go with her on her rambles. Sometimes she seems to reciprocate Aiden’s feelings, and at others she appears to think of him as just a friend.

River is a very good looking young man. The girls all fall over themselves for his attention, and he enjoys this aspect of being in the Band.

He is the most talented guitarist of them all, and also has a superb voice. He has his share of solos.

Finally, Bobby. He is known as Pistol in the Band, and is the drummer. He always wears a cowboy hat, and Aiden thinks he sounds ‘country’ when singing. He has ambitions to play guitar, but Johnny tells him he’s not good enough, so he sticks to the drums.

He seems to be about the most ‘normal’ of the Band.

The characters are all well-drawn and fully rounded, having both positive and negative traits. I’m not going to go into the others or this will never finish.

WRITING

David Kummer does an excellent job of building up the tension in this book. There are several places where I couldn’t have put it down if asked.

He uses the setting well to add to the tension. Hot sultry weather, sudden rain, rickety bridges etc.

There are a few typos, and some grammatical errors, but not enough to make me stop reading.

I did, however, get a bit irritated when he used ‘lay’ every time when it should be ‘lie.’ But as this is a very common error, I don’t suppose it would annoy most people.

I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4*

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.