Darkness Rising - Redemption #epicfantasy

Darkness Rising - Redemption available on Amazon

Ross Kitson, fantasy author extraordinaire, has just published part 6 of the Darkness Rising series. Part SIX! If you've been keeping tabs on the series, each book fits into a large scheme of plot, characters, and perhaps the most amazing world-building I've ever seen.

Have a look at some of the adventure and battle coming your way in his new book:

'There's no change without loss. No gain without sacrifice. Redemption is rarely painless.'

War has ripped apart Artoria as the dark forces of Vildor prepare for the final battle. Flying north to battle, Lady Orla forms an uneasy alliance with the Artorians. Yet her heart remains heavy with the guilt of recent betrayal.

In the wilderness of the Wastes, Emelia has succumbed to Vildor's black charm and watches helplessly as his schemes come to their terrible conclusion. Separated from his partner, Hunor, the Wild-Mage Jem races across Artoria to save Emelia. But more than just Vildor stands in his way as the terrors of the past seek to steal the might of the crystals from his grasp, and with them all hope of salvation.

The final book in the epic fantasy series, Darkness Rising- Redemption brings the incredible journey to its thrilling conclusion.

Take a look at Kitson's reviews:

'Tightly plotted, very well-written books, with a multitude of engaging characters.'  The British Fantasy Society

'Each page is a new rush of tension, mystery and adrenaline.' Amazon reviews.

'A finely crafted and unique fantasy novel which had me hooked from the first page.' Amazon reviews.

You can buy Darkness Rising - Redemption on Amazon US and UK. 

Ross M Kitson works during the day as a consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthesia in the UK. He is married with three lovely children who soak up most of his free time. His works include the Prism series of epic fantasy, and the YA sci-fi adventures of the Nu-Knights.

images courtesy of wikipedia.org

#CoverReveal for Darkness Rising 5 by Ross Kitson

Besides being a great guy, Ross Kitson is a serious talent on many fronts. His writing is incredible, and he also creates detailed maps that take my breath away. (I'll freely admit here I'm a Map Ho.)

You can see both in his Darkness Rising series, a must-read for any epic fantasy fan. I love the books because they have real characters, heart-pounding action, and constant surprises that keep me turning the pages to read more.

Here is the cover for the latest installment, Darkness Rising (Book 5: Broken):

PS - The cover was created by Ceri Clark, who has been on hand to do each book for Ross. She's always amazing, and I think she outdid herself here with Broken.

And here is the blurb for Broken:

'Beneath the veneer, beneath the beauty, there is always the coldness of stone.’ 

Tragedy has torn apart Emelia and her companions, a terrible betrayal instigated by the Darkmaster, Vildor. A devastated Jem struggles to control the fearful power of the crystals, becoming distant from his closest friends. Hunor and Orla are tested by a secret from the past, a revelation that will change everything between them. In the Dead City, Emelia begins a search for her past, a journey that will plunge her deeper into the darkness of Vildor and his twisted schemes.

Desperate to seek aid in their battle against Vildor, the companions travel north to Belgo, capital of North Artoria. But everything is not what it seems in the palace, and danger lurks in every shadow, whether cast by friend or foe. 

Separated and alone, can Emelia, Jem and Hunor hope to prevail? Or will the evils of the present and 
the past overcome them at last?

Darkness Rising 5 – Broken is the fifth in the epic fantasy series that reviewers are calling ‘epic and 
spellbinding.’ It is a must read for fantasy fans the world over. 

The Beauty of Damaged

In the shower, where I get most of my important thinking done (memo - must get Shower Notes) I started to muse about how beautiful damaged people can be. 

Damage itself is very ugly, and of course I wouldn't wish trauma or sadness on anyone. What some people go through, either as kids or adults, can be terrifying even to contemplate.

However, the pain can be a type of bridge, almost a gift, to lead a personality from a basic, settled view of life to a new set of visions - perhaps that life is incredibly precious. Perhaps the damaged people get, more than anyone, the realization that nothing is more important than the people you love, and from the depths of agony, courage and strength can arise. 

