Tag: #Adventure

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Dragonsong

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Sometimes, nothing but the death of your father will do


Dragonsong

by Michael Forester

Genre: Epic Fantasy Adventure



Rebekah, noblewoman of Albion, has been driven to madness by the murder of her lover Vidar. In her torment she bargains with the Prince of Demons to turn her into a dragon. Thus transformed, she seeks to take revenge upon her father, Merlin, whom she is fooled into believing is responsible for Vidar’s death. To save the world from the ravages of Dragonsong, Merlin is forced to banish his beloved daughter to hell, regardless of the consequences for him personally. 

Behind the subterfuge stands Oberon, Captain-King of Elves. He does not foresee the devastation his jealousy and unrequited love for Rebekah will unleash upon Gaia when he frees her from Merlin’s spell and summons her from hell to support his war against Albion.

To save Gaia a second, Merlin is forced to travel back in time to prepare a warrior capable of overcoming the dragon through the power of the Sleep Stone. But he does not foresee the bond that will develop between the dragon and his own assistant, the Seer, Michael of Albion. If Lady Attie and Michael prove unable to return the Sleep Stone to the mouth of Hell in time, the Demon Army will be swarm out of Hell and overrun Gaia.

Time. Time is the key. Time is the only solution to Gaia’s destiny – but only if the gods of Asgard can find a way to stop it.  

 

What readers are saying:

“On a par with the epic of Beowulf, this modern day classic never ceases to amaze. Gripping, thrilling, twisting and turning, the plot of this epic piece of verse (an achievement unrivalled in the 20 the century, I’d say), will have you gripped from start to finish. Don’t just dream of dragons and elves, Kings and Warriors, heaven and hell: read about them and allow the mythology to soak deep into the fibre of your being! You, and your deepest soul, will be thrilled.” -Rod Boothroyd

 

Absolutely beautiful book I loved this book. It is a tale of wizards, demons, dragons, elves, love and treachery set around the Arthurian court but written in rhyme. I have not read any poetic literature for over 40 years since studying Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight at university so this book intrigued me. I am full of admiration for anyone who can write beautiful poetry but when they can also tell a story at the same time I find that quite remarkable. It is about the battle between elves and men, love stories ending tragically and deceit and treachery. I would urge people to read this even if they haven’t read poetry in a long time, I just found it so beautiful and the story will entrance you. The last lines as written by the Scribe are “Or wilt thou, reader, now persuade me once again to take my pen And make another story come to be? All I can say is that I really hope so!  – A 5 Star ***** Review By Breakaway Reviewers

  

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Michael Forester is a deafened author who lives between the New Forest and the sea. He is a full time author and public speaker, travelling both in the UK and internationally, speaking inspirationally and signing his books for readers in locations as far apart as the UK, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. He is the author of ten published books to date, on subjects as diverse as business strategy, spiritual inspiration and epic fantasy poetry.

Michael’s own journey has taken him from early years in academia into middle years in management training and Neuro Linguistic Programming. It has taken him from normal hearing to near-profound deafness and the life-changing arrival of a hearing dog, Matt. It has taken him through a miraculously survived suicide attempt in 2002, into a spiritual awakening.

He has travelled to over forty countries, from the Amazon Rainforest, encountering ecological devastation, to South Africa, experiencing post-Apartheid forgiveness; from a personal pilgrimage in search of the singing bowls of Nepal, to a first-hand examination of the darker side of economic modernisation in the Philippines, besides many other destinations.

 

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Posted in Book Tours

The Quest for Freedom

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

One man against the world


The Quest for Freedom

The Conquest Trilogy Book 1

by Matthew Devitt

Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy, Action, Adventure




Affer was once a peaceful planet, until a war broke out between its six inhabiting species. The humans, who were once the mightiest force on Affer, were massacred in droves, and the ones who survived the onslaught were reduced to mere slaves. The five other species divided the humans amongst themselves and returned to their respective kingdoms.
The years passed, turning into decades and centuries, without any change. Eventually, the humans had accepted their fate as slaves. All except one. Four hundred and seventy-three years later, Fletcher Rush starts his journey to free his kind…and conquer the planet.

