Shadow's Hand by Noelle Nichols Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Shadow's Hand
The
Shadow's Creed Saga Book 1
by
Noelle Nichols
Genre:
Epic Fantasy
I
used to believe our morals were absolute.
I
no longer am certain.
Imposters
pose as our Shadow group, spreading panic and killing innocents
across the lands. These False Shadows wield a magic in its infancy, a
power they call the Skills. There’s great potential to this power,
but a menacing undertone taints those who wield it. Their intentions
are sinister, without purpose, and their morals, questionable.
I
am Kilo, a Shadow of Vaiyene, and I vow to put an end to these False
Shadows. My friends have been killed. My homeland, threatened. These
imposters know our weakness, and they seek to exploit who we are. I
fear before the end, I may forsake the very creed I’ve lived my
life by. Despite this, I must persist and find a way to return peace
to the lands. I will become the strength our people need.
---
My
parents were brave and honorable.
I
am neither of these.
This
is no longer the world my parents knew. Peace is threatened in
Vaiyene and across the lands. The False Shadows have attacked, and
despite our Phantoms reassurance, I am not naïve enough to believe
we are safe.
I
am Shenrae, one of the next generation of Shadows. My comrades doubt
me, as I often doubt myself, but I have no other choice than to
fight. The Phantoms cannot protect us for long. Soon, I will have to
find my place, and my strength, or I will lose everything I have
left.
Shadow’s
Hand is the first book in a heroic epic fantasy, inspired by Japan’s
samurai and their warrior code Bushido. It’s a story about the
makings of a hero and the hero’s sacrifice. If you like characters
with strong morals, fast-paced epic storytelling and exploring
magic’s morality, you’ll love The Shadow's Creed Saga. Pick up a
copy today and join Kilo and Shenrae on their heart-twisting journey
to restore peace.
Excerpt
from Chapter 20, The Source of Strength, Shenrae POV
Syrane,
Torey and Phantom Asdar stood in a circle around a man’s dead body.
Torey and Asdar glanced up at my approach. Syrane did not.
My
stomach sunk. Why
wouldn’t Syrane meet my eye?
As
I drew closer, nothing could shield me from the harsh realities of
Shadow life. The man lay on the ground, an axe protruded from man’s
split spin. Blood soaked the earth. I glanced between Syrane and
Phantom Asdar. Despite the lack of emotion on our leader’s face, I
could sense his irritation.
He
grasped the hilt of the axe and pulled it from the man’s flesh. I
shuddered and closed my eyes as the wound gushed blood, the unusual
squish of metal being removed from flesh made me cringed. Blood left
my face and I fell as my knees crumpled beneath me.
Phantom
Asdar caught me with one hand and steadied me. He did not make eye
contact, nor did he say anything, his face blurring in my vision.
Dark circles appeared in my vision until they blacked out reality.
I
awoke to Torey holding my head off the ground. My head lulled forward
as I came to. Blood still oozed from the wound, pooling around the
man’s chest. I averted my eyes as bile rose at the back of my
throat. So,
it wasn’t a dream.
“Phantom
Asdar killed the man to save Syrane’s life,” Torey said under her
breath, moving her hands under my arms. I dug my feet into the
slippery earth, pushing and failing to get my feet under me.
I
looked around until I saw my brother. “Syrane…”
Syrane
yanked his horse’s reins and started back to the village, his gait
short and quick.
The
Shadows killed only under extreme circumstances. Saving a Shadow life
was an exception, though Syrane would not easily accept it.
I
managed to get my feet under me and wobbled on weak legs. Torey made
to go after him, but I stopped her, catching her arm.
“Leave
him,” I said, watching his rigid body storm away. It was best to
let Syrane deal with his initial emotions before trying to reason
with him. Talking to him now would do no good.
I
swallowed, a foul taste in my mouth. Of
all the reactions to have—did I really have to blackout in front of
Phantom Asdar? I
pressed my hands over my face, dragging my hands across my face. What
kind of Shadow passes out?
I
blew out an exasperated breath. “I guess all of us were
disappointments today.”
Hello, I'm Noelle. A writer, a creator and most of all a dreamer.
We
have the opportunities, both as writers and readers, to experience
people who are better than ourselves. Flawed still, but people who go
against all odds, perhaps too great for us in real life to aspire to.
They speak grander, fight against magical forces and live in a place
where imagination and dreams can thrive. This is why I write Fantasy.
Within my characters I find the strength and hope for a better
tomorrow, one that can be more fantastical and beyond reality. It's
these characters that I wish to write, and these journeys I want to
take my reader's on.
I've been
writing my trilogy, The Shadows Creed Saga, for the past five years.
The original idea came to me back in high school where I had the
support of many of my English teachers to continue writing the book.
However, I realized that in order to write a good book, I needed to
have experienced life more. I needed to lose someone close. I needed
to have my heartbroken. I needed to know what it was like to really
love someone, and what it means to be loved. So, I put my book away
and came back to it eight years later. I feel that I can instill my
life experiences into my characters now and really understand
them.
I now feel I have the
discipline, experience and imagination needed to bring the books to
publication. For now, this is my records to publication and my
writing process. My only wish is to write books that take people on a
journey, and feel that perhaps they have a friend and someone to
aspire to within the pages.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
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