Hey all… we’re just 33 days (and counting) away from my first major release in twenty months. I am thrilled to bring The Dragon Eater (Tharassas Cycle Book 1) to you, thanks to Steven Radecki and Water Dragon Publishing.
Each week I’ll share something special about the book, and an excerpt. This week, it’s some “concept” art of Aik I commissioned from the amazing L.J. Phillips.
In the first excerpt, you met Raven the thief (and titular Dragon Eater). In the second excerpt, I introduced Aik, Raven’s loyal friend (and inconveniently for a thief, part of the Gullton city Guard). Last week it was their friend Silya, an aspiring Hencha Queen who has a long history with our other two protagonists. Today, I bring you Spin, the snarky AI that accounts for much of the science part of this sci-fantasy.
The cover reveal/preorder date is February 23rd, and the book officially goes on sale on March 16th.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Read on for the blurb and an excerpt.
The Blurb
Raven’s a thief who just swallowed a dragon. A small one, but still …
Now he’s growing scales, the local fauna is acting strangely, and his world is shaking itself to pieces. And his familiar, Spin, is no help at all.
His best friend Aik has been pining for him for years, and things are coming to a head. A guardsman and a thief? That would be … messy. And there’s also Aik’s judgmental ex Silya, who hates Raven and is facing a magical coming- of-age problem of her own.
The unlikely trio must deal with strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a sentient silver sphere. If they don’t igure out what’s happening to Raven and the world around them, it might be the end of everything.
When events spin out of control with world-ending consequences, what’s a thief to do?
Excerpt – Meet Spin
Spin Diver Ship’s Log: Run Year Twenty-Five, Day 72, Time 17:42:23 …
… play recording …
This is the final entry for the Spin Diver. The ship’s integrity is failing — likely result is the death of the one remaining crew member, Captain Sera Collins.
Initiating one final maneuver to try to save the life of Captain Collins.
Likelihood of success: 17.6%.
Likelihood of destruction of the ship, including the ship mind: 99.7%.
“You okay, Spin?” Captain Collins looked up at one of his screens. She was nervous.
So was he. “I’m not going to survive this, am I?” The thought caused a series of shorts across Spin’s shipboard circuitry
Sera bit her lip. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry, Spin.”
It didn’t matter. He was here to take care of her, of all the crew of the Spin Diver. And she was the only one left. “I will do all I can to save you.” Spin took a second to process the sudden flood of unexpected input that rushed through him at the thought of death. Of losing her. “It’s been a hell of a ride.”
Sera blinked. “Spin —”
He cut her off. He was operating well outside his parameters, and if he continued to do so, it was going to get her killed. Ruthlessly he shunted off the offending programming. “Twenty seconds to impact.” He set off one of the ship’s side thrusters and Sera fired the main rockets beneath the ship.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four …”
Sera, I love you.
The thrusters cut off and she was slammed against her chair. Crash foam filled the cabin.
“Three, two, one.”
His world went black.
… end of recording.