 

**Use the code “silver” for $3 off the paperback at The Author’s Website!**

 

**Only .99 cents!**

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I’ve always had a love for fantasy, and to this day LOTR and The Inheritance Cycle remain some of my favorite books. There are limitless possibilities when you’re writing, but with fantasy, it’s different. You don’t have to adhere to rules or logic; you can create whatever type of world you want. Characters can live in a dystopian society, a grand futuristic city, a picture-perfect world, or a medieval wasteland. Time, technology, and magic are all there for the taking, and as a writer, you get to choose what defines your story.

 

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The Sacred Band

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Where gods walk the earth and warriors defy fate. 


The Sacred Band

Sacred Band Series Book 8

by Janet & Chris Morris

Genre: Epic Fantasy Adventure



The Sacred Band of Thebes lives on, a world away, in this mythic epic of love in war in ancient times.

In 338 BCE, during the Battle of Chaeronea that results in the massacre of the Sacred Band of Thebes, Tempus and his Stepson cavalry rescue twenty three pairs of Theban Sacred Banders, paired brothers and lovers, to fight on other days. These forty-six Thebans, whose bones will never lie in the mass grave that holds their two hundred and fifty-four brothers, join with the immortalized Tempus and his Sacred Band of Stepsons, consummate ancient cavalry fighters, to make new lives in a faraway land and fight the battle of their dreams where gods walk the earth, ghosts take the field, and the angry Fates demand their due.

 

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Don’t miss the rest of the Sacred Band Series!


The Sacred Band of Stepsons series is Homeric and heroic fiction following the exploits of an ancient cavalry unit modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. Deftly mixing history, myth, and fantasy, Morris’ Sacred Band of Stepsons live and die in a world where gods are real and magic works — sometimes.

Morris’ accursed cavalry commander, Tempus, first appeared Sacred Band first appeared in the million-selling Thieves’ world shared-universe in 1981. Subsequently, Janet Morris, first alone and subsequently with her husband Chris Morris, take the Sacred Band into their own series of novels, set in the fourth century BCE. Passionate, gritty, lyrical prose and unforgettable characters make this series. Perseid Press Sacred Band novels includes the “Author’s Cut” of the Beyond Sanctuary Trilogy and Tempus, as well as the epic novel The Sacred Band, and The Fish the Fighters and the Song-girl.

 

Find them at Perseid Press



Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work was in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she also wrote historical and other novels. Morris either wrote, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

 

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

 

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Posted in Book Tours

Kidnapped (David Balfour Book 1)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

“A thrilling adventure story, gripping history, and fascinating study of the Scottish character” from the author of Treasure Island (The Guardian, “The 100 Best Novels”).

Just as newly orphaned David Balfour discovers his scheming uncle is trying to steal his inheritance, he’s kidnapped by a sea captain with plans to sell him into slavery in the Carolinas. Before long, the ship is hampered by strong winds and rough seas, throwing David together with Alan Breck Stewart, a roguish Jacobite with a score to settle. Surviving shipwreck, assassins, and subterfuge forges their friendship, uniting the two young men on a rip-roaring journey that will take them across the Scottish highlands.

“Kidnapped is [Robert Louis Stevenson’s] masterpiece, an unforgettable novel of action that would inspire writers as varied as Joseph Conrad, John Buchan, Graham Greene and Muriel Spark. . . . An astounding action adventure in which Stevenson’s command of narrative, prose that’s pared to the bone, is never less than enthralling.” —The Guardian, “The 100 Best Novels”

“One of the great pleasures of reconsidering Stevenson was rereading Kidnapped. I came back to it hesitantly, nervously, expecting to take my seven-year-old self to task, and found from the beautiful, stately opening pages, wherein David Balfour leaves his home for the last time, that I was captivated. Alan Breck remains a wonderfully jaunty character, and I was struck afresh by Stevenson’s gift for describing landscapes that both shape and reveal the actions of the characters.” —The Atlantic

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson remains one of the classic coming-of-age stories for children and young adults today. After the death of his father, David Balfour sets out to meet his uncle and claim his inheritance. This adventure takes him through the highlands of Scotland where he embarks upon a long journey back from treachery and deceit. The reading by David Rintoul, whose voice is easily recognizable from his roles in several PBS productions such as Pride and Prejudice, translates the written word into an auditory landscape of Scotland. He interprets each character using several voices. As the story progresses, listeners can hear David changing from an uncertain and hesitant youth, to the assured and forthright young man he becomes at the conclusion. Without any special effects, the fight among the crew of the Coventry in the RoundhouseAchairs pushed over, the sounds of the sea hitting against the great shipAbecomes easily visualized. the reader’s skill setting the stage and showing the growth of the character is phenomenal. While this is an abridgement, the story flows easily and gives a full picture from beginning to end. This audiobook is a wonderful way to introduce this style of literature to young readers who may feel inhibited by reading the language of Stevenson. Whether read for enjoyment or to enrich the learning experience, this is a must for every serious library collection of the classics.
Tina Hudak, Takoma Park Maryland Library, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

