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Wolf Awareness Week & The Fantasy Wolf Pack That Found Its Name

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I was reading a post by Charles Yallowitz about it being Wolf Awareness Week.

These beautiful animals are much misunderstood. It seems that their reputation is not completely true. Here’s a link for some information of wolf attacks from the International Wolf Center.

The poor reputation, nay, even scary one, is due to tales like ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ ‘The Three Little Pigs,’ etc.

I was surprised to learn that there are 38 subspecies of wolf.

Wolves are social animals. They usually live in family groups comprising a mated pair and their offspring. They hunt as a pack, cooperating to bring down large herbivores. All will help to raise the cubs.

There are no wolves left in the UK, the last one being shot in Scotland near Killiecrankie in 1680, while English folklore places the final English wolf’s death at Humphrey Head in the 14th century. As a result of this, there are no large predators to hunt the deer population, and so they have to be culled.

In Yellowstone National Park, in the USA, Wolves were not protected, the same as other large predators like cougar. Gradually they became exterminated.

The elk population then rose and decimated the vegetation. This had a knock on effect on the whole ecology. In 1995 the first wolves were released in Yellowstone, from Canada.

There has been talk of reintroducing wolves in the UK, but the problem is the density of the human population, as I see it, especially in England. There is also much understandable opposition from farmers, so I don’t think it’s gonna happen! If it does, it’ll probably be in Scotland where there is more uncultivated land.

If you are interested in learning more, there is a good Wikipedia post on them.

Talking of wolves, and wolf packs, you might like to read The Wolf Pack, Book 1 in The Wolves of Vimar series. Here is an extract where the group decides to call themselves Wolf.

As they sat, they heard a howl. It did not seem too near, but Kimi looked at Fero for confirmation of her assessment that there was no danger. Seeing Fero’s relaxed attitude, she allowed herself to relax too. Then they heard a sound from near the fire.

Fero looked round, and saw Thadora had woken at the sound of the howl, and sat bolt upright clutching her sword in her hand.

Fero went over to her.

“It’s all right, Thadda,” he said, using her pet name to reassure her, “That is the cry of a normal wolf. They don’t attack people, especially a well-armed group like we are. Nor do they come near fire.”

“Those others damn well did,” she replied. Thadora looked around, wild-eyed.

Fero tried to reassure her. “That group was very strange. I told you at the time. A pair of unnaturally intelligent dire wolves led them. These others near here are just a normal pack.”

““Ow’d yer know?” Thadora demanded.

“I saw them yesterday when I went out to scout,” he told her. “When the others wake up, we”ll go and look at them. If you watch them for a while, you will see what they are truly like. They are not the fearsome beasts that people tell about in children’s stories, and tales related by travellers in the taverns. Those tales are all made up or greatly embroidered to frighten people or make the tellers seem brave and bold.”

The early morning saw Fero and Thadora moving through the forest towards where he had seen and heard the wolves. “Do you know how to walk quietly, Thadora?” asked Fero as they neared the place for which he was heading.

“You know it!” came the reply. “Hey! It’s a requirement o’ th’ job o’ a bloody thief. It’d be so no use if yer wake folk by bangin’ about.”

Silently, they slipped through the rapidly lightning forest until they came out on an escarpment overlooking some flatter land. The trees disappeared here, and they could see the Grosmerian plain spread before them. To the east, the hills continued to rise to meet the mountains, but to the north and west the plains began.

Tracts of forest and open countryside separated small farmsteads They could just make out the lights coming on in Roffley, a day’s journey away, as people rose to their morning tasks.

Fero held out his hand to warn Thadora to be silent. They wormed their way forward on their stomachs, and looked down from the cliff top to the plain below. They found themselves about twenty feet above the plain here and below them they saw a pack of wolves.

Thadora watched the animals in fascination. They were obviously a closely-knit group, with the exception of one animal, much paler than the rest, who held itself aloof, or the others were ostracising it.

Fero whispered that she, (for it was a she-wolf, he told her) was a stranger, and probably trying to join the pack. She had not been there when he caught sight of them yesterday. Maybe she had lost her own pack. He told Thadora that pack sizes were usually between six and ten, but that ten was rare.  “More than about eight, and one kill would not suffice, and less than six and the pack would find it difficult to hunt down larger animals like deer,” he whispered.

He pointed out the alpha male and female to her. The alpha male was a reddish brown animal, quite large, and the alpha female was a smaller, black creature. Fero told Thadora that as a rule, only these two would mate, and the others would help in the rearing of the cubs. Another large black male had begun to sniff at the pale she-wolf. She was cautious and bared her teeth at him, at the same time, crouching down, ears flattened to her head. Of the others, one, obviously much younger, had a reddish coat again. She was obviously one of the cubs of the alpha male. There was another black wolf, slightly smaller than the very large one, and two greyish ones, one of which was a small female and the other was a very small adult male. Fero thought that the smaller dark wolf and the greyish female were probably littermates, the way they seemed to stick to each other”s company.

They watched for some time, and Thadora became fascinated. Then the large black wolf sniffed the air as the wind gusted and changed direction and he swung his head in their direction, gave a sharp bark, andturned and led his pack at a loping trot away from the cliff.

“Damn!” swore Fero, “Wind changed direction and he smelled us. We’d better get back to the others. They should be ready to leave and we’ve still got our things to pack up.”

“Thanks, Fero,” said Thadora on their way back, “But, hey, those wolves didn’t seem scary. I don’t think I’ll be such a bloody wuss as far as wolves are concerned in future.”

Fero smiled.

When they got back to the camp, they found that the others had indeed packed up, including Fero and Thadora’s things, and Basalt had made oatmeal porridge that he said would sustain them well for their trek. Fero and Thadora sat and took the wooden bowls of porridge they were handed.

The group sat around eating, then when they were finished, they wiped out the bowls, tied them to their packs and were ready to leave.

Fero saw to it that they put the fire out completely before they left, and they returned to the road.

Thadora was very quiet as they walked along. She had a frown on her face. Fero hoped that what she had seen of the wolves would help her with her fear.

