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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Bookish Treats (No Tricks, It's a Giveaway!) for Halloween

My good friends over at Gallery Books have asked me to host a giveaway for a trilogy of high fantasy books by Canadian author Chris Evans. I haven't had a chance to read these yet, but I think the story looks exciting. The giveaway is for all three books - paperbacks of the first two - A Darkness Forged in Fire and The Light of Burning Shadows - and a hardcover of the third, Ashes of a Black Forest, which just barely came out. Nice, huh? The contest be a quick one - it will run until midnight (MST) on Halloween and is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. To enter, just leave a comment on this post. As always, if you blog, Tweet, Facebook, etc. about the giveaway, I'll give you one extra entry per method of spreading the news. Good luck!

More info on the books:

Book 1 of the Iron Elves: A Darkness Forged in Fire (Pocket Books; May 26, 2009; $9.99)

“Slyly humorous details…”—Publishers Weekly

“Evans’s first novel heralds the launch of an outstanding military fantasy series…Strong storytelling, a compelling cast of heroes and villains, and a keen knowledge of military tactics of the Napoleonic era make this a priority purchase for most libraries and a splendid read for fans of both sf and fantasy military adventure. Highly recommended.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A masterful debut—if J.R.R. Tolkien and Bernard Cornwell had a literary love child, this would be it.”—Karen Traviss, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“An earthy, sardonic antihero…flanked by a large, colorful cast.”—Booklist

“Chris Evans new series could be labeled muskets and magic…I’m waiting eagerly for the next installment of this exciting adventure.”—UCReview.com, Henry Lazarus

A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE introduces an unforgiving world of musket and cannon…bow and arrow…magic, diplomacy, and oaths—each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war.

In this world, Konowa Swift Dragon, former commander of the Empire’s elite Iron Elves, is looked upon as anything but ordinary. He’s murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished in disgrace to the one place he despises the most—the forest.

Now, all he wants is to be left alone with his misery…but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple. The mysterious and alluring Visyna Tekoy, the highborn daughter of an elfkynan governor, seeks him out in the dangerous wild with a royal decree that he resume his commission as an officer in Her Majesty’s Imperial Army, effective immediately.

For in the east, a falling Red Star heralds the return of a magic long vanished from the earth. Rebellion grows within the Empire as a frantic race to reach the Star unfolds. It is a chance for Konowa to redeem himself—even if the entire affair appears doomed to be a suicide mission…and the soldiers recruited for the task are not at all what he expects. And worse, his key adversary in the perilous race for the Star is the dreaded Shadow Monarch—a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine. A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE will keep many lights on late into the night this summer as readers find themselves hooked to the last page.

Book 2 of the Iron Elves: The Light of Burning Shadows (Pocket Books; October 26, 2010; $9.99)

“Evans evokes the era of Napoleon with muskets and slashing swords while neatly mixing in military fantasy, swords and sorcery, and a great deal of success; readers will no doubt end up desperate for the next volume.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A gutsy fantasy set in a world of imperial greed and magical plotting, with an eye for the ordinary soldier’s plight that would have done Kipling proud.”—Karen Traviss, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Musket and cannon, bow and arrow, and magic and diplomacy vie for supremacy once again in the second epic fantasy adventure from acclaimed author Chris Evans. As the human-dominated Calahrian Empire struggles to maintain its hold on power in the face of armed rebellion from within, the Iron Elves’ perilous quest to defeat the power-hungry witch, the Shadow Monarch, takes on greater urgency.

The Iron Elves, shunned by their own people for bearing the mark of the Shadow Monarch, and desperately wanting to forever erase this shame, became legendary for their prowess on the battlefield as the Calahrian Imperial Army’s elite shock troops. But when their commanding officer, Konowa Swift Dragon, murdered the Viceroy of Elfkyna, he was exiled, and these brave elves were banished to a remote desert outpost, doomed and leaderless, their honor in tatters.

