Have you read Book 1 of S.M. Blooding's Devices of War Trilogy? I have it, and the second book, Knight of Wands, nearing the top of my reading list! Today, we have an excerpt from Knight of Wands to share with you!
I received a complimentary copy of this book for use in my posts. All opinions are my own.
About Book 2 of the Devices of War Trilogy
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Steampunk AdventurePublisher: Blooding Books
Description: (Can be read as stand-alone)
Return to a world of mind blowing visuals, heart stopping action, and ships that sail the skies. Nix, Queen of Wands, has exactly what she wants—Synn El’Asim, the greatest Mark the world has ever seen. Even though she bound his soul to hers, he is not easily controlled. If she wants him, she must do the one thing that pains her most. Let him go, and give him what he desires. Peace. Armed with a treaty bearing Nix’s seal, Synn sets off to bridge the gap between the world’s two reigning tyrants—the Hands of Tarot and the Great Families. He struggles to trust Nix as he fights for control of his soul. He’s going to need every ounce of restraint when dealing with his mother, leader of the Great Families. She will not give up her power without a fight. Nix will honor her treaty only if Synn agrees to become her knight. His mother refuses to sign the peace agreement if he falls into the queen’s control.
Frustrated, Synn does the one thing neither woman saw coming. He invites all the tribes, currently voiceless in the war between these two ruling tyrants, to partake in the treaty negotiations. All they have to do is prove their worth in his Peace Games. As Synn’s influence and subsequent power grows, a new fight begins. Who will control Synn’s League of Cities? Can he protect more people as a leader of the Great Families, or as the Knight of Wands?
Read an Excerpt from Knight of Wands by S.M. Blooding
“I can’t see anything,” Carilyn shouted.
Of course not. “Just help me keep her steady as we descend.”
She nodded, her full attention focused on the panes of glass.
The landscape lit up in flashes of brilliant blue light. Rain
fell in sheets onto the rolling ocean.
“You’re taking us there?” Carilyn shouted.
I didn’t answer. I thought it was pretty self-evident, and I
needed all the concentration I could spare.
Flash.
A black mass morphed into jagged cliffs.
Darkness took over again, the cliffs hiding in rain and shadow.
Flash.
The cliffs were closer. A lot closer than I’d anticipated. We
were being pushed too far. I corrected, swinging us back around. The spot I’d
seen before hid in blackness, almost as though it had been swallowed up by a
void.
Flash.
The cliffs were further away.
There. I could barely make out the small meadow.
It disappeared. I peered through the darkness, seeing only the
reflection of the gauge lights beaming back at me from the rain slicked
windows.
Flash-BOOM!
The entire aircraft shook.
Aiyanna yelped.
Carilyn glanced at me, her knuckles white in the orange light
from the dashboard.
I couldn’t afford to take my attention off landing.
Gently. Gently.
It still felt odd to have an aircraft of any type touching
earth. Why in the world would anyone want that?
As we got closer to the ground, the propellers pushed against
the earth to slow our descent. They blew the vegetation, the trees, the vines.
The vegetation under the dome was thick and hid the earth, which
wasn’t nearly as level as I’d originally thought, but then again, I was an
airman. I didn’t know much about dirt.
Carilyn watched the gauges, shouting orders, but for the most
part, she let me control the navigation stick. When we were settled, Carilyn
twisted back and stared at Aiyanna. I couldn’t see the priestess’ face, but
Carilyn raised her eyebrows, nodded, and turned back to her gauges. “We should
shut her down, wait out the storm.”
I nodded and let her do that.
It got eerily quiet as the engines puttered to a stop. The only
thing I could hear was the patter of the rain, which wasn’t falling as hard as
it had seemed while in the air, and the murmuring of the wind.
I swiveled in my chair so I could
see both of them and took off my headphones. “Would you like to explain why you
followed me?”Find on Goodreads | Buy on Amazon or Read for Free with Prime
Did you miss Book 1?
Buy Fall of Sky City Book 1 :
Amazon-Kindle| Amazon-Paperback| Goodreads
Praise for Fall of Sky CityWow! What did I just read?? The story was deliciously complex, full of fear, wonder, magic, gadgets, gizmos, one heck of a psycho Queen and wonderful friends. Every character brought something to the story, each with a unique personality that came to life through the book, each with their own fears to overcome. -Victoria Limbert
I love the world Blooding has created. She managed to create it in a way that it combines specs of all my favorite movies, books, etc. It’s a mixture of young adult fantasy, steam punk, dystopia, sci-fi, paranormal and even some tiny bit of romance. Fall of Sky City is a diverse book that is intense, a little bit violent, and a whole lot of awesome! I look forward to reading the next book of the series! - Unputdownable Books
SM Blooding is a new author to me, but this is definitely not the last book I’ll read by her. Synn El’Asim is a powerful character–the reader sees him grow from a young man who has not yet come into his power to a strong man who is courageous enough to fight for what he believes in–his family and his people. The world building Ms. Blooding does is nothing short of remarkable. A world composed of flying ships, ice worlds, danger, and intrigue. - My World of Dreams
This book is action-packed and intense. You feel like you’re part of the drama. This story is intense. The action is perfectly paced. I had trouble putting the book down. I really felt for Synn from the very beginning. He goes through so much. As soon as he gets his mark, he is plunged into one situation after another. Queen Nix, who is horrifying by the way, pushes Synn to new levels, in more and more diabolical ways. With the help of friends and family, Synn becomes a strong leader. -Waiting on Sunday to Drown
I’m amazed of the world Blooding has created and built. It has Sky, Land, and Water Cities. These cities each has its own technologies, language, and a whole different way of life. These worlds remind me a lot of Avatar the Last Airbender and Star Wars, which I both loved wholeheartedly. -Bahrain Newspaper Article Review!
Meet the Author:
SM “Frankie” Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, and Jack the Bird. Jack has refused to let her to take up the piano again, but is warming to the guitar. It might help that Frankie has learned more than two strings. She’s added a few more Arabic words to her vocabulary, but don’t invite her into conversation yet—unless, of course, you’re willing to have a very . . . slow . . . conversation.
She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.
She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!
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