She came up to Fero and asked, “’Ow common are th’ colourings o’ that pack, like?”

“Well now—wolves come in a range of colours ranging from very pale to black. However, the very pale coat of the she-wolf we saw trying to join the pack is not common this far south, although they are more so in the snowy north. Maybe that was why she didn’t have a pack. Sometimes albinos are turned out. However, she wasn’t a true albino. Her eyes were brown and she had some colour to her coat.”

“Hmm!”

When they stopped for a midday break, Thadora suddenly said, “Carthinal, that poem about soddin’ wolves that you ‘ad, right? D’you still ‘ave it?”

“Somewhere in one of my pockets. I expect. Did you want me to read it?”

“No, Mother taught me ter read, so I c’n read it by meself. She learned at Madame soddin’ Dopari’s, right? It were somethin’ th’ damn Madame insisted all th’ girls learn. Would yer lend it te’ me for a while?”

“Of course. You can keep it. I don’t know why I’ve still got it, since it seems to have no relevance to us or our quest.”

Carthinal gave the poem to Thadora and she took it and began to read it.

All the afternoon, Thadora kept perusing the poem as they walked. No one seemed to be able to get anything out of her, and they all thought her behaviour a little odd and out of character, but she had obviously been working something out.

Fero thought she was trying to work through her fear of wolves, but Kimi had the feeling it was something more. She expressed her thoughts to Davrael.

“I expect she’ll tell us when she’s good and ready, and not before,” her husband replied. Davrael was a man of few words.

“Yes, you’re right of course,” Kimi replied, linking her arm through his.

He placed his other hand over hers and smiled down at the small young woman with love. They continued in this way in silence.

Thadora did not reveal her thoughts until after they had stopped for the night. After they had eaten, she opened the paper with the poem on and began to read it aloud.

“The wolves will fight ‘gainst every foe
The balance to maintain,
But far and wide the pack must go
All borders they disdain.

“The pack contains the strangest group,
The one whose pride comes with her
And one who slips through every loop,
The wilful one, the tracker.

“The leader with his anger held,
The ones who hunt the horse
The rock that’s strong completes the meld
And makes the pack a force.

“In times of danger all must know
The wolf pack will be there.
They work as one. They keep their vow.
For each other they will care.

“I think this bleedin” poem refers to us.”

The others stared at her in surprise.

“What makes you think that?” queried Basalt

“It was, like, when I were watchin’ th’ wolves wi’ Fero. They seemed in lots o’ ways ter be like us, see. Th’ leader was a big, soddin’, reddish brown animal that made me kinda think o’ you, Carthinal, right? There were somethin’ about ‘im that seemed so kinda dangerous, but hey, ‘e didn’t show any behaviour to th’ others that made my feelin’ logical, see? I think it were just that ‘e seemed ter be holdin’ somethin’ inside o’ ‘imself, right? You give me that feelin’ too, Carthinal. An’ that, wi’ ‘is colouring an’ all were what made me, like, think o’ you.

“Then I looked at th’ others. We was all bleedin’ well there. A small black wolf, the alpha female Fero called ‘er, were you, Asphodel. Small and pretty, but wi’ plenty o’ spirit you know. Then there were a damn big, black wolf that were obviously Fero. A little distant, yer know. I noticed that ‘e sometimes wandered off, sniffin’ around—fer game I suppose, or danger.

“A small reddish one, much younger than the rest were me, see, while th’ two ‘oo was littermates and was always together was Davrael and Kimi. Th’ male o’ these were black too. Th’ other two were obviously Basalt, a small adult wolf, and a light-coloured female for Randa. The pale wolf were findin’ it hard ter get accepted inter th’ pack, a bit like Randa is wi’ us, like. (Sorry Randa, but it’s true, ain’t it?) Then th’ large black, Fero, showed interest in th’ pale wolf. Don’t look away, Fero. I’ve seen yer eyes on Randa when you think no one’s lookin’.”

At this comment, Fero hung his head and Randa frowned and pressed her lips together, but Thadora continued, “So I wanted ter look at th’ damn poem again, right? Here is ‘ow I sees it. Th’ wolf pack in th’ poem is us. OK? I’ll ignore th’ first verse as I don’t know what that means. Th’ second starts to describe th’ wolves. “The one whose pride comes with her” is Randa. Hey, you are rather proud an’ ‘aughty yer know, Randa, and th’ “one who slips through every loop” puzzled me at first, but I think it’s me. I seem to allus manage ter get away when some bleedin’ person is on me track for some damn scrape or other.

“Now the “wilful one” I think is Asphodel, right? You told us you ‘ad to leave ‘Ambara because you’d annoyed the bleedin’ Great Father o’ th’ temple by disobeyin’ orders because yer didn’t agree wi’ them. That’s wilful! And “tracker” is obviously Fero, OK?” She paused for breath and looked round at them. They were all looking at her with interest.

““The leader” is Carthinal, right?” she continued. “You seem to ‘ave a ‘idden anger too, Sometimes not so ‘idden, either, Carthinal, so that fits in wi’ “with his anger held.” “The ones who hunt the horse” are Davrael and Kimi, though strictly speaking you don’t ‘unt ‘orses, but ‘erd ’em; and finally, Basalt is “the rock that’s strong.” Basalt is, I think, a rock. Is it strong?

“I’ve not got no further wi’ th’ meanin’ o’ th’ first verse, but th’ last obviously means that we must stick t’gether and be as a wolf pack.”

“Maybe,” said Basalt sceptically, “but it could just be coincidence, couldn’t it?”

“I think Thadora is right,” Randa disagreed, surprisingly agreeing with Thadora and earning a sharp look from Basalt, and a murmur of  “Of course. Never do to agree with a dwarf!”

“Basalt, don’t be like that,” whispered Kimi. “She’s a right to voice her own opinion.”

The dwarf stopped grumbling and sat scowling to himself instead.

Randa continued, “Look at it this way then. We were unsure as to how many of us there should be. This poem makes that quite clear. There should be eight of us. It makes it clear who should be here.” Here she threw a glance at Carthinal and Basalt who had been reluctant to have her in the group at first. “Those wolves that Thadora and Fero were watching served to jog Thadora’s mind about the poem and to set her thinking. Yes, I agree it refers to us, and someone has put those wolves where we would see them. Everything seems to be happening rather too conveniently for it all to be accidental.”

