Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson - Book Blitz + Giveaway
Visions of Zarua
Two wizards, 350 years apart. Can they save the realm of Paltria from Zarua's dark past?
An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago - a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?
An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago - a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?
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Excerpt
Paddren is still trying to come to terms
with his master’s death. It doesn’t help that the Royal Wizards refuse to admit
Kalesh’s death is caused by something other than natural causes. Here Paddren
is alone at Hawthorn cottage distraught after his master’s funeral...
Paddren rubbed his hands together and
glanced at the study’s empty hearth. It was too much effort to get up and light
the fire, so he huddled further into his cloak and reflected on Kalesh’s
funeral earlier that afternoon.
He
could still picture the old man’s benign face and recalled their first
encounter when he was only seven years old. The wizard had caught him sketching
a Nagra in his book instead of studying. When questioned, Paddren had confided
that the terrifying creatures plagued his nightmares. Kalesh had smiled as he
pocketed the drawing and promised to teach him how to banish his bad dreams.
Soon after that, Paddren left Kranor Castle and moved into Hawthorn Cottage.
The crude doodle was still pinned inside Kalesh’s journal.
As
Paddren sat alone in the study, the irony struck him – that drawing of the
Nagra had brought them together, now a Nagra of flesh and blood had torn them
apart.
He
swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat; he couldn’t afford to be
sentimental if he wanted to find the wizard responsible for Kalesh’s murder.
Returning
his attention to the journal spread out in front of him, Paddren flicked
through the entries hoping to find some answers in his master’s musings. Seeing
his own visions penned by Kalesh’s neat hand, Paddren’s exhausted mind teemed
with unwanted images. His eyelids grew heavy and his head sagged against the
desk as a vision reached out to claim him.
…He looked down at his wrist, seeing bright red blood
pumping from the deep gash in his artery. Blood trickled down his hand and
pooled around the hilt of the dagger clasped in his twitching fingers. He
slashed the blade across his other wrist, though his weakened grip meant it
took several sawing attempts for the artery to open. The dagger clattered to
the floor. He lay back, and only then registered the presence of the wizards
gathered around the bed, watching him, waiting for him to die…
Paddren
pulled off the Royal Wizard’s gold band and checked his wrists - relieved to
see it was only sweat dampening his skin. He shivered at the memory of the
blade biting into his flesh. Rubbing his wrists, he contemplated the new
vision. If Kalesh were still alive, they would’ve sat up all night recording
every detail and discussing what it might mean.
The
journal still sat in front of him. He closed the book and laid his hands on the
leather-bound cover, picturing his master as he searched for a part of Kalesh’s
essence imbued within the object. Anything that meant he wasn’t alone. All he
felt was a dark, yawning emptiness where his master’s spirit would’ve been.
Paddren
picked up the journal and disturbed the unopened letter hidden in its pages. It
landed on his lap, the shaky script of the sender staring up at him. To Kalesh - Hawthorn Cottage.
A
messenger had delivered the letter several days ago. He recognised the
handwriting of the old wizard, Ogniss, and knew he should find the time to
deliver news of Kalesh’s death to him in person.
Paddren
hid both the journal and letter away, wishing he could banish them as easily
from his mind. As he did, his hand brushed against the pouch of herbs stashed
at the back of the desk drawer. He picked up the small drawstring bag,
unleashing a waft of the astringent scent of fararoot, the crushed root that
formed the main element in his vision-suppressing potion. It had taken months
to perfect the dosage, and to add the right mix of purple lentah to counter the
nausea it always induced. He longed to surrender to the welcome oblivion it
would bring him, but he abstained to honour Kalesh’s memory. The old wizard had
abhorred the use of anything that impeded Paddren’s visions. Maybe if he’d been
stronger he could’ve learnt to harness the visions and found a way to give
Kalesh the answers he’d been so desperate to find.
He
shut the drawer and locked it, determined not to touch the herbs again.
Instead, he would embrace the visions and hope they would somehow lead him to
his master’s killer.
Author Bio –
Suzanne lives in Middlesex, England with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.
She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave her the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream - even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day.
Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes.
She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.
Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of all she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.
Social Media Links –
Giveaway – Win 3 x Paperback Copies of Visions of Zarua (Open Internationally)
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2 Comments
Thank very much for taking part in Visions of Zarua's birthday blitz today.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
DeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.