Release date: September 2, 2018
Subgenre: Epic fantasy, Steampunk fantasy
About Warrior's Touch:
Once upon a time, the last Immortal lost his powers to an Aenuk Healer
and her tree. Nine hundred years later, he learns that an Immortal child
is going to be born, and with it, the chance to regain his lost
magic...
The Kara and Aenuk races have been enemies for centuries, but for Llew and Jonas, love won out. Now Llew faces an uncertain future: one nation wants her to breed their future army, and the other wants her dead. Her Healing talent also means she is feared - and the child she carries makes her a target.
Jonas has returned to his people, but he is torn. The woman he loves is being kept away from him, his superiors want him to carry on his bloodline with an appropriate mate, and he's being expected to fit back into a role he doesn't want. He is meant to be a hero, but the only champion he wants to be is Llew's and their child - a child who might change everything.
But for their enemy to regain his powers, Llew's child must die; and in order to retain them, every Aenuk must be destroyed.
In Warrior’s Touch, loyalties will be tested, lives torn apart and magics rejoined.
The Kara and Aenuk races have been enemies for centuries, but for Llew and Jonas, love won out. Now Llew faces an uncertain future: one nation wants her to breed their future army, and the other wants her dead. Her Healing talent also means she is feared - and the child she carries makes her a target.
Jonas has returned to his people, but he is torn. The woman he loves is being kept away from him, his superiors want him to carry on his bloodline with an appropriate mate, and he's being expected to fit back into a role he doesn't want. He is meant to be a hero, but the only champion he wants to be is Llew's and their child - a child who might change everything.
But for their enemy to regain his powers, Llew's child must die; and in order to retain them, every Aenuk must be destroyed.
In Warrior’s Touch, loyalties will be tested, lives torn apart and magics rejoined.
Excerpt:
A soldier sauntered arrogantly up to Aris. Llew might have said
‘swaggering’, but the man’s high boots and long, medalled, dress
jacket suggested a class beyond swagger. The white handle hanging
from his hip glowed in the airy moonlight.
“Captain.” The mustachioed man nodded to Aris.
“Lieutenant general,” Aris acknowledged the man in return.
The new arrival placed himself beside Aris as he observed all those
gathered in the yard. He dipped his head to share a few words with
Aris.
Military ranks were lost on Llew, but whether the man officially
outranked him or not, it seemed Aris was in charge. The other man
bent at the waist to listen to Aris’s instruction. The lieutenant
general nodded and straightened. He and Aris surveyed the soldiers
around them. Then Aris made a gesture.
Something thumped Llew in the chest, reminding her of the ache
she’d felt when watching Karlani with Jonas. She looked to Jonas
now. He was looking at two crossbow bolts in his hand, confused. He
turned to her and his face went slack.
She looked down.
A crossbow bolt shaft protruded from her shirt, which meant the tip
was… the tip was…
… suddenly one of three.
She stumbled back a step. Her chest ached. Her head clouded. Heat
radiated from her belly.
“Llew!” Jonas flung aside the bolts he held and caught her as her
legs gave way. “This’ll hurt, but—” He pulled the bolts free,
ripping her apart. At least, that’s how it felt. But he couldn’t
heal her with the bolts still in place. He pressed his hand to
where her jaw met her throat.
As she died, she began to live again.
The familiar tingling started under his palm, prickled under his
fingers. Her faltering heart fluttered, shuddered, then found its
rhythm again as it reformed. She gasped, that first breath painful
and exhilarating at the same time. Jonas pulled her into him. He
trembled, leaning into her. Weak.
Bodies moved in around them. Hands gripped her. But Llew was
strong. She pulled, she wriggled. But there were, how many? Eight?
Nine? Probably all Kara. Their leather-gloved fingers dug in,
bruising. Her hands were forced behind her back and cold metal
closed around her wrists. Rough, gloved fingers still gripped her
arms.
Jonas, too, was grappled, pulled to his feet and shackled. He
struggled, but he was weakened.
Quaver had used her power against him.
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About Deb E. Howell:
Deb E. Howell was born in Lower Hutt, in the heart of the New
Zealand winter, but was re-situated to Dunedin before her first
year was up. At primary school she spent her lunch times as a
horse, galloping over woodchips and jumping logs, gutters, and
swing bridges. At intermediate she learned she would make a
terrible mother when her egg rolled from its bed and splattered on
the concrete tiles. At high school she entertained her friends with
new music she'd discovered or stories she'd written. At university,
Debbie pursued her love of animals by studying Zoology, but had no
luck finding paying work within that field, instead dabbling in
optometry (assistance & admin) and software development
(admin). Somewhere in there, she found boredom and decided to
return to the realms of fantasy...
Debbie lives with her husband, two sons, and a range of furred and
feathered friends near Dunedin, New Zealand.
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