Asphodel had been thinking as well. “The first verse,” she said slowly, frowning as she spoke, “refers to the Balance. Some priests believe that in order for the world to work, there must be a balance between good and evil. Just as there is night and day, so we can sleep at night and wake in the daytime refreshed for our daily tasks. We, it seems, must maintain the Balance and to do so, we must cross borders and travel far.”

“And last verse say we must “Work as one and keep our vow,” and look out for each other. Much like wolf pack. But we have make no vows, do we?” This came from Davrael. “Well, not all to whole group.” He smiled at Kimi as he spoke of vows.

“Well, that can be remedied,” Carthinal spoke for the first time in the discussion. “We have a representative of the gods here.” He gestured towards Asphodel. “I’m willing to swear to protect you and treat you as the brothers and sisters I never had.”

The others agreed, and they all stood in front of Asphodel.

Carthinal thought for a few seconds and then said, “I think I have the words. I will let you decide if they are appropriate before we swear.”

When they had heard his thoughts, the others concurred and he said, “I will be as the wolves, and learn from them how to live for the pack. I will put the good of the pack before my own good, and protect the other members to the best of my ability. I will follow my destiny wherever it may lead, and through whatever dangers may befall, serving the pack and the land in all things. This I swear, and may the gods hear my vow.”

They all agreed the words were good, and all joined hands and repeated them.

Then Thadora said, impulsively, “We are Wolf.” and the others repeated her words.

So was born Wolf, from a group of unlikely companions, sworn to each other and to the world.

And a review.

Amanda GRIFFITHS-JONES

4.0 out of 5 stars A Perfectly Set Scene

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Occasionally I step out of my comfort zone & read a book that takes my into unknown literary territory. This was one of those times. Within a couple of chapters I was drawn into a world of mages, elves & mystical creatures & thoroughly enjoyed the ease with which the author breathed life into her characters. The scene is set perfectly as a quest unfolds, allowing the reader to become absorbed in a fantasy world that holds many surprises. I’ll definitely be looking out for book two in the series.

If you want to read The Wolf Pack, it is free on Kindle, and also comes as a paperback, hardback and audio book.

Click on the cover in the sidebar to go to your preferred book seller.

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Review of Murder in Myrtle Bay by Isabel Blackthorn

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Overview

This is a cosy mystery set in the south of the Australian continent, where the cold southern wind blows from  Antarctica. 

Blurb

When feature writer Ruth Finlay and her elderly neighbor Doris Cleaver visit an antique and collectibles market in the small town of Myrtle Bay, they get a lot more than they bargained for.

After Ruth’s old tennis coach is found dead, they discover that there’s no lack of people who harbor a grudge against the victim, and a tangled web of family ties and lies begins to unravel. But can Ruth and Doris find the killer in time to avert a second murder?

A quirky feel-good mystery laced with intrigue, Murder in Myrtle Bay is the first book in Isobel Blackthorn’s ‘Ruth Finlay Mysteries’ series. Set in small town Australia, it is a sure pick for any fan of classic whodunits and cozy mysteries!

Story

Ruth Finlay goes shopping with her neighbour and friend, Doris, in a converted factory. She finds her old tennis coach lying on the floor, having been hit on the head. His last words were,‘I didn’t do it.’

But what was it he didn’t do?

Ruth is intrigued and, along with Doris, decides to start her own investigation, having admired  the victim throughout her life.

Of course, things are not straightforward.  It transpires that the victim isn’t the man Ruth thought he was, and there are many who hold a grudge against him.

Characters

Ruth is a writer for a magazine. She is currently researching for an article on the old factory. A sensible woman, Ruth keeps herself fit by going on a daily run. It is on one of these runs that she spots some suspicious activity. Her natural curiosity is what makes her decide to investigate the murder.

Doris is a favourite character of mine. She is an elderly lady who seems to think she is still a hippie from the 70s. She dresses in an eccentric style.

She joins Ruth with enthusiasm and thinks she knows who the murderer is based on nothing more than her own prejudices. She is also very stubborn.

There are many other characters in the book, of course, but I really can’t pick any out without mentioning all of them, which isn’t practical. Suffice it to say that they are all believable.

Writing

Fairly near the beginning, there is a description of the relationships between some of the families in the story. I found this somewhat confusing, and I don’t think it was necessary; at least not until we got to know the characters. There were other places, too, where information was given that wasn’t needed.

On the whole the writing is good with no typos, but there are a few grammatical errors. For example, Ms Blackthorn says, ‘Doris and I’ on occasions where it should be ‘Doris and me,’ and she mentions ‘French provisional cuisine’, when it should be ‘French Provençal cuisine’.

But these are few and far between, and didn’t distract me too much from the story.

I GIVE IT 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.

I’ve not read any other books in this series, but I will definitely be doing so.

Have you read any of Isabel’s books?

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An Interview with Archmage Ysallithisandra from The Wolves of Vimar Series.

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I decided to repost some of my earlier blog posts as there are new people who won’t have seen them. Here is the first one.

I apologise for being a day late with the interview with Archmage Yssalithisandra, but she was  extremely busy with some new magic texts that have recently come to light and put the interview off for a day.

Me: Good morning, Archmage Yssalithisandra. I am glad you decided to meet me and answer afew questions that our readers would like toknow about.

Yssa: Please call me Yssa. Everyone does, you know. It is a pleasure to be interviewed by you.

Me: How is it that an elf is working in Hambara and not in Rindisillaron, the elven homeland?

Yssa: I came here because of the Mage Tower. There is no longer one in Rindissillaron, you know.

Me: I believe there was one once though. Why has it not been found or rebuilt?

Yssa: Mage towers are always built on special places where the mana is at its strongest. Places where it wells up rather like springs out of the ground. The whereabouts of the Mage Tower in Rindisillaron has long been forgotten, as is the case of the towers in most places in Khalram.

