I'm happy to have Karin Gastreich return to share a wonderful guest post about the romantic knights and mages in High Maga. Be sure to check out her release, now in audiobook format, and also the great giveaway at the end of this post.
Swords and Staves: the Romantic Leads of HIGH MAGA
By Karin Gastreich
When the going gets rough, who would you prefer to have at
your side: a brave knight or a skilled
mage?
In High Maga,
Eolyn has both, and then some!
When the Syrnte army invadesMoehn and destroysEolyn’s home,
she finds herself alone in the highlands with loyal Sir Borten andcunning Mage
Corey.Both were sent by Eolyn’s old flame, King Akmael, who is a mage and a warrior.
The alliance between Eolyn, Borten, and Corey is a fragile
one. Eolyn has reason to distrust both men, and Borten and Corey have no
fondness for each other. As if this weren't enough, the Gods weave their
mischievous magic with all of them, striking sparks of attraction in unbidden
moments.And of course, there is the memory of Eolyn’s romance with Akmael that
continues to haunt her heart.
Read more about Akmael, Borten, and Corey below, and tell
me: Who would you choose for the keeper of your heart, if you were in Eolyn’s
shoes? Inquiring minds want to know!
Akmael, King of
Moisehén
No list of suitors is complete without Eolyn’s first and
perhaps most enduring love, Akmael. Eolyn and Akmael met as children near her
home in the South Woods. They found an immediate bond in their enthusiasm for
magic. That bond grew into friendship, attraction, and on the cusp of
adulthood, love. For reasons developed in my first novel,Eolyn, fate and duty force them down separate paths, Akmael to rule
over his people, and Eolyn to take on the arduous task of reconstructing
women’s magic.
Akmael is part of a long line of kings that dates back to
the very first warrior chief of Moisehén, a man called Vortingen. According to legend, Vortingen led the war
against the People of Thunder, who sought to destroy the followers of Dragon.
As a reward for his service and victory, Dragon entrusted Vortingen and all his
descendants with protecting Moisehén.
Akmael carries a deep sense of responsibility toward the
crown and his people. He wants very much to be a good king, and to rise above
the legacy of violence and oppression that marked his father’s reign. Yet his
are a restless people, and it is no easy task to make them live in peace.
Akmael is also tormented by an unquenchable desire for Eolyn, made more painful
by the fact that he is bound in a loveless political marriage with a princess
from a neighboring realm.
When the Syrnte invade Moisehén, Akmael must balance the
need to mobilize his army with a deep personal concern regarding the fate ofEolyn,
who is caught behind enemy lines. As much as Akmaelwants to attend personally
to the search for Eolyn, a much larger duty calls. So he sends Sir Borten and
Mage Corey in his stead, and prays that the Gods keep them all safe.
Sir Borten
In my first novel,Borten appears briefly. Early in his
reign, Akmael pardons Borten for a transgression that should have cost the
knight’s life. In return, Borten submits to his king with unfailing loyalty and
becomes one of Akmael's most trusted servants.
Like Eolyn, Bortenis from the isolated province of Moehn. It
is partly for this reason that Akmaelappoints him toEolyn's guard. Though
Borten has blood ties to the impoverished nobility of Moehn, his family is of
low rank. This allows Corey to refer to him disparagingly as a "peasant
knight", a habit that does little to encourage Borten’s friendship.
Even as I wrote the opening chapters of High Maga, I did not anticipate the importance Borten would assume
in Eolyn’s journey. Indeed, I had few plans for him beyond wielding a sword in
the Eolyn's defense. Then one day, one of my critique partners said to me,
"You should giveBorten a crush on Eolyn."So I did. That's when Sir
Borten's story became very interesting.
Borten’s affection for Eolyn is steady and true. He shares
her love for the wild landscapes of Moehn, and he has a deep admiration for her
work in women’s magic. However, the knight also harbors a dark secret about the
past, a painful truth that if revealed, could unravel the very foundation of
their friendship.
Mage Corey of East
Selen
Corey was born to a family of magas and mages that ruled the
eastern province of Moisehén. One night
when he was still a boy, his clan was massacred by Akmael’s father,Kedehen.
Corey escaped thanks to the intervention of his cousin Briana, who was captured
by Kedehen and made queen.
At once prisoner and adopted son of the royal family, Mage
Corey struggles with conflicting motivations.