A finely honed, stirring adventure about the orphan David Balfour, who is kidnapped by his villainous uncle and escapes through the Scottish highlands, only to become involved in the Scottish struggle for independence. This edition features a new introduction by Margot Livesey.

From the Back Cover

A finely honed, stirring adventure about the orphan David Balfour, who is kidnapped by his villainous uncle and escapes through the Scottish highlands, only to become involved in the Scottish struggle for independence. This edition features a new introduction by Margot Livesey.

Posted in Book Tours

The Rabbi’s Knight

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

In possession of a cryptic ancient scroll, Rabbi Samuel, St. Clair and the others will risk everything to fulfill their shared and sacred destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount.


The Rabbi’s Knight

Prequel to Wages of Empire

by Michael J. Cooper

Genre: Historical Fiction


“The Rabbi’s Knight is instantly compelling and fascinating in its arcane plot and propulsive pacing. Literally, a page turner!” -Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Happiness Is an Inside Job

“A well-written historical adventure story . . . with unexpected twists and turns that keep you hooked . . . an exciting and historically fascinating read.” -Andrew Kaplan, New York Times bestselling author of Blue Madagascar and the Homeland novels

 

The year is 1290. At the twilight of the Crusades, war-weary Knight Templar Jonathan St. Clair is garrisoned in the port city of Acre in the Holy Land. In possession of an ancient scroll with a cryptic inscription, he learns that it holds the key to unlock the secrets of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

But time is running out. Acre will soon come under siege, and the one man able to divine the scroll’s meaning, Rabbi Samuel of Baghdad, has been targeted for assassination. St. Clair apprentices himself to Rabbi Samuel and together they travel to Jerusalem. On their pilgrimage, they are hunted by scheming emirs in the service of a bitter enemy of Rabbi Samuel. But they are aided in their quest by others: a brilliant young scholar, Isaac of Acre; a powerful young Scotsman, William Wallace; a learned Muslim mathematician, physician, and cartographer, al-Hasani; and a beautiful independent-minded woman, Zahirah, who avoids serving in an emir’s harem by hiding in a leper colony on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Rabbi Samuel, St. Clair and the others will risk everything to fulfill their shared and sacred destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount.

 

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Wages of Empire

Book 1


Winner — 2025 Pacific Book Award for Best Historical Fiction
Winner — 2025 International Impact Award for Historical Military Fiction

Grand prize winner – 2022 CIBA Dante Rossetti Award for YA fiction
First place honors – 2022 CIBA Hemingway Award for wartime fiction
Amazon Best Seller—Jan 2024—Historical World War I Fiction

 

In the summer of 1914, sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair leaves home to join the Great War for Civilization. Little does he know that, despite the war raging in Europe, the true source of conflict will emerge in Ottoman Palestine, since it’s from Jerusalem where the German Kaiser dreams to rule as Holy Roman Emperor.

Filled with such historical figures as Gertrude Bell, T.E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, Faisal bin Hussein and Chaim Weizmann, Wages of Empire follows Evan through the killing fields of the Western Front where he will help turn the tide of a war that is just beginning, and become part of a story that’s still being written.

 

“Masterful storytelling will keep you furiously turning the pages of this compelling (historical WWI) novel. A winner!”–Andrew Kaplan, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Blue Madagascar and the Homeland Novels

 “The characters, historical and fictional, come to life on the page as the storyline drives relentlessly forward. Bravo!”–Matt Coyle, bestselling author of the Rick Cahill novels

 “A beautifully written tale…exhibits seamless research in illuminating unforgettable historical and fictional characters…a tour de force!” –Professor Ronit Meroz, Dept of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

 “This superb historical novel is a must read…directly relates to issues we face today.” –Rizek Abusharr – Emeritus Director General of Jerusalem International YMCA

 “Cooper has made this period of history come alive. It is a treat to read.” –Rabbi David Zisenwine, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Education, Tel Aviv University