Me: Why has this occurred?

Yssa: It was after the Forbidding when they were deserted for several hundred years.

Me: The Forbidding?

Yssa: Yes. Two hundred or so years after the death of Sauvern, there was an uprising by a group of mages who thought that because they could weave the mana, they were superior to others and that they should be the rulers of all the lands in Khalram. There was another group who opposed them, of course and the result was a terrible war. The results were so devastating that when the rightful rulers were restored, the practice of magic was forbidden throughout the lands that make up Khalram. All books of magic were burned and the mage towers were, for the most part destroyed. All people who could do any magic were put to death too.

Me: So that is why you are researching  the past. To find the lost spells. How long ago did the Forbidding occur?

Yssa: How long? Well it began about 600 years ago and lasted for about 3oo years. That means that it ended about 300 years ago.

Me: And in 300 years you still haven’t found all that was lost?

Yssa: Remember; there were no mages in the continent when it ended, nor any books. We had to start again from scratch.

Me: How is your work coming on?

Yssa: Oh, we’re beginning to make more progress and we keep finding books that had been hidden away by mages when they thought they would be executed. One such is the one Mabryl found and Carthinal brought to Hambara.

Me: Do you think that the mage towers will ever be re-built?

Yssa: That depends on whether or not we can find where the nodes were that they were built on. In the past there were said to have been mages who were able to detect these places, but we know of none at the moment. There are a few mages who can weave the mana without recourse to arcane language and hand gestures, but use just the power of thought, and it  is possible that some of these could do so as they are much more sensitive to magic. We have yet to find any though, so at the moment it’s just a hypothesis.

Me: You met Carthinal when he came to take his tests. What did you think of him?

Yssa: (blushing slightly) He is a very charismatic young man. He is also a very talented mage. I oversaw his practical test, as you probably know, and was most impressed.

Me: Is it true that you had a relationship with him while he was in Hasmbara?

Yssa: (looking down at her hands.) Yes. It was brief, and then he left to do the job that the Duke set him. I don’t know when he’ll be back, but I don’t expect him to want to continue with me.

Me: Do you think you will ever go back to Rindissillaron?

Yssa: Probably not. I do go to visit my parents as often as I can. Mother says it’s not often enough of course. She misses me, I think. I have no brothers and sisters, so I’m her little lost lamb. She means well, but she does fuss.

Me: Thank you for giving up your precious time, Archmage.

Yssa: Yssa!

Me: Sorry, Yssa. I am sure our readers will be interested in the history that you have told us about, and good luck with the research.

Yssa: Thank you. It was a pleasure talking to you. Grillon’s blessings on your readers.

Carthinal met Yssa when he went to the Mage Tower in Hambara to complete his apprenticeship as a mage. They had a brief affair before Carthinal went on the quest to find Sauvern’s Sword.

Later Yssa became more important in Carthinal’s life and appears in several of the books in the series.

If you would like to know more about Yssa and Carthinal, you can read about them in The Wolf Pack, Book 1 of The Wolves of Vimar series.

The ebook version ofThe Wolf Pack is free.

Click on the book title to buy, or on the book’s image in the side bar to go to your favourite online store.

There are also some prequels where you can find out a bit more about the characters in the books.

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Review of Alone by Anna Michelle Page

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Overview. 

This was an exciting read. It had me turning the pages anxiously wanting to know what happened next.

Story.

London is a spy. She works for the CIA and has been sent to Korea with a special mission–to destroy a particular weapon that the North Koreans have been developing.

But London is a damaged young woman after abuse, and has decided that being alone is safe. She has no fear of dying, and in fact looks forward to it and fully expects to die on one of her missions.

Then she meets the Commander. He is a South Korean, leading a small group of men, who are devoted to him. He observes how she handles a persistent soldier from the US army who is pestering her, and becomes fascinated with her.

London tries to reject the offered friendship of the Commander, but he is understanding of her problems, although he doesn’t know any details. He gently tries to get her to trust him, much like winning the trust of a frightened deer.

She, in spite of not wanting to like him, finds herself being drawn to him in a way she finds unsettling.

But her mission is dangerous, and she expects not to survive it. She has not reckoned with the Commander, though. He manages to extricate her, but she has to go into hiding as she is pursued by an assassin after her mission to destroy the weapon.

Blurb

Alone Trained to survive. Destined to be alone. Until him.

London moves through the world as a ghost—unseen, unstoppable, untraceable. Trained for precision, she leaves no loose ends. But the military town of Cheondochon, South Korea changes everything.

Posing as a saloon girl at the Whiskey River, she hides in plain sight, where deception is her greatest weapon—until the Commander crosses her path.

He sees through her disguise, sensing the predator beneath the surface. Their connection is undeniable, dangerous—an attraction that threatens to dismantle her mission and expose the secrets she has buried deep.

Then the operation unravels.

A brutal attack by a DPRK assassin after she takes out a secret super engine, forces her to confront a past she thought was dead. Killing the man who once controlled her should have been justice—but instead, it shatters everything. Her mind fractures, her memories slip away, and the Commander makes an impossible choice. Hidden among monks in Japan, she rebuilds, heals, remembers.

Now, in England, she waits—not as an assassin, not as an agent, but as a woman. Waiting. Hoping. Longing for the day the Commander finds her. When he does, can London face the one mission that ever truly mattered – love?

Characters

London. This is not her real name, as we learn later in the book. She is a hard woman, made so by her difficult past. She is dangerous, clever and a killer for the CIA. She slips in and out of places unseen, if she so wishes. She knows she is safest when she is working alone. In spite of being a hard character, I found myself liking her. 

The Commander. London realises this man is her equal in combat skills, sneaking, bushcraft and spying. She hopes they won’t be pitted against each other and that his death isn’t what she is required to accomplish.

On his part, the Commander hopes the same thing. He quickly realises that she has been badly damaged by her past and wants to help her. 

In spite of being a tough soldier, he is kind and sympathetic, coaxing her from her skewed view of the world.

I liked him a lot.

Joe. Joe is also working for the CIA and is the man who organises London’s missions. Unknown to her, Joe is in love with London.

