Release date: December 6, 2017
Subgenre: Epic fantasy
About Banished:
In this third book of The Saga of the Dragon Born, Tristabé-airta,
banished from her father’s kingdom of Allsongs, must find a mentor so
that she can advance in her training in magic. But no one wants to teach
a miscreant, especially one who pulled from the ocean ten waterspouts
and destroyed a village with them. On the road alone and prey to
griffons, ruffians, and a frightening god who lusts for her,
Tristabé-airta must find a way to improve her control over her magic.
And Allsongs? Allsongs must prepare for a truly terrible winter, having banished the one person with the magical ability to right the weather–Tristabé-airta. The poets have always said Tristabé-airta is Allsongs’s best defense, so having her driven her out, the new heirs of Allsongs must protect Allsongs from enemy kings and their own dragon natures on their own. Despite the king’s decree, Tristabé-airta’s milk sister Em keeps in touch with Tristabé-airta and gives her what help her magic can provide.
Excerpt:
Prince Haudin, Heir of Azulefair, clad in full armor, rode up to the castle of Allsongs, presented his warhorse’s left flank to show his hostility and bellowed: “I am Prince Haudin, Heir of Azulefair, and I call out challenge.”
Burta, dressed in the padded tunic and trousers, chainmail, and gauntlets as she was each day the charge of defending the castle was hers, ran for her warhorse, and galloped out to meet Haudin, blindfold about her eyes.
"It’s true, what the bard scryed, they’ve let a lass have defense of the castle. She’s even blindfolded, the foolish thing. No more fussing with grand plans of invasion. I’ll dispatch her neat and quick, and Allsong’s is my kingly daddy’s," thought Haudin.
Then with a parry of his blade’s slash at her and a strong punch to his throat, Burta knocked Haudin right off his mount. Burta jumped down from her horse and held her named blade, Wyvernfang, at Prince Haudin’s throat, and demanded, “Yield.”
Haudin rolled fast so that his armor rammed away Burta’s blade. Burta was forced to jump back.
Thackery, gaping at Burta and Haudin from window, turned and ran for The Poet’s quarters. He banged on the door, “Ollave! Ollave! Burta fights off an attacker!”
He heard through the door matching howls, one high pitched, one low pitched, moments seemed to stretch forever before the door was opened and a naked Ollave Woadwyn, said, “What? What do you want? Can’t a man have some privacy?”
“Burta fights Haudin!”
“Dear gods!” yelled the Ollave running into and disappearing through the stone walls, not bothering to dress. He popped out of the castle wall into south approach road.
A sword in badly dented armor battled Burta. Burta bashed the sword’s helmet again with her Named Blade, tearing a third of the helmet from Haudin’s head. Blood poured from his head. He stuck his sword between her legs meaning to cleave her in half, but Burta, quicker than the eye could see, grabbed his visor and hoisted herself up onto his shoulders where she rammed her blade down into his brain. Haudin tottered. Burta jumped away, and Haudin collapsed with great, horrible clanking, dead, dead, dead to the ground.
Burta, dressed in the padded tunic and trousers, chainmail, and gauntlets as she was each day the charge of defending the castle was hers, ran for her warhorse, and galloped out to meet Haudin, blindfold about her eyes.
"It’s true, what the bard scryed, they’ve let a lass have defense of the castle. She’s even blindfolded, the foolish thing. No more fussing with grand plans of invasion. I’ll dispatch her neat and quick, and Allsong’s is my kingly daddy’s," thought Haudin.
Then with a parry of his blade’s slash at her and a strong punch to his throat, Burta knocked Haudin right off his mount. Burta jumped down from her horse and held her named blade, Wyvernfang, at Prince Haudin’s throat, and demanded, “Yield.”
Haudin rolled fast so that his armor rammed away Burta’s blade. Burta was forced to jump back.
Thackery, gaping at Burta and Haudin from window, turned and ran for The Poet’s quarters. He banged on the door, “Ollave! Ollave! Burta fights off an attacker!”
He heard through the door matching howls, one high pitched, one low pitched, moments seemed to stretch forever before the door was opened and a naked Ollave Woadwyn, said, “What? What do you want? Can’t a man have some privacy?”
“Burta fights Haudin!”
“Dear gods!” yelled the Ollave running into and disappearing through the stone walls, not bothering to dress. He popped out of the castle wall into south approach road.
A sword in badly dented armor battled Burta. Burta bashed the sword’s helmet again with her Named Blade, tearing a third of the helmet from Haudin’s head. Blood poured from his head. He stuck his sword between her legs meaning to cleave her in half, but Burta, quicker than the eye could see, grabbed his visor and hoisted herself up onto his shoulders where she rammed her blade down into his brain. Haudin tottered. Burta jumped away, and Haudin collapsed with great, horrible clanking, dead, dead, dead to the ground.
Amazon | Paperback
About Cynthia Joyce Clay:
Cynthia Joyce Clay, the Artistic Director of Storycrafter Studio, grew up in the theater. She is an award winning author and a member of the Dramatists' Guild.
Clay was judged to be a computer program on Shakespeare at the First Loebner Prize Competition of The Turing Test-a truly science fictional experience. The Competition was filmed as part of a PBS Scientific Frontiers episode and aired internationally. In addition to living sf, Clay has experience with the thriller genre: she was invited to Russia to deliver her paper, The Application of Vector Theory to Literature and Drama at the international conference "Languages of Science, Languages of Art" and was chased by the KGB. She loves to write sf and fantasy.
Clay was judged to be a computer program on Shakespeare at the First Loebner Prize Competition of The Turing Test-a truly science fictional experience. The Competition was filmed as part of a PBS Scientific Frontiers episode and aired internationally. In addition to living sf, Clay has experience with the thriller genre: she was invited to Russia to deliver her paper, The Application of Vector Theory to Literature and Drama at the international conference "Languages of Science, Languages of Art" and was chased by the KGB. She loves to write sf and fantasy.
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