The Splintered Crown by Larry N. Martin Book Tour and Giveaway :)
The
Splintered Crown
A
Tankards and Heroes Novel
by
Larry N. Martin
Genre:
Epic Fantasy, Adventure Quest
A
medieval fantasy with a party of adventurers all ready to make a name
for themselves and earn some gold.
Tankards
and Heroes is set in the city of Kortufan, where spies, assassins,
mercenaries, arms dealers, rebels, smugglers, and informants do dirty
deals dirt cheap.
The
Poxy Dragon is a rough bar outside the worst part of the medieval
Silk Road. It takes serious courage just to walk into the place, not
only from its reputation but because of the rough clientele,
questionable food, awful beer, and abysmal hygiene. Lots of taverns
in Kortufan are home to ruffians and illegal dealings, but the Poxy
Dragon is the proving ground for heroes - with a cemetery out back
for the ones who don’t make the cut.
Lady
Leota, the resident demigoddess at the Poxy Dragon, sends would-be
heroes to different realms on quests. Once committed, there is no
turning back, and if they want their reward, every party member must
return through the portal – dead or alive.
“As
if this job could get worse,” Kieron Lucero muttered under his
breath. His companion, Mitchell Calderon, grimaced in agreement.
“You
there! Guards! Get into place and watch the cargo. I’m not paying
you to gossip.” Alphonse, the overfed merchant who had hired them
for this job, glared at them. “There are brigands in these woods. I
need you to stay sharp!”
Kieron
and Mitchell had worked lousy jobs before. Kieron’s military
background, along with his impressive height and strong muscles, made
him a natural sell-sword – despite having the face of an angel,
curly brown hair, and blue eyes that won over the ladies.
Mitchell’s
past was more brawler than soldier, but even those who didn’t guess
that he was a wolf-shifter knew to keep their distance. They took one
look at his muscular build, slate gray hair, and yellow eyes, and
knew a predator when they saw it.
Jobs
had been scarce, and money tight. Normally, Kieron and Mitchell could
pick and choose. But lately, with the bad harvest and some unrest to
the north, caravans and traveling merchants weren’t plentiful. He’d
been too quick to agree to the job and let down the people depending
on his judgment. There would be time to berate himself for his
mistake later. They’d signed on without asking enough questions,
and this is what it got them. Trouble.
Alphonse
reminded Kieron of a slug, all the more so once he and Mitchell
discovered what the cargo actually was.
People.
They’d been hired by a fawking slaver.
Kieron’s
molars ground together. As soon as he and Mitchell had found out,
they’d made plans. But as Kieron knew well from his time in the
army, things could—and did—go wrong, even with the best strategy.
And what the two of them had dreamed up didn’t come close to being
anyone’s “best” plan. On the other hand, it beat the shite out
of the alternatives.
Aside
from Kieron and Mitchell, their party included Alphonse, the wagon
driver, two other guards who had probably been hired out of an alley
behind a local tavern, and the hapless prisoners in the wagon.
Alphonse, Kieron, and Mitchell rode their own mounts. The other
guards either rode with the driver of the wagon or walked beside it.
Kieron
had stolen a look inside and counted five men and women, likely
bought from the debtor’s prison in Kortufan. The wagon that carried
them was a big wooden box with a single, barred window. A heavy lock
secured the door. Kieron had listened for the drag and clink of
manacles, relieved when he only heard the shuffle of feet and low
voices.
The
Rhone Forest cut a swath across the kingdom of Trinadon, impossible
for travelers to avoid. The steep Shahoran Mountains and the
white-capped rapids of the mighty Tellgran River restricted the paths
of the highways that cut through the forest.
Larry N. Martin
Larry
N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage
Rat, and the new portal fantasy series, The Splintered Crown, A
Tankards and Heroes novel. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin)
of the Spells, Salt, and Steel: New Templar Knights series; the
Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories
and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron &
Blood universe. He is also the co-author (with Gail) of the Wasteland
Marshals series and the Joe Mack - Shadow Council series from
Falstaff Books.
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