Claire is also a CIA agent, posing as an American woman running an American bar. She dislikes London, partly because of Joe’s infatuation.

Writing.

Ms Page has given us a page turner. After the first few pages, I was gripped by the story, thanks to the excellent way the characters were portrayed,  and the pace of the action. There were also a few quiet moments that were well written, showing the softer side of these tough people.

The grammar was good, and there were few, if any, typos.

Just one factual error that didn’t spoil it for me, and wouldn’t be noticed by most people. Ipswich, UK, isn’t a seaside town! Not far away, though.

An enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good adventure story.

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.

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A Chapter Removed from The Wolf Pack.

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The half-elf leafed through the book he was studying. He was due to take the tests to end his apprenticeship soon. He was a tall, handsome young man, just over six feet with shoulder-length auburn hair, a closely trimmed beard and eyes of an intense deep blue. 

He sat in the study at the home of Mabryl in Bluehaven, which was situated on the south coast of the land of Grosmer. With him were Mabryl’s other two apprentices, fourteen year old Tomac and sixteen year old Emmienne. 

Tomac pushed a lock of his unruly dark hair out of his eyes. ‘I think that’s the Master coming in now, Carthinal. You’d better get looking as though you’ve been doing something instead of moping around waiting for that letter, or you’ll be in trouble.’

Mabryl, his master and adopted father had sent off to the Mage Tower in Hambara asking for the young man to be considered for the tests at the next opportunity.

As Tomac spoke, the door opened and Mabryl entered, shaking his cloak as he did so. ‘It’s pretty cold out there, and it’s turning to snow if I’m not mistaken. Unusual this far south.’ He turned to his three apprentices. ‘Have you finished the tasks I set you?’ He hung his cloak on a stand by the door. 

Carthinal stood and ambled to the fire, putting a fresh log on to the flames. ‘Come and get warm, and, no I’ve not finished. I can’t settle to anything until I hear about whether I can take the tests soon. I think Emmienne has finished though. I can’t say about Tomac.’

‘Nearly,’ replied Tomac, jumping from his chair and carrying his workbook to his master. ‘I was a little stuck on the moon phases, though.’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘It’s complicated trying to work out both moons at the same time.’

‘Stick to it, youngster,’ said Emmienne from the window seat. She grinned across at the younger boy, the grin lighting up her otherwise plain face. ‘I had problems too, but it comes eventually.’

Tomac groaned and went back to his seat.

‘I’ve finished though, Sir,’ she said. ‘I’ve learned that new spell you gave me and am sure I can make it work. When can I try it?’

Mabryl laughed. ‘Such enthusiasm. We’ll try it tomorrow, I think. In the meantime, I’ve made what I think may be a big discovery. Perhaps the most important one for many, many years. Look.’ He put an ancient-looking book on the table. It had a red leather cover that sported a few cracks and scratches. On the front, in what had once been gold lettering, was the name Armron Filibur.  

The three apprentices gathered round.  

‘I think it may be a spell book from before the Forbidding,’ Mabryl said 

Emmienne gasped. ‘That is old. And if it is, we’ll be able to find lost spells. You’ll be famous, Sir.’

‘Calm down, Emm. It may not be the spell-book of a magister, or even an arch-mage.’ Cardinal smiled at the girl . ‘It may only have the spells we already know and not any of the lost ones.’

Around seven hundred and fifty years previously there had been a war between conflicting mages. It caused such devastation and hardship that, when it had ended, the king forbade the use of magic on pain of death. He ordered all spell books to be burned. 

Some mages, however, hid some of their books and these came to light occasionally. 

During this time, much knowledge was lost and now mages worked to try to re-discover the lost spells. If this book were to be of use, it would need to be taken to one of these mages.

The door opened and Lillora, Mabryl’s housekeeper entered. ‘Sorry to disturb you, sir, but a bird arrived a few minutes ago. I thought you should know.’ She glanced towards Carthinal and grinned, a twinkle in her eye. ‘Probably nothing important though.’

‘I’ll come and look,’ Mabryl stood and left the three apprentices to their own devices.

Carthinal picked up the book and leafed through it. He could understand little of what was written there. Firstly it was in an archaic script and language and secondly he was as yet only an apprentice and had not acquired the knowledge to understand more than a limited number of spells. 

He frowned as he tried to read the words on the page. As he lifted the book from the table to take it nearer to the light, a loose page fell onto the floor. He stooped to pick it up and realised he could read it, unlike the rest of the book, and that it was not a page fallen out, but a note that had been inserted there. He took it to the window seat and sat by Emmienne to read it.

‘What’s that?’ The brown-haired girl strained to read it upside down.

‘I’m not sure.’ Carthinal wrinkled his brow. ‘It fell out of the book Mabryl bought, but it’s not the same writing, nor is it in the same archaic script. It’s a note of some kind.’ He paused to read it.

As he read the note, Mabryl came back holding a piece of paper in his hand.

‘It’s good news, Carthinal,’ he told the young man. ‘There’s a space for you to take your tests in the next batch, which take place just before Grillon’s Day. As that’s in about five sixdays we’ll need to leave here soon to allow us time to settle in before your ordeal. What’s that you’ve got there?’ He strode to the window seat and looked at the paper in Carthinal’s hand.

‘It fell out of the book you bought,’ Cardinal replied . ‘It doesn’t seem to be by the author of the book though. It’s in a more modern script that I can read. It doesn’t make much sense though.’ He handed it to Mabryl who read it, then reread it, this time out loud.

‘“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.”

‘It does seem a strange thing to write,’  Tomac said, ‘and it doesn’t make a lot of sense either. How can Kalhera descend from the mountains? She’s a god and the gods don’t come down to Vimar.’ 

Mabryl turned the page in his hand and saw some more writing on the back. 

‘This says it’s a quotation from something the writer heard and wrote down. The author says he visited the Oracle on Holy Island and this was what he was told the Oracle said earlier in the day to no one in particular. Only the attendants were present.’ 