 “A Young Indiana Jones–style adventure.” –KIRKUS reviews

 “Story is gripping and the characters that he describes come alive through his skillful writing. I couldn’t put it down!” –Rabbi Gordon Freeman, Ph.D., Rabbi Emeritus, B’nai Shalom, Walnut Creek, CA

 

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Crossroads of Empire

Book 2



Winner — 2025 International Impact Award for Historical War & Military Fiction

Winner of the 2024 CIBA Hemingway First Place Prize for 20th Century Wartime Historical Fiction

2024 SF Writers Conference Writing Contest Finalist-Adult Fiction

 

“. . . both a gripping page turner and a series of carefully observed character studies. Beautifully written in a voice and in details that capture the era, Crossroads of Empire is a must-read for readers of all ages” -Chanticleer Book Reviews

 

The story of Evan Sinclair that began in Wages of Empire continues in Crossroads of Empire. Having survived German artillery, poison gas, and friendly fire in helping to turn the tide of the war in its first months, Evan barely survives his hospital ship’s sinking by a German U-boat. Left with amnesia, he no longer remembers who he is.

 Likewise, Evan doesn’t recall that, despite the European war, the true source of conflict is in Ottoman Palestine, since it’s from Jerusalem’s Temple Mount that Kaiser Wilhelm II dreams to rule as Holy Roman Emperor over Arabian oil reserves and the Suez Canal.

 The Middle East Front soon explodes with pitched battles at Suez and Gallipoli as Evan’s story is interwoven with those of historical figures Gertrude Bell, T. E. Lawrence, Winston Churchill, Faisal bin Hussein, and Chaim Weizmann.

 During his quest to recover his memory Evan will discover far more: love for his father, grief for his late mother, and hidden secrets of his bloodline-an unbroken lineage that stretches back to the Crusades and will determine his future role in the Great War. 

  

“Cooper masterfully crafts a novel that intertwines vivid characters and complex themes, blending historical fiction with elements of mystery and intrigue. This unique combination makes it a must-read for fans of both genres.”
   —BookTrib Review

 

“In page after page of Crossroads of Empire, I was thrilled with how the plot widened with various actors added as history unfolded one step at a time. The book picked up speed as it moved along with rising tension as disparate subplots charged forward to the conclusion. I loved it! Bravo!”
   —Sylvia Boorstein, PhD, bestselling author, teacher of Buddhist Insight Meditation, and co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center

 

“Crossroads of Empire dives into the tumultuous waters of World War I, presenting a thrilling narrative enriched by a blend of historical and fictional characters. Cooper’s writing is compelling and richly detailed, offering a tapestry of scenes that bring early 20th-century conflicts vividly to life.”
   —Literary Titan Review

  

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Michael J Cooper writes historical mysteries set in the Holy Land at major turning points of history—all the while subtly promoting the notions of coexistence and peace. His books have won multiple awards and include; set in 1948 Jerusalem Foxes in the Vineyard (winner of the 2011 Indie Publishing Contest Grand Prize); set at the twilight of the Crusades in 1290, The Rabbi’s Knight (finalist for the CIBA 2014 Chaucer Award for historical fiction); set at the start of WWI in 1914, Wages of Empire (winner of the 2025 Pacific Book Award for best historical fiction, winner 2025 International Impact Award for historical military fiction, the CIBA 2022 Grand Prize for young adult fiction as well as the Hemingway first prize for wartime historical fiction); A sequel of Wages of Empire, Crossroads of Empire (winner of the 2025 International Impact Award for historical war & military fiction as well as first place in the 2024 CIBA Hemingway for 20th Century wartime historical fiction, placed as a finalist in the 2024 SF Writers Conference and won first prize honors in the 2023 CIBA Hemingway wartime historical fiction category). 

 A native of Berkeley, California, Cooper absconded to Israel after high school and spent the next eleven years studying and working there. He lived in Jerusalem during the last year the city was divided between Israel and Jordan, studied at Hebrew University, and graduated from Tel Aviv University Medical School. He returned to the US to specialize in pediatric cardiology, and after 40 years of practice, he continues to return to the Middle East for biannual volunteer missions serving Palestinian children who lack access to care. Otherwise, he lives in Northern California with his wife and a spoiled-rotten cat. Three adult children occasionally drop by.

  

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