Friday, February 13, 2009

Guest Blogger: BRUCE SKYE

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Bruce Skye today - author of a wonderful new fantasy series called "The Deathsong Chronicles" - having read the first book, I can personally tell you it's a wonderful series! So, enter the world of the Grayrider, and see for yourself... We'll be grabbing a name from among the comments, too - and you'll receive a beautiful hardcover edition of the book as a thank you for stopping by.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A former technical writer, detail is important to Bruce Skye. His research for the Deathsong Chronicles included medieval armor and fortresses, as well as Celtic names and magic. "If you create a world, it must be consistent. And that's what I strive for Grayrider's world to be. I've built a database of material for each of the Deathsong Chronicles. Those databases aid me in keeping the world the same from book to book.

"When I wrote Grayrider, I followed the advice of Stephen King. I did not write the book following any sort of outline. I have no more idea than my readers do when I write a novel what will happen in the midst of the story. It makes it more exciting for both the readers and myself."

You can visit his website at http://www.bruceskye.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Gabriel, the exiled king of Rivalin, comes before King Airell to warn him the Ansgarian army will invade his kingdom before the night is over. Airell tells him he has no one to send. Gabriel wants revenge for the murder of his family by the Ansgarians. He decides to fight the incursion without help.

As this takes place, Deirdre (Airell’s daughter), flees the kingdom of Cynyr north of Boadhagh. She knows now her mentor, Morrigan, created the Ansgarian army her father has fought for years. She goes south to warn him of her. Because Deirdre does not believe in herself, the young sorceress has difficulty in performing magic.

Once she is reunited with her father, she tells both he and Grayrider about Morrigan. Her power is growing; only Gabriel’s magical sword may yet destroy her. He must go to Cynyr to fight her. He agrees if Deirdre attends him, seeking her counsel. On that journey they fall in love and foil many efforts by Morrigan to kill Gabriel by both armies and sorcerers.

Grayrider fights Morrigan and sees his beloved slain by the sorceress before he is finally able to kill her. He returns to Rivalin brokenhearted. The ending is a complete surprise the reader will not expect at all.


From BRUCE:

A Non-Traditional Traditional Fantasy Tale

I must be honest: I’m a traditionalist. I love The Lord of the Rings. To me, Tolkien created the fantasy genre. And it’s a wonderful tale. However, my writing is modeled after Jack Higgins, the suspense author. So, what does that mean I offer fantasy readers in my work?

Grayrider, the first volume of The Deathsong Chronicles, is traditional fantasy. But before you say “not another one,” hear me out. My books have complex, well-rounded heroes and villains. One reviewer has commented: Skye has a talent for vivid descriptions that will make you feel like you are in the middle of the story. His great character development and strong story line make this a great read. I enjoyed it and look forward to more Deathsong Chronicles.

However, just because I’m a traditionalist, doesn’t mean my characters are clichéd. Cristel, in her review of Grayrider on the Robots and Vamps blog, wrote the following:

I really like the characters in the novel because they are unique versus the typical fantasy archetypes. Gabriel (Grayrider), the revenge seeking warrior, possesses a magical sword that deals death just by being drawn. It cannot be sheathed until someone dies.

My emphasis on characterization lends to the realism of the storylines. This also helps me create a very suspenseful novel. Reviewers have written about this as well: Wow, this is such a great book. I just couldn’t stop reading it. Grayrider offers the reader everything they could need in a story. There is romance, sword fights, magic, and more to keep the reader entertained. The story line moves at a fast pace and keeps the reader very involved. I found that I could not put the book down.

So, although this is a traditional fantasy story, it is also very non-traditional.


6 comments:

  1. Great post! I read this in just 2 afternoons and must say that I loved it! An excellent book for lovers of fantasy and those that may not no much about fantasy novels (such as I). The characters are awesome and very unique!

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  2. Love the sound of this. I kept reading what you said and found myself agreeing with you completely. I too am a Tolkien fan, fantasy is my first love. I'm going to have to go get this one. Forget the budget.

    LaVerne

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  3. What a great sounding story! Thanks for sharing it!

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  4. This is exactly what we need, more fantasy in this most difficult world.

    Great blog post.

    Marilyn
    http://fictionforyou.com

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  5. the books are great reads and the author is a very special guy who I'm honored to call a personal friend can't wait till the next one is out so I can read that one and then the next and the next andthe next and this type of genre is not what I normally read but GrayRider just drew me in and wouldn't let go
    do yourself a favor and get this book to read asap U won't be sorry

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  6. This sounds great, and it's neat to read that you follow Stephen King's advice. So many people say you've got to have it all planned out before you start.

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Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.