Praise for the Epic Artesans of Albia Fantasy Series!
"Better than A Game of Thrones" - SCIFI, Amazon reviewer.
"Most impressive.
Fantastic series ... don't miss it!" - K S, Amazon Vine Voice
and Top 1000 Reviewer
"A must-read for fantasy fans" CR, Blogger and Amazon reviewer
"5 stars, but deserves so much more" AA, Amazon reviewer
"Splendidly written in a wonderful voice" RM, Author and Amazon reviewer
"One of the best fantasy books I've ever read" DC, Author and Amazon reviewer
Today is the first official day of the relaunch of my Artesans of Albia fantasy series. Below you will find the Rafflecopter widget for the Giveaway, and also the list of what's to win. So many cool prizes!
The first prize is a signed print copy, mailed anywhere in the world, of each book in the first trilogy. That's King's Envoy, King's Champion, and King's Artesan. Plus - yes, PLUS! - ALL of the e-books in the Book Blast! That's an awesome list from some awesome writers! Check it out once you've seen the rest of this post.
Here is the new series trailer - what do you think?
Below is an overview review written by one of my Artesans series most ardent fans, Dan Gamble. There are no spoilers, so don't worry! My grateful thanks to Dan for becoming so involved in the characters and plot, and for giving me the thrill of reading his thoughts and feelings. Here's his series review:
Review of Artesans of Albia
Only
once in a while do you come across a series that really draws you in, and know
you are going to be a fan for years to come, Artesans of Albia is just one such
series. What follows are my personal thoughts and reflections on the series, as
the first trilogy is wrapped up and the next installments await.
Fantasy
as a genre today is very much a sifting for gold type of exercise, those grains
of gold are there, but they are not necessarily easily found. Luckily for me,
quite by chance I came across Cas Peace’s new series, Artesans of Albia. It is
both epic in scope like the best fantasy works of their time, however it also
very much personal and relatable. Personally two things really stand out for me
and make the series what it is; characterisation that is neither stereotypical
nor rushed, and the fascinating and well thought out system of magic.
No
story succeeds without strong characters, but the Albia series is simply awash
with them; the inestimable Major Sullyan, the flawed but admirable Taran, the
complicated and private General Blaine, the gentle, but strong Rienne, the list
goes on. Given the dearth of characters you might think that there is the risk
of them standing out so much individually the power of the group and the
relationships between them are lost. Not so. One of Cas Peace’s strengths as a
writer is to create a whole range of characters who we can not only relate to
and feel strongly about, but who can at the same time maintain a whole range of
relationships between themselves. It is this more than anything in some ways
that drives the story, the characters’ motivations are a core facet of this
series and one that is a pleasure to read and follow. You feel their struggles,
their triumph, their suffering and their pain as the story progresses, but
never once does it feel contrived, but merely the natural progression of their
development as people. The series as it moves forward to its conclusion in the
years ahead will rise and fall upon these characters, and because of that I
feel it is in safe hands.
The
other big area for me within the series, is the system of the magic. This is
especially important given its central place in both the story, as well as
being integral to a number of the main characters. The idea of metaforce, how
it interacts with the world, how it is learned and how it is perceived is
central to the story and the world that Cas Peace creates. The fact it is not
an afterthought, but clearly been well planned, allows it to have standing and
acceptance within the story. Given that the fate of Artesans, those who train
with and use metaforce, I can see being one of the key plotlines as the series
progresses, the planning in this area is very important. It is especially
enjoyable to read about the different ranks, the limitations and consequences
of such power combined with the struggles of the main characters, as well as
the wider political ramifications that result.
While
those are the two stand out areas for me personally, each reader will take away
something different, depending on their own preferences and beliefs, but the
series is not found wanting in that regard, being rich in so many areas that a
make a great series what it is. However it would be remiss of me to mention
something that may perhaps be unique to this series and Cas herself, and that
is music. While many writers may use music and song in their works, this series
is the first I have read where those songs have actually been recorded and
performed, and actually have meaning within the series and to the characters
themselves. Versions which have been performed live by Cas herself can be found
on her website, are both haunting and really add more depth, and another layer
to the world that has been created within the series. You can quite happily
enjoy the series without hearing these songs, but if you do you will gain a
greater appreciation and understanding of those events that the songs relate
to. It is just one more thing, a nice touch, simple, but important and
powerful, that brings out the depth in the series, both in the world and the
characters themselves.
King’s
Artesan concludes the first trilogy in the triple trilogy that will ultimately
make up the whole Artesans of Albia series. I have been drawn in by the first
three and the great writing contained within those pages, and am greatly
looking forward to the remaining two trilogies that will develop the series and
bring it to its conclusion. This talented author and the Artesans of Albia
series in particular comes highly recommended. Truly a special find, one of the
golden nuggets in the body of fantasy work today.
Here are the e-books included in the BookBlast:
King's Envoy, Artesans of Albia Book One, Cas Peace
King's Champion, Artesans of Albia Book Two, Cas Peace
King's Artesan, Artesans of Albia Book Three, Cas Peace
The Circle of Talia Book One, Shadows of the Realm, Dionne Lister
The Dream Keeper Chronicles Book One, The Dream Keeper, Mikey Brooks
Seeking A Scribe, Enchanted Bookstore Legend One, Marsha A Moore
The Dream Keeper Chronicles Book Two, The Dreamstone, Mikey Brooks
League of Elder, Sygillis of Metatron, Ren Garcia
A Knight of Silence, Candace C Bowen
A Change of Plans, Donna K Weaver
Spur of the Moment, Candace C Bowen
A Song of Betrayal, Jesse Duckworth
Echoes of Erebus, Joseph Picard
The Slaves of Erafor Series Book One, The Reader of Acheron, Walter Rhein
A Sword Called ... Kitten? Gordon A Long
Watching Yute, Jospeh Picard
Why Are People So Stupid? Gordon A Long
Lifehack, Joseph Picard
And here's the schedule for the rest of the tour. There are fascinating character interviews, including Sullyan, Robin, and Rienne, plus other guest posts and author interviews. Please enjoy!
ARTESAN’s Blog Tour
Schedule
December 12th
– December 19
I have so far read the first book in Cas Peace's Artesans of Albia Series! I loved it. It is an intricate and clever story, written with subtlety and style. I would love to win this giveaway. Thnx :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck, Blulu, and many thanks for your comments! :-)
ReplyDeleteJust from what you've said and from the covers of the book these look just like my type of book- I'm a massive fan of fantasy, I can particularly recommend the Wheel of TIme series if you haven't already read it. I look forward to reading these too.
ReplyDeleteHi Georgia - many thanks! I would love to hear what you think of my books :-) I have read The Wheel of Time series, and I agree - they are excellent novels!
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Cas
Gorgeous covers! Can't wait to read the series it looks/sounds awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Cassandra, many thanks for stopping by, and for your lovely comments. I'd love to hear what you think of my books once you've read them, and an Amazon review would be even more awesome!
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Cas