It will be available from Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback. The Kindle version is already available for Pre-order, so if you wish you can purchase the book now, and it will automatically be downloaded to your Kindle on the 29th June – who knows, you could get the very first copy!
It isn’t an historical novel this time, but a genuine recollection of wartime experiences, by one of my favourite authors, George McDonald Fraser, who sadly passed in 2008. I was moved to read it, not only because I like his unorthodox writing, but also because this book documents the British campaign in Burma, which my grandfather also took part.
The Assassin. This silent killer is cold and dispassionate. Prefers to stand in the shadows until called upon by their master to despatch an unfortunate victim. The first time you see their face may also be the last thing you ever see. The bodyguard. Forever trailing their master, whose personal safety is their only concern. Their loyalty is unquestionable and so they can be relied upon to partake in any evil deed their master demands. The street tough. Handy with their fists and unafraid of any brawl, they are often found in the seediest of bars. Not renowned for their intelligence, they are still a useful resource if hired muscle is all you need to put some pressure on a competitor or rival. The Torturer. Sometimes information is more valuable than gold. If you need to extract anything from a victim before bumping them off, a reliable torturer is essential. No other henchmen can instil as much fear as someone who specialises in giving pain. The best torturers will also be adapt at keeping a victim …
Okay! Almost there now! The map is now done- Hooray! I wasn’t sure at first whether I wanted a map for my novel or not, after all we’re all familiar with the general geography of Europe. However, the names of the countries have obviously changed and I decided I needed to at least display the locations portrayed in the narrative of the book. It is not an all-encompassing version of the Roman world, I could have gone into a lot more detail, but I thought that might make it difficult to locate the important destinations discussed in the novel. I thought long and hard about whether to add the mountains or not – the map is just a reference point for the reader, so was this necessary? I decided that as one section of the Alps plays a not-insignificant role in the novel, I had better put them in. However, I thought drawing small little trees to represent the Teutoburg forest was a step too far, and instead just marked it on the map. There …
Brian Staveley’s new series ‘The Unhewn Throne’, which starts with the novel ‘The Emperor’s Blades’ follows three completely different storylines. The plot centres on three young adults, the offspring of the ruler of the mythical Annurian Empire, and how their lives are effected by his untimely death. Each sibling is separated from the other by thousands of miles, so each story is completely independent of one another.
The Lord of the Manor – “What shall we do with the scullery maid we found reading a book, Lord Dastardly?” “Have her dismissed, force her parents off my land, and send her brothers and sisters to the local poor-house. That should stop her getting ideas above her station…” You can’t beat the arrogance and sense of entitlement of the English Lord and Lady, unless….. The mean King – Unless he is the king of course! The English normally supply most these bad guys as well, and you have plenty to choose between. From Edward 1st ‘Hammer of the Scots’, Richard III locking his nephews in the Tower (then murdering them), to Henry VIII and his severance package for estranged wives. The decadent Emperor – Ancient Rome with all its wealth and power needs a good insane Emperor to keep things ticking along. Making a horse a senator (Caligula), killing his mother (Nero), or being deluded into thinking he was Hercules (Commodus), you have plenty to choose from, and that’s just Rome… Ancient China, The British …
To understand how the design came about, I thought I would explain the thinking behind it, and how it came to pass.
The novel describes the life of a young Spanish seamstress, and starts during the build-up to the Spanish civil war of the 1930’s.
What is it that separates fantasy novels from other genres? Most fantasy novels are set on mythical worlds straight from the author’s imagination, some inhabited by outlandish beasts, or strange and mysterious semi-human dwellers. But what really defines and holds these worlds together is the existence of magic.
Okay, I don’t want to drive everyone crazy by sending endless updates on my forthcoming novel – and I think I will limit my news on this subject to only Sunday from now on – but it is beginning to get quite exciting as I received the first review copies of the paperback version of my novel yesterday.
Historical Novels and Epic Fantasy 