Friday, February 5, 2016

Sneak Peek: From the Ashes of Ruin Series by Matthew D. Ryan




Blurb

We vampires do not make easy prey. Our weaknesses are few, our strengths many. Fear is something we do not know, and death but a distant memory. So tread softly, pray to your god, and gird yourself with silver when the moons arise and night’s dark prince awakens. We fear not the wizard, nor the warrior, neither rogue, nor priest; our strength is timeless, drawn from darkness and we know no master save the hot lust of our unending hunger. We long for blood, your blood and no blade, nor spell, nor clever artifice, can keep us long from our prize. Feel our teeth at your throat, your life ebb from you, and know as darkness comes to claim you that the price of your folly is your everlasting soul.


Excerpt

I change shape and take to the air. It is a clear, cold night, with no clouds to hinder my vision. Below me, the dark canopy of the forest bears an even darker scar; the trail of the old river and its sister road to town and Arcalian.

Despite my near limitless power, I am cautious about openly wandering in a human city on a clear night. I have had run-ins with them before and I have no wish to draw undue notice. I soar in a long gliding circle to free my mind for concentration.

It takes but a moment.

Then the storm begins to build, drawing in clouds from the distant sea. They roil and churn in the darkening night, reaching forth with long writhing tendrils as if to grasp the town with a shadowy hand. A chilling gust of wind sweeps through the forest trees and the mists boil forth from the valley floor. All told, I spend an hour circling the town while the storm gathers its strength. Then, as the first lightnings begin to flash and the rains begin to fall, I descend on shadowy wings into the heart of Drisdak, the city on the Sea of Sorrows.

The mages guild is easy to find; its rancid stench of magic can be smelled from blocks away. It’s a tall building, made of stone, looking more like a miniature keep than a guild house. Five circular towers loom up from a central stone edifice. I have no doubt that Arcalian can be found in the highest tower in the room of the guild master, undoubtedly basking in the luxuries my services provided.


About the Author

Matthew D. Ryan lives in northeastern New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. His writing has been featured at Aphelion.com and YesteryearFiction.com. He is the operator of the web-site matthewdryan.com which features his blog,A Toast to Dragons,(http://matthewdryan.com/a-toast-to-dragons-the-blog/) a blog dedicated to fantasy literature, and, to a lesser extent, sci-fi. He is the author of the dark fantasy novelsDrasmyr,” “The Children of Lubrochius,andThe Sceptre of Morgulan,as well as a growing number of fantasy short stories including:Haladryn and the Minotaur,” “The Rivers Eye,andEscape.

Drasmyr




The Children of Lubrochius





The Sceptre of Morgulan







Giveaway!

Matthew will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

23 comments:

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thanks for hosting!

Lisabet Sarai said...

A very warm welcome to Beyond Romance, Matthew!

I found your excerpts really intriguing. And I love your covers.

Erzabet Bishop said...

Great covers and the books look wonderful!

Erzabet

erzabetwrites at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Thanks. I hope you'll take a gander at the books. "Drasmyr" is currently free.

Unknown said...

Thanks. I'm glad you like them.

Unknown said...

Thanks for hosting me today. I really appreciate it.

MomJane said...

Fascinating and somewhat frightening excerpt.

Unknown said...

Awesome covers! Great excerpt, thank you for the contest!

Stormy Vixen said...

Enjoyed the excerpt, sounds like a thrilling book, thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

Yeah, my vampire definitely does not sparkle. He's basically a Dracula-style vampire in a Middle Earth-like world. Not someone you want to date. I hope you take a look at the books. I'm sure you'll enjoy them if you are into dark fantasy.

Unknown said...

Thanks. Which cover do you like the best? My favorite is "Drasmyr" which I recently had remade.

Unknown said...

Glad you liked it.

Patrick Siu said...

I have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.

Sue A. said...

The excerpt was very vivid with all five of my senses heightened!

Unknown said...

Glad to hear it. Why don't you download a copy of "Drasmyr" -- it's free! :)

Unknown said...

Cool. That's what I like to hear.

Mary Preston said...

A beautifully descriptive excerpt.

Unknown said...

Thanks. Glad you like it.

Unknown said...

Thanks for hosting me today. I really appreciated it.

Victoria Alexander said...

Really great post, I love the cover!!

Victoria Alexander said...

Really great post, I love the cover!!

Unknown said...

Thanks. Glad you like it.

Unknown said...

Thanks. I appreciate that.

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