He replaced the paper in the book on the table and turned to Carthinal. ‘We must take this to a colleague of mine in the Mage Tower when we go. She’s working on finding the old spells, I believe, and this may be of use to her. The loose note may be a prophecy if it came from the Oracle, but who knows when it was made? It could be that it was centuries ago, or yesterday; and it could be referring to a time well in the future or even in the past. I think we should ignore it for now. Lillora told me our lunch is almost ready, so I suggest we go to the table before she gets mad.’

The three apprentices forgot all about the book and the note as they enjoyed the housekeeper’s excellent cooking and after the meal they returned to their studies. 

Mabryl gave them all tasks to complete and went out again, taking the book with him.

<<>>

Duke Danu of Bluehaven had trained at the Mage Tower in his youth. He had some talent for magic, but with the death of his elder brother in an epidemic, he had to take over the duties and prepared to become the duke one day. He had never taken the tests to end his apprenticeship, but he retained an interest in magic and still practiced it in a small way. ‘To keep my hand in,’ he told people. 

Today he sat in his study going over the accounts of the duchy when a knock came at the door.

‘Arch-mage Mabryl to see you, sir,’  his butler said.

‘Send him in.’ Danu rose from his seat and clasped Mabryl in a hug. ‘You’ve not been to visit in some while, my friend,’ he scolded. ‘Busy with your three apprentices, I suppose.’

Mabryl smiled at his friend. ‘Yes, they keep me busy. Carthinal’s ready to take his tests and become a full mage now.’

‘Is that so?’ Duke Danu raised an eyebrow. ‘Doesn’t time fly? Hardly seems any time at all when you took that scruffy little urchin off the streets. Everyone thought you were mad, you know–taking a street child to be your apprentic, then adopting him? Well, we were wrong. He’s turning out all right.’

‘Considering his background, yes. He still has his faults and I can’t say there weren’t times when I agreed with you I’d done the wrong thing. He still needs to control his temper better and his good looks don’t help him to control his baser instincts. Girls, and older women too, flirt outrageously with him, and he enjoys it a little too much! But I didn’t come here to talk about Carthinal. I’ve made a discovery and I want your opinion.’

 He pulled the spell-book out of a bag at his side. ‘I’m going to take this to Yssa at the Mage Tower when I take Carthinal. She’ll be the best to decide how important it is.’ He handed the book to Danu.

The duke whistled. ‘This is important, Mabryl. I can’t read it, but it certainly looks like a spell-book to me. It’s old and could easily date to before the Forbidding.’ He picked up the note that was still between its pages. ‘What’s this?’ 

‘A little note that was in the book. Carthinal found it. It doesn’t seem to belong to the book though, and I’ve thought it could be a hoax; someone putting a seeming prophecy in an important old book.’

‘Maybe, but I don’t think so. Some research I’ve been doing suggests that Grosmer is about to face some danger. This may be a prophecy about that. I would suggest you take it to Rollo in Hambara when you go. His library’s much more extensive than mine and he can find out more. I’ve been in touch with him about this possible danger so he knows a little of what I suspect.’

‘I don’t know Duke Rollo,’ Mabryl replied. ‘He may not believe me. I’ve heard he’s a suspicious man. I think there is a possibility this note is a hoax even if you don’t. I’ll need to prove that I’ve come from you.’

‘I’ll write you a letter to give to him.’ Danu ambled to his desk and lifted his pen. ‘I’ll also give you this.’ He picked up a small statuette of a trotting horse, about three inches long and two high that sat on his desk. ‘It’s one of a pair we found in our adventuring days. He has the other. He’ll know I’ve sent you when he sees that, especially if you ask him about the other one. Now, go and sit by the fire and I’ll get some wine for us to drink while we talk about other things.’

The two old friends spent the afternoon remembering past times and gossiping about the goings on in the city of Bluehaven as the afternoon passed into evening and the duke’s work lay unfinished on the desk.

If you would like to find out more about this prophecy and what it means, click on the book title in the sidebar.

(This was supposed to be scheduled for next Tuesday, but WordPress, in its wisdom, has decided I should post it now! So this is next week’s post early.)

novel

How I Write: The Journey of a Pantser Author

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I thought I’d tell you a little about how I set about writing my books and stories today, but first, for those non-writers amongst you I’d better make a few things clear. Writers ignore this as you already know it.

There are two–no, three–kinds of writers.

First are the plotters. They are the ones who write like you were taught at school, setting out to write an outline of their work before beginning. These people might write just a simple outline, but others go much farther and write a chapter by chapter outline. They search for the Inciting incident, decide where the first plot point is going to come, and all the other things we are told a good story needs. Then they refer to this as they write. It helps them to stay focused on the plot and not wander off.

Second are what are known as pantsers. These writers write ‘by the seat of their pants’. They don’t write a plan but simply start writing and see where the story goes. Sometimes they are called ‘discovery writers’.

The third type is a combination of the two, sometimes known as plantsers. These writers don’t have a massively detailed plan, but will often have a very general outline which they sort of follow.

I describe myself as a pantser. I haven’t the patience to write a detailed plan, although I often have something in my head. I often know the ending of a story before I start.

I do like to know my characters, though, so I will look at their background and what brought them to this point, even if it isn’t going to be in the story. People’s backgrounds affect how they behave, so this is important.

But in my Wolves of Vimar series, I have produced 4 prequels giving the background of some of the characters. There may be more to come in the future.

Once I have the characters and know them a bit, I begin to write. I allow things to happen as they occur to me. Sometimes it seems as if the characters are taking over. The first time this happened (in writing The Wolf Pack) I thought I must be going mad, because a character did something I wasn’t expecting. (No spoilers, so I won’t say what it was.) Then I discovered that other writers also have characters take over. They don’t always do as we want them to. One of my characters who first appeared in The Wolf Pack, a small dragon-like creature about the size of a cat, made no appearance in the second book, The Never-Dying Man, nor the third, Wolf Moon, but he demanded my attention, saying he must have a bigger role to play and he could be useful. So Muldee became a spy in Immortal’s Death and had quite a big and important role.

Stories often take a turn from what I originally envisaged. This is exciting. Sometimes it means I might have to change the ending. (Getting the right ending is difficult, so as to leave the reader feeling satisfied.)

