Monday 25 July 2011

The 'Random Cover Art That Has Nothing To Do With The Competition' Competition Winner's Post!

Yep, this particular piece of cover art has nothing to do with the rest of this post at all. The book came through the door on Saturday morning, I took one look at the cover and was all full of thoughts like 'wow...' and 'robot dragons rule...' I reckon you'll be the same as well, check it out,

Isn't that cool? What, you're after the blurb as well? Ok, here you go...

In the Volstov capital of Thremedon, Owen Adamo, the hard-as-nails ex–Chief Sergeant of the Dragon Corps, learns that Volstov’s ruler, the Esar, has been secretly pursuing the possibility of resurrecting magically powered sentient robot dragons—even at the risk of igniting another war. That Adamo will not allow. Though he is not without friends—Royston, a powerful magician, and Balfour, a former corpsman—there is only so much Adamo and his allies can do. Adamo has been put out to pasture, given a professorship at the University. Royston, already exiled once, dares not risk the Esar’s wrath a second time. And Balfour, who lost both hands in the climactic battle of the war, is now a diplomat who spends most of his time trying to master his new hands—metal replacements that operate on the same magical principles as the dragons and have earned him an assortment of nicknames of which “Steelhands” is the least offensive.


But sometimes help comes where you least expect it. In this case, from two first-year university students freshly arrived in Thremedon from the country: Laurence, a feisty young woman whose father raised her to be the son he never had, and Toverre, her fiancĂ©, a brilliant if neurotic dandy who would sooner share his wife-to-be’s clothes than her bed. When a mysterious illness strikes the first-year students, Laurence takes her suspicions to Adamo—and unwittingly sets in motion events that will change Volstov forever.
 
Here's a book where the cover has made me just want to pick the thing up and get going; the only thing stopping me here is that I haven't read the previous two books. Can I get away with just diving stright into this one? I'll have to think about that one...
 
Onto the important business of the day now. Thanks to everyone who entered the 'Awakenings' competition last week; there could only be one winner though and that lucky person was...

 Ariel Eisler, Louisiana, USA

Nice work there Ariel :o) Your book will be on it's way very soon.

So, what's coming up over the course of the week? Like I'm going to tell you that right now... ;o) All I'll say is that I'll be reviewing one book that turned out to be a hell of a lot better than I thought it would be. I'll also be reviewing two more books that I thought would be cool but ended up being, well... disappointing to say the least.

See you tomorrow!

3 comments:

Strannik said...

I've got to ask, since Steelhands looks interesting, when is it expected out on the Western side of the Atlantic?

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much!!! This was so freakin cool!!! I had honestly forgotten about the contest and didn't expect anything of it. Thanks again!

Tantopat said...

Just so you know, there are actually three books in the series before Steelhands. Although Shadow Magic probably isn't as central to the main series plot as the others, at least. Don't let having to read the series put you off, though, as it's a very good series to read! :) (Yeah, I'll stop now before I really start gushing and geeking out over it. XD)