Of The Divine
by Amelia
Atwater-Rhodes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fine the five places Amelia goes for inspiration after the Blurb.
GENRE: FICTION/Fantasy
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BLURB:
Henna is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Order of
Napthol, and her runes ’s runes tell her that the future of Kavet is balanced
on the edge of the knife. The treaties between Kavet and the dragon-like race
known as the Osei have become intolerable. The time has come for the royal
house to magically challenge Osei dominion. Prince Verte, Henna' lover, is to
serve as the nexus for the powerful but dangerous spell, with Naples--an
untested young sorcerer from the Order of Napthol--a volatile but critical
support to its creation.
Amid these plans, Dahlia Indathrone’s arrival in the city shouldn’t matter. She has no magic and no royal lineage, and yet, Henna immediately knows Dahlia is important. She just can’t see why.
As their lives intertwine, the four will learn that they are pawns in a larger game, one played by the forces of the Abyss and of the Numen—the infernal and the divine.
A game no mortal can ever hope to win.
Amid these plans, Dahlia Indathrone’s arrival in the city shouldn’t matter. She has no magic and no royal lineage, and yet, Henna immediately knows Dahlia is important. She just can’t see why.
As their lives intertwine, the four will learn that they are pawns in a larger game, one played by the forces of the Abyss and of the Numen—the infernal and the divine.
A game no mortal can ever hope to win.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where are five places you might visit for inspiration for your books?
I
wish I had more opportunities for travel, because there are always places I’ve
wanted to go to help inspire and research books, but I can describe places I
have gone in the past and places I hope to go.
Some
of my research was done close to home:
Kavet, the country where the Mancer Trilogy takes place, is roughly
analogous to the coastal areas of Maine in terms of climate, and the structure
of the capital city is inspired by 18th century Salem, Massachusetts. As part
of research, I’ve enjoyed visiting the Salem wharf district, and the historical
sites that are focused on the port-city’s maritime history (instead of just
witches).
Other
research has been based on trips I’ve gone further afield, the most notable
being a hike on a glacier in Alaska. I didn’t go to Alaska specifically to do
research-- I was visiting a friend-- but said friend is also an active writer,
and I’m sure she understands that much of Ice
House (a novel I’m considering for publication after the Mancer trilogy
ends next year) takes place in the glacial lands known as the Embracing Sea,
where brave sailors can gain wealth in exotic trade, but any ship who lingers
too long at the end of the season is likely to find itself iced in place for
the long winter.
Another
fun and inspirational adventure was a trip through the Howe Caverns in New
York. At the time I was working on a novel set primarily in a subterranean
complex formed from a series of natural caves, which had been initially
intended to be part of a resort but had become nearly the last refuge for human
beings on the planet (this for a futuristic sci-fi novel I currently call Sororcula). I would love to go back at
some point and take the “extended tour” that opened up in 2015.
There
are a couple places I would like to revisit before revising Disappearing Isle, a novel that takes
place after my last YA novel Promises to
Keep. For one, I want to explore a few of the major routes and junctions in
Boston, New York and Florida-- the character ends up taking trains from Boston
down to Tampa, and if it were remotely practical (it isn’t) I would love to
trace his route. More importantly, I would like to spend a bit of time at the
campsites on the western coast of Florida, which also play a role in the story.
Besides, who doesn’t want an excuse to visit the Gulf side of Florida?
Last
but not least, I want to see the Frank Church—River
of No Return wilderness area in Idaho. The Salmon River area is more or less
where the entire Maeve’ra Trilogy took place, and I would love to see it (and
probably see how much I got wrong!). We have forests in Massachusetts, but
they’re young forests; most of this area was clearcut not long ago and
re-planted more recently. I want to go see the old forests.
Of course, all these are sites I know are inspirational because
they have already inspired or been featured in a book. As for the places I
would like to go, it’s hard to say.
Every new place has the potential to whisper a new story in my ear. That’s why
I like to take any opportunity I have to see and do new things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
The ocean that covered most
of the Numen’s first level was clear and sweet. It lapped against diamond sand
where tiny long-legged birds spread wings the color of honey as they raced back
and forth, plucking drifting seeds from the air. The Numini—those perfect,
beautiful sentinels who ruled the divine realm by might and decree—watched the
birds’ antics with gentle amusement.
One Numini looked past the
white sands and crystal waters below to a realm where the ocean was cold and
tasted of salt, where verdant green cascaded across rich earth, and where the
mortal creatures lived.
Soon, she thought. She was
one of the three arbiters who ruled the Numen, second only to the high justice
of her kind.
“I am concerned about the
Abyssi,” remarked one of her brothers, a lesser judge. “We have worked for
generations to nurture these lines of power, and now they could all be—”
“Have faith,” she assured
him. “Abyssi scrabble at the mortal realm like dogs at a closed door. They
always have. They lack the wisdom or discipline to do more than that.”
“But do the mortals have the
wisdom to keep the door closed?” he challenged.
“Faith,” the arbiter said again.
This time it was a clear chastisement.
She knew their children in
the mortal world were defenseless. Humans had minds barely capable of
comprehending their own existence, and as a consequence lived short and brutal
lives. They needed their divine guardians to guide and nurture them. The
Abyssi—vicious, mindless beasts of the infernal realm—could fight for
sovereignty all they wanted. In the end, it wouldn’t matter.
In the mortal realm, all
things served the divine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote her
first novel, In the Forests of the Night, when she was 13 years old. Other
books in the Den of Shadows series are Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror,
Midnight Predator, all ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults. She has also published
the five-volume series The Kiesha’ra: Hawksong, a School Library Journal Best
Book of the Year and VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List
Selection; Snakecharm; Falcondance; Wolfcry; and Wyvernhail.
Buy link:
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Amelia
Atwater-Rhodes will be awarding a limited edition print copy of the book *U.S.
only* to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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