There are times when I’m simply not inspired. A story is going nowhere and I spend hours trying to decide what to write. If I force myself to start, I frequently find that things happen and ideas flow that didn’t when I was just thinking about it. I suppose the characters are there and telling me what they want! :)) I have a couple of stories like that at the moment, but I have another project on the go, so they will have to wait.

But this method can take you down rabbit holes. This, of course, means more work in the editing process. It has to be sorted before anything else happens. Parts removed that are unnecessary and don’t add anything to the plot. Maybe characters need removing if they don’t do anything. But these can always be kept for another story.

I often run it through Grammarly or Hemmingway, a couple of grammar checkers. After I’ve done all I think I can do, I post it on a couple of on-line critique groups. These are invaluable and help me polish the manuscript as well as pointing out places where they got confused. Yes, I write confusing stuff sometimes.

Only then is it fit for human consumption, as it were. I don’t have beta readers, unfortunately. I’ve been unable to find any reliable ones, so it has to stand after this.

I hope to soon be back to my third historical novel set in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings.

Thank you for reading.

If you have any comments, please add them to the comments box, and if you want to buy any of my books, you can click on the cover on the sidebar to take you to the online store of your choice.

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.

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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.

fantasy, novel

Carthinal’s Practical Exam Part 3

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I apologise for going missing for a couple of weeks. I’ve had a few family problems, and while not entirely resolved, I’ve now got a bit of energy back.

So here is the final part of Carthinal’s Practical Test.

Carthinal has successfully negotiated the labrynth where the test takes place and faced and defeated several enemies as well as using his intelligence to solve some problems. Now he is faced with the final test.

The corridor widened and became a large circular room with four doorways leading from it. The four doors were closed, but in the centre of the room was a circular device made of metal. On the top was a second circle of metal, slightly smaller, with an arrow engraved on one side.

Carthinal looked carefully at the device and it became apparent that the piece of metal on the top rotated over the lower one. There were four lines engraved on the lower circle across the diameter and at right angles to each other. Carthinal did not touch it yet. He needed to know more before doing anything. He looked around the room, and saw that there was writing all around, just above the height of the doors. 

At that moment, his rush torch went out.

He lit another and, noticing that he was getting down to the last few, he approached the wall to the left of the door through which he had entered the room and held up the torch. There was a two-line rhyme, which read,

‘The spring wind blows cross mountains wide
‘Through land of horse where barbarians ride.’

Continuing round the room, he pieced together the following,

‘From icy mountains encased in snow
‘In winter, do the cold winds blow.

‘The summer winds are soft and warm
‘They blow from desert and waving palm.

‘The autumn winds are rough and wild
‘They bring doom for man and child.

‘So turn me round and I will show
‘The proper way that you must go

‘But get it wrong and sorry be
‘For you must fight or you must flee.’

‘It’s some sort of puzzle to locate the correct door,’ he muttered to himself.

He paused to consider the words again. He wanted to be absolutely sure he got it right as he did not want to face the consequences of a wrong choice.

‘“Turn me round.” That’s probably the device in the centre. It must be like a combination lock. I don’t suppose there’ll be any help in listening for mechanisms working. It implies that a door will open anyway, and if it is wrong, dire consequences will result. OK. Then the other rhymes must give the directions. The second one must be the south wind as the Great Desert is in the south. The Barbarians with their horses are over the Western Mountains, so that must be the west wind. The one from the icy mountains must be the north wind, which leaves, by a process of elimination, the east wind for the final one. Ah! Got it. The clue is in the word “doom”. The Mountains of Doom are to the east.

That means it refers to the compass directions in the order: west, north, south and east. That must be the direction I turn the wheel.’

The problem now was locating north. There had been so many twists and turns that Carthinal had lost all sense of direction. ‘Bas, I could do with you now!’ he said, thinking of the ability of dwarves to locate direction underground. ‘Or I could do with a lodestone.’

He considered for a little longer, then decided that the mages would not have given an impossible task, so maybe there was a lodestone, or some other hint, hidden somewhere and he had missed it. 

After searching the room carefully, nothing became apparent, so he backtracked to the corridor that he had missed. He entered it holding his light high and walking with care, on the lookout for enemies.

There did not seem to be any danger down this tunnel. Suddenly, his light glinted off something in the wall of the tunnel. It was the door to a cupboard cut out of the rock. It was the metal ring to the left side of the door that glinted. He did not know whether there were any traps on the door, so he took his dagger and, standing to the side and as far away as he could, he raised the latch. The door swung open. He waited for a few seconds until he was sure that nothing was going to go off belatedly, and then held his light so that he could see into the space.

At first, he saw nothing, but when he put his hand into the cupboard and felt around, he came across a small object. On withdrawing it, he saw that it was a small case with a glass lid, and suspended inside the case was a small piece of lodestone, one end marked with red paint.

‘Just what I was looking for!’ he remarked, feeling rather smug.

He retraced his footsteps until he came back to the large round room, and now he could establish which way north was. He put the lodestone down, and turned the upper wheel until the notch was pointing to the west. After that, he rotated it to the north, then south, then east.

There was a rumbling sound. Carthinal held his breath, and the second door to the right slowly swung open. He waited for a few seconds, but nothing came out. He put out the torch so he could use infravision better and carefully approached the tunnel.

No heat sources to be seen, so he cautiously entered. Feeling his way, Carthinal crept along a tunnel that wound backwards and forwards, sometimes seeming to go back on itself a number of times. By now he had lost all sense of time, but decided that since no one had come to collect him, he must still be within the six hours, although it felt that he had been creeping along dark tunnels for days. 

He stopped for another drink and looked around. Still no heat sources. He lit another torch, noting with dismay that it was his last, and praying to Majora he was near enough to the end for it to last.

After a short while, a wall appeared in front of him. He stopped, thinking there had been no side passages for him to miss.

He noticed a cool breeze around his feet. Looking down, he saw a dark shadow towards the bottom of the wall to his left. He knelt, and sure enough, there was a low passage, only high enough to crawl along. Carthinal did not like this idea, as he felt vulnerable being unable to run, and with insufficient space to cast spells or throw his dagger. 