Recalled to duty to reform his regiment from the dregs of the Imperial Army, Konowa thwarted the plans of the Shadow Monarch at the Battle of Luuguth Jor—ensuring that the fabled Red Star, a source of great natural energy, did not fall into Her hands. Now Konowa must cross storm-tossed seas to seek out the lost elves and the prophesied return of another Star somewhere in a desert wasteland roiling with mysterious power, infernos of swirling magic, and legends brought back to life in new and terrible ways. And the fate of every living creature will come to depend on a small band of ragged and desperate soldiers, whose very loyalty to the Empire they have sworn to serve is no longer certain. When death is but a temporary condition, a terrifying question arises: who is the true ally—and fearsome enemy—in a growing conflict that threatens all? THE LIGHT OF BURNING SHADOWS will keep a strong hold of readers as they seek to find resolution in this thrilling epic.

Book 3 of the Iron Elves: Ashes of a Black Frost (Gallery Books; October 18, 2011; $25.99)

“Evans ably continues the saga of the determined and driven Iron Elves and their valiant leader, Maj. Konowa Swift Dragon, in this gritty follow-up to 2009’s The Light of Burning Shadows…heroic action keeps Evans’s fans coming back.”—Publishers Weekly

“A fast-paced, action-filled, fitting end to an epic tale between forces of good, evil and those with a bit of both, filled with characters from fairy tales to nightmares who all play their roles beautifully, especially the enigmatic Konowa Swift Dragon. You’ll want to read this trilogy…”—Romantic Times, ****Four Star Review

The acclaimed epic fantasy series Iron Elves by Chris Evans captured readers with A Darkness Forged in Fire and The Light of Burning Shadows, and now has followers eagerly anticipating the third and final in the Iron Elves series, ASHES OF A BLACK FROST (Gallery Books; October 18, 2011; $25.99).

Amidst a scene of carnage on a desert battlefield blanketed in metallic snow, Major Konowa Swift Dragon sees his future, and it is one drenched in shadow and blood. Never mind that he has won a grand victory for the Calahrian Empire. He came here in search of his lost regiment of elves, while the Imperial Prince came looking for the treasures of a mystical library, and both ventures have failed. But Konowa knows, as do the Iron Elves—both living and dead—that another, far more important battle now looms before them. The campaign in the desert was only the latest obstacle on the twisted, darkening path leading inexorably to the Hyntaland, and the final confrontation with the dreaded Shadow Monarch.

In this third novel of musket and magic in Chris Evans’s Iron Elves saga, Konowa’s ultimate journey is fraught with escalating danger. A vast, black forest finds a new source of dark power, spawning creatures even more monstrous than the blood trees from which they evolve. The maniacally unstable former emissary of the Shadow Monarch hungers for revenge, leading an army of ravenous beasts bent on utterly destroying the Iron Elves. A reluctant hero, Private Alwyn Renwar, struggles to maintain his connection to this world and that of the loyalty of the shades of the dead. And in a maze of underground tunnels, Visyna Tekoy, whom Konowa counts among those he has loved and lost, fights for her life against the very elves he so desperately wants to find.

And so Konowa sets off from this Canyon of Bones, pursuing his freedom from a curse that has cast his life in darkness. For though his long, violent trek may indeed lead him to his destiny, he is ill prepared for the discovery he will make…with the fate of the Iron Elves, and the world, hinging on the courage of one wrathful elf. ASHES OF A BLACK FROST will engage Iron Elves enthusiasts from beginning to end, as well as entice new readers as part of a series that is “a grand new entry in the field of fantasy masters” (Richard A. Knaak, New York Times bestselling author)—a Fall 2011 adventure not to be missed.

(Book images are from Indiebound.com)

14 comments:

  1. I would love to win these books!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I, too would love to win! Fantastic sounding series...

    ReplyDelete
  3. These actually look interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It sounds like a good series. Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These sound really good. Thanks for the opportunity!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mikayla Rowland26 October, 2011 15:55

    They look awesome!! I totally want to read them!

    ReplyDelete
  7. These sound really interesting, I'd love to win them!

    LindseyAylward@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the titles of these books! They look really good as well! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love high fantasy.. I would LOVE to win these!!!
    Email: kristy at dreamingbyday dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. This looks like a great series....please enter me!'

    melissaseclecticbookshelf at gmail dot com

    ♥ Melissa @ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

    ReplyDelete
  11. I tweeted too!

    https://twitter.com/#!/myeclecticbooks/status/129658194548097024

    melissaseclecticbookshelf at gmail dot com

    ♥ Melissa @ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

    ReplyDelete
  12. Count me in (: I always need new books!

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

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