On the one hand, he desires vengeance for the obliteration of his clan.
On the other hand, he is bound by loyalty to the few individuals who still
share his bloodline, among them Briana’s and Kedehen’s only son, Akmael.
Corey and Eolyn first meet under the auspices of his Circle,
a travelling show that brings the illusion of magic to the people of Moisehén.
The mage recognizes Eolyn’s importance early on, but much time will pass before
Eolyn fully understands the true extent of Corey’s power, and what his
influence and ambitions will eventually mean for her.
The chemistry between Eolyn and Corey crackles with tension.
Their relationship is one of constant disagreement, wary admiration, and latent
attraction. Although Corey might be considered a minor character, his fate is
tightly intertwined with Eolyn's. The final outcome of the saga, to be revealed
in the third book Daughter of Aithne, will depend crucially on the resilience of
this besieged friendship.
HIGH MAGA [audio
edition]
Karin Rita Gastreich
(author)
Darla Middlebrook
(narrator)
Sisters in magic, Eolyn and Adiana seek to revive a craft
once forbidden to women. When war strikes at the heart of the kingdom, their
fledgling community of magas is destroyed; its members killed, captured or
scattered.
In hopes of defending her people, Eolyn tries to escape the
occupied province and deliver to King Akmael a weapon that might secure their
victory. Trapped by the invading army, Adiana is taken prisoner and placed at
the mercy of the ruthless Prince Mechnes.
Even as their world is torn asunder, Eolyn and Adiana cling
to a common dream. Courage and perseverance guide them toward a future where
the Daughters of Aithne will flourish in a world set free from the violence of
men.
“War propels the book forward, and the characters are at
their best when the events engulfing them are at their worst.” –Publishers
Weekly
Purchase Links:
About the Author:
KARIN RITA GASTREICH writes tales of ordinary women and the
extraordinary paths they choose. Inspired by a lifetime of exploring lush
forests and breathtaking landscapes, Karin’s stories blend elements of epic
fantasy, historical fiction, and romance. The worlds she creates are a strange
amalgamation of medieval Europe and colonial Central America, with misty
forests, vast savannas, and steamy jungles. They are populated by brave
heroines, noble heroes, and twisted villains. From ancient woodlands to
uncharted seas, readers will experience gripping battle scenes, heart wrenching
loss, hard-won triumphs, and the ultimate magic of love. Karin’s fantasy novels
Eolyn and High Maga are available from Hadley Rille Books. Her short stories
have appeared in Zahir, 69 Flavors of
Paranoia, and World Jumping. She
runs an on-line discussion forum about women in genre fiction at Heroines of Fantasy. Follow Karin’s
adventures into fantastic worlds, both real and imagined, at krgastreich.com.
Author web links:
Karin’s web site: http://krgastreich.com
Heroines of Fantasy: http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com
Twitter: @EolynChronicles
About the Narrator:
Darla’s voice is a versatile instrument used with skill. It
is a voice filled with intelligence and warmth.
Her sound can range from mature to youthful female, and she can also
produce convincing male timbres.
Narrative is presented in a conversational, down to earth,
matter-of-fact manner and also displays a broad emotional range across a large
repertoire of characters (female, male, young, old and "creature"). All of that while still conveying a sense of
wonder when telling the story.
With experience of 34+ years as a Speech-Language
Pathologist, more than 20 years as a stage & film actor and over 20 years
as a trained singer with knowledge and insight into the mechanics of the voice
and speech, Darla Middlebrook brings a wealth of experience to bear to develop
character voices (male, female, mature, extremely elderly, creepy, bright
exotic, etc) with an impressive emotional range.
Currently, Darla is one of many voice actors who narrate
podcasts for AIRS-LA (an audio internet service for individuals with visual
challenges) in addition to narrating audio books.
Narrator Web Links:
Website: http://www.darlasvoice.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damiddlebrook
Twitter: @GypsyCatVoice
Giveaway:
*~*~*
6 comments:
Thanks for the giveaway, Marsha.
hosting*
And loads to Karin for offering.
Thank you for hosting me, Marsha!
You're always welcome to visit me, Karin! Wishing you much success with the release!
Certainly very interesting with an arresting cover.
Thank you, Mary! The artwork was done by Thomas Vandenberg.
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