Apologies to GoddessFish and my visiting authors: The last couple of weeks have been really hard on me with some personal issues going on, and this new blogger interface is driving me insane. As a result, my posts have not made it up as early as I would like. GoddessFish is a class-act, and the authors they host have wonderful stories. I'm tardy, but these folks are great and I very much enjoy hosting them. Things will be back to normal in the next week, as everything is now in line as it should be.
Fezariu's Epiphany Guest Author
Welcome, everyone! Today I'm bringing you Fezariu's Epiphany by author David Brown. I've hosted a lot of books here, and I don't ever pick one that I'm not personally interested in reading. But I have to say, there's something about this book that stands out to me more than many others. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but from the moment I read the information I was all over this book. I even ordered it that week....
And it was amazing. I don't often say things like that when hosting a book, nor do I post reviews. But this one had to be said.
So let's get right to talking about the book!
Fezariu's Epiphany
12-year-old Fezariu thought his mother died when he was little, but when his beloved stepfather dies the boy discovers she is alive and well - and working at the most famous brothel in all of Elenchera. When she cruelly rejects him it's more than he can bear, and he runs away to join a band of ruthless soldiers for hire. The Merelax Mercenaries will fight for anyone who can pay them, no matter the justice of the cause.
Fezariu grows up among the soldiers and becomes one of them. He thinks his time with the mercenaries has hardened him. But a campaign in his old home town pushes him too far, and he discovers what really happened to his mother. Maybe there are some things money shouldn't buy... and maybe it's time Fezariu took his revenge.
I asked David to talk about what sets his world, Elancharia, apart from other worlds that authors build. Here's the information he shared with me:
Welcome to the world of Elenchera. If you’re stuck for a holiday this year why not drop on by? We have twenty-three different lands for you to visit, some warm, some cold, others mountainous, others covered in snow or desert terrain and the locals... well, the locals, are a varied bunch as well. We have humans who you should be used to, as well as elves, dwarves, tolderes, valkayans, elamorgias, Cauls, Sargonians and many more. One last thing! You might want to take out travel insurance before jumping into the world of Elenchera. This isn’t a relaxing beach holiday! It’s aesthetically pleasing in terms of the landscape but gritty and uncompromising in everything else.
I first discovered the world of Elenchera back in 1999 and more than ten years later it remains with me. I’ve dug deep into the history and explored the twenty-three lands in detail, recording everything I’ve seen, heard and felt in a timeline stretching beyond 47,000 years and in even greater detail with two novels – Fezariu’s Epiphany (2011) and A World Apart (due May 2012). Elenchera is not for the faint hearted. Amidst the many lives of its races are stories of fierce struggles for survival, happiness plucked from the depths of misery, betrayals, love, war, discovery and wonder.
Elenchera is a world built, shaped and inspired by our own world history. During the development of Elenchera I was indebted to one book, Cassel’s World History, which charted all the significant events in human history and gave me useful insights into the birth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, prolonged wars, advances in science, economy and agriculture, and some truly amazing stories, proving that individuals truly can change the face of history. Though a lot of work has gone into building the world of Elenchera that history as a whole is primarily my concern only. My readers are not being fed endless chronicles of towns and cities; they are offered the stories of the characters that inhabit this world. It is those characters who take centre stage in any novel from the Elencheran Chronicles.
My debut novel, Fezariu’s Epiphany, is set during the Fourteenth Shard, or age of history, in Elenchera and reveals a time when colonialism is prospering and the world’s most famous hired hands – the Merelax Mercenaries – are somewhat in decline. That’s merely the backdrop to the story of Fezariu whose early childhood includes the abandonment of his mother and the murder of his stepfather, all significant moments that shape him in later life. The reader learns of Elencheran history in the novel but it is merely to set them in the moment, not to offer them a seemingly endless history lesson.
Elenchera is a fantasy world but in many ways it is meant to resonate with the reality of life that we live each day. The characters whose journeys you share are meant to take hold of you; their stories could easily happen in our own world; they just happen to take place in Elenchera. I want readers to be able to dip into the novels and feel a part of the world but not to have it overwhelming them. Fantasy worlds are wonderful places and the likes of Middle Earth, Narnia and Discworld are among the best but none of them should ever detract from the story and the characters. That’s the promise I want to make to you when you come and visit Elenchera. Now, bring your guidebook and let’s start this journey...
Elenchera is a wonderfully crafted world, David. Let's share an excerpt from this book so others can hopefully fall in love as much as I have.
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EXCERPT
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Jessamine took hesitant steps forward as she approached Fezariu. Tears began to well in her eyes causing her make-up to run. She glanced nervously at the bar where the patrons continued their bidding before coming to a stop in front of her son.
‘Fezariu,’ Jessamine said, reaching out to him instinctively before stopping herself. She hardened her tone. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I came to find you, mother,’ Fezariu replied. ‘Peter told me that you were dead but I found the letters you sent him.’
‘How did you know I was here?’
‘I heard two merchants talking about you in the market. I was so excited I’d found you that I followed them straight here.’
‘I don’t understand what you’re doing in Clarendon. Why has Peter brought you here, Fezariu?’
Fezariu paused. The raised tone of Jessamine and her general demeanour seemed alien to him. This was not the same woman that had raised him before disappearing from Larchfield. ‘Mother,’ Fezariu said, with his bottom lip trembling, ‘Peter...died.’
‘What?’ Jessamine replied, her stern voice giving way to wavering uncertainty. ‘When? How?’
‘It was a few months ago. He was attacked and killed while doing his deliveries. Uncle Edward came to Larchfield for Alycea and I. He brought us to Clarendon and that’s when I found the letters you had sent Peter. As soon as I heard those merchants mention your name and the White Oak I knew I had to come here. I will take you to Uncle Edward’s bakery, mother. We can leave together.’
‘I’m not going anywhere, Fezariu,’ Jessamine said, seizing her son’s arm and dragging him towards the front door. Fezariu tried to loosen her grip but could not overcome his inferior strength. ‘I want you to leave, Fezariu. I don’t want you here.’
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YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM FEZARIU'S EPIPHANY
YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM FEZARIU'S EPIPHANY
~~@~~
Mm. Fond memories. Really enjoyed these two characters.
David has a giveaway today!!
He will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly chosen commenter at the end of the tour. Follow the Tour! The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Tour dates can be found here:
 David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Honors in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters. Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and the in-progress A World Apart, combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten., David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month traveling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life. LINKS: The Elencheran Chronicles: The World According to Dave: Twitter: Facebook: Goodreads: Amazon: |
~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com
Posts
A tourism blurb for Elenchera--clever!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you for hosting David today ... and thank you for your kind words. We appreciate you and hope things get better for you very soon.
A big thank you to Claire Ashgrove for hosting me today.
Thank you for your kind words about the book and about Goddess Fish who always deserve a special mention.
If any readers have questions I'll be happy to answer.
Hope everything is back to normal for you soon, Claire.
Wow, sounds like a great book.
autumnflower6ATaolDOTcom
Hi Jennifer
Thank you for your kind comment.
If you ever read the book I hope you enjoy it :)
Claire...I hope everything is OK...that things start looking up for you--whatever is going on.
David...Sometimes it's the OBSESSED writer who creates a truly awesome, original world.
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
23 different lands. I'm blown away by the world building.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Hi Catherine,
You're one of the first to refer to me as an obsessed writer! I quite like that tag :)
Thank you for your kind comment
Hi Mary,
Thank you for commenting. Yes, 23 lands in all. I sometimes look back and wonder what on earth I was thinking when I started the world building. I'm glad it's all worked out okay in the end :)