In fiction and in film, I've always been "caught" by certain characters, by what their hideous pasts have done to them. Sometimes the pain makes them badass, sometimes they are in therapy or worse, or trapped in a long spiral down.

Yes, the spiral is fascinating, and I don't say this as a sadist. I repeat - I would never wish trauma on anyone. But to see a character spin out of control - it's a lovely dance...

ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE OFFERED REDEMPTION.

That's the key. An endless descent becomes a VH1 "Behind the Music" special - you know what's going to happen - wealth, fame, and the onslaught of drink, drugs, insanity.

But if there is the possibility of escaping the spiral - an incredibly difficult act to accomplish, and one I do not take lightly - at that moment, I'm hooked. I love when Butch and Marcellus create their own 'honor among thieves' code of conduct. Ditto the friendship which elevates Andy Dufreyne and 'Red' Redding.

The downward / redemption concept captured me in Wool, in the Sherlock Holmes BBC series, in The Fault in Our Stars. 

Hazel Grace by spockward on deviant art

In the last one, Hazel Grace and Augustus are damaged by a dreadful thing beyond their control - the evil villain known collectively as Cancer. Bring two damaged people together and watch them find beauty and redemption - yeah, I read that book twice. And I'll read it again.

It's what sucked me into Darkness Rising, books 1,2,3 and now 4. It hooked me in The Lord of the Rings - the horrifying darkness surrounding Gollum and how (SPOILER ALERT, AND FOR GOD'S SAKE READ THE BOOKS) he is the key at the end to deliverance.

Son, that downward spiral has just begun.

I don't mean to belittle those who have had perfect lives, happy childhoods, plentiful friends, fantastic careers. If this describes you, receive my congratulations and a hearty handclasp! 

But, as I say, in fiction and in film and also in real life, those damaged people can be very beautiful. Their eyes are hooded with secret knowledge. Complex passageways are carved through their thoughts. They are careful with their own words, so they do not betray themselves.

They are human: scarred, tattooed, wounded.

They are beautiful.

So Many books, So Little Time

In the comment section of my Avatar post, someone suggested the Allie's War series. Dedicated reader that I am, I dashed right over and checked out the series. Yup, it looks fantastic. And there are loads of books by the author. And I want them all.

Here's my reading list, should I win a zillion dollars and get to buy all the Kindle copies I want:

1. That Allie's War series. "Twenty-eight-year-old San Francisco native, Allie Taylor, at least thought she was human. Against a gritty and original backdrop of a modern-day Earth populated by a second race of beings, Allie finds out she's a member of an enslaved yet deeply powerful race, whose members believe her to be their most venerated leader, come to end the reign of humanity." Interesting!

2. Anything by Neil Stephenson. I'm deep into Quicksilver right now, with Cryptonomicon on deck. Quicksilver is  about "an explosive scientific battle of preeminence between Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz over the development of calculus." Calculus? A battle between mathematicians? I'm there. (I can read about it, just can't understand it.)

3. Gideon the Cutpurse series. I love the cover and I've had a few friends tell me the books are incredible. "Gideon Seymour, cutpurse and gentleman, hides from the villainous Tar Man. Suddenly the sky peels away like fabric and from the gaping hole fall two curious-looking children. Peter Schock and Kate Dyer have fallen straight from the twenty-first century, thanks to an experiment with an antigravity machine. Before Gideon and the children have a chance to gather their wits, the Tar Man takes off with the machine -- and Kate and Peter's only chance of getting home. Soon Gideon, Kate, and Peter are swept into a journey through eighteenth-century London and form a bond that, they hope, will stand strong in the face of unfathomable treachery." Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

Love that cover.

4. For my epic fantasy side, Darkness Rising by Ross Kitson. He  got me right from the start with his description of the heroine, Emelia. Plus, his world building is incredible. I'm a fool for maps, and that book has great maps. "Emelia is trapped in servitude to uncaring and haughty masters. When tragedy strikes, strange powers emerge within her - powers of the Wild-magic, sorcery reviled by the elemental orders. Escaping from her masters, Emelia embarks upon an epic adventure to find the Prisms and defeat the lord of the ghasts. Only she holds the key to their location but the Wild-magic comes at a dire cost...that of her mind."