Memories came unbidden as to how mages sometimes died in the practical test. The more he tried to push those thoughts away, the more they stalked him, like ghosts, quietly and almost imperceptibly. He broke out into a sweat, and felt himself shiver.

‘This is no good,’ he scolded. ‘If you want to pass this damned test, you’ve got to go in there! Remember you promised Mabryl to do your best to get through.’

With that, he hitched his robe out of the way so he could crawl, and put out the light, as there would be no possibility of using it safely. It would have been humiliating to set himself on fire and have to be rescued. With that thought, he entered the tunnel.

‘Thank the gods for infravision. This would be a dreadful ordeal if one couldn’t see anything.’

Occasional small heat sources could be seen, but they were just spiders and beetles. 

Carthinal’s skin crawled as he thought of them getting in his clothing and onto his skin. Second only to undead, Carthinal hated spiders. 

Eventually, after what seemed like hours of crawling, but was in reality only about fifteen minutes, the crawl way ended in another large room.
At the exit from the crawl way, Carthinal paused and looked. 

‘Oh shit!’

Ahead of him was a large shape glowing red. It turned its eight red eyes towards where Carthinal crouched by the tunnel. It was a gigantic spider.

‘Oh shit!’ he re-iterated as the creature ran towards him across the room.

He remembered the true seeing spell he had on a scroll. Reasoning the mages would not deliberately try to kill their apprentices, he quickly pulled it out and read it. 

The spell took effect as the spider was about to strike.

To his relief it disappeared. 

It had been an illusion after all. 

Behind where the spider had crouched was a door. 

Carthinal ran across to it, looking around for any more nasty surprises, and pulled the door open. 

Light flooded into the cavern, blinding Carthinal for a moment, and he staggered over the threshold. Hands guided him to a chair, and voices were congratulating him for being the first one back. 

Slowly it dawned on him that he was out of the tunnels, and had succeeded in completing the practical test. His sense of relief was immense, and he offered up a prayer of thanks to Majora for his success. It was several minutes before he realised what it meant. He had passed his test and was now no longer an apprentice.

‘I did it, Mabryl. You said I would, but I didn’t believe you,’ he murmured.

‘What did you say?’ A voice spoke from by his side.

‘Oh, nothing. Was I talking aloud?’ He turned to see who had spoken. 

It was the mage who had overseen his test, Yssalithissandra.

‘Well done. You got back with half an hour to spare. We’re expecting some of the others any time now. How are you feeling?’

She sounded genuinely concerned, so Carthinal stood and told her he was feeling fine.

He stretched and looked towards the other doors. One of them was opening, and through it came Olipeca. She looked very tired, but not completely spent. 

He guessed she had not needed to use all her spells either. Her examiner escorted her to a chair, and spoke reassuring words to her. 

She seemed to realise she was out of the test tunnels and within the given time. Her face lit up with a smile. Her hair had come loose from its customary tight and severe style. It hung loose around her face, and the ecstatic smile as she realised she had made it through in time, made her look almost pretty.

One of the other doors opened and through it staggered Grimmaldo. He managed to get over the threshold but collapsed into the waiting arms of his examiner, and was all but carried to a chair. He had made it with only a few minutes to spare, but he had made it.

Carthinal looked around. There were three of them back, and there were five arch-mages. 

Carthinal was going to ask where the sixth arch-mage was when another door opened and he came in carrying something. He put it down on the floor, and the others could see that it was Laurre. 

He was lying very still. The mage said something to the others which the now ex-apprentices could not hear. Then he came over to where they were waiting.

‘I am very sorry to tell you that your friend, Laurre, did not make it through the labyrinth. He died in the ambush section. A great pity. We always regret the loss of a student, but the tests are essential as I am sure you appreciate.’

‘What about Ebrassaria and Hammevaro?’ asked Grimmaldo. 

As he was speaking, and the final few seconds ticked away, one of the last two doors opened and Hammevaro literally fell into the room, and was immediately violently sick on the floor. 

One of the mages called for an apprentice to clear it up as he lifted Hammevaro to one of the chairs, where he immediately passed out.

‘Well, he’s just made it,’ Grimmaldo whispered, ‘but what about Ebrassaria?’

In answer to his question, one of the wizards entered the final door and a few minutes later emerged with Ebrassaria clinging onto his arm. 

She looked the worst of them all, barely able to stand, and paler even than Grimmaldo looked before entering. 

The arch-mage accompanying her led her to a chair and sat her down. He gave her sips of water and talked to her quietly. 

She did not seem to realise what was going on or where she was at first, then suddenly it seemed to dawn on her that she was out of the labyrinth and that since she had required an escort out, she had not passed the practical. 

She burst into tears.


Yssalithissandra spoke quietly to the others. ‘Of course, this means she has failed to pass this test as she did not get out of the labyrinth in time,’ she sighed. ‘A great pity as she did so well in the theory. Still, a mage needs to be a practitioner as well as a theorist. She can always retake another time.’

As the group of newly promoted mages left the room Yssalithissandra approached Carthinal. 

Grimmaldo, and Hammevaro left to collapse somewhere to sleep, and Olipeca to find her master to give her the good news.

‘I have something that Mabryl was bringing for you,’ Carthinal told her. ‘An old spell book he thought would help you in your research of the lost knowledge.’

‘Really?’ replied the woman. ‘How odd I should turn out to be your examiner. Come to my rooms later and you can give it to me. We can talk about Mabryl. I knew him well when he was in the tower and would like to catch up on his life after he left here.’

‘Thank you,’ Carthinal answered, ‘I would like that.’

He realised that he was telling the truth. He was now ready to deal with Mabryl’s death and actually wanted to talk about him.

If you would like to know what happened to Carthinal after the test, the first book of The Wolves of Vimar series is available from your favourite online store as a paperback, hardback, e book or audio book. Just click on the button below, or on the cover on the sidebar.

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Did you enjoy this chapter? I decided to eliminate it because it added nothing to the actual story, nor much to the character of Carthinal.

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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.