Release date: May 4, 2018
Subgenre: Steampunk, Sparkpunk
About Desert Sands and Silence:
Moel is a runner, a desert inhabitant who makes her living carrying
messages across the sun-baked plains, content in her silence. But when a
group of engineers from Meton are caught in a rockslide, politics
abruptly brings Moel into the world again, and she meets others who have
been pulled back to their pasts by Ziricon’s desire to gain the power
of spark without the costs.
Excerpt:
Noise awoke Moel from her slumber in the cool rock hollow. As soon
as she opened her eyes, she knew that only a few hours had passed;
it was still morning, although the fury of the sun made the
distinctions between the times of day irrelevant. Either the sun
was there, or it was not.
Voices were disturbing the silence of the desert; human chatter,
not the shrieks of the vultures or foxes. Someone was coming
towards the rock pillar – no, several someones. Moel heard the sand
whisper under their feet, interspersed with solid thuds on the rock
patches. She guessed that they were also crossing the desert,
although their pace was off if they had only just got here. Why
were they walking in the morning heat? They should have found
somewhere to stop at dawn.
“I don't see why we couldn't have brought a Fliyer to do this,” a
voice said grumpily from below. Moel, secure in her invisibility,
edged closer to the entrance of her cave. The voice had a Meton
accent, which meant the traveller was far from home. And what was a
Fliyer?
“Scope the land.” Another voice, this one rough from thirst. Did
they not have enough water?
“Pick a cave,” a third voice barked, and Moel frowned. She knew
that voice: that was Ecthen, which meant that she was guiding the
others. The group hadn't been in Huish, so they must have come
across the desert from Belmont. What were they doing here?
The two voices fell silent and she heard them clunking around in
the rock caves below her. From the sounds, there were… five? Six?
And Ecthen, of course. A larger party than usually travelled this
route…
“We'll start again at dusk,” Ecthen said, talking to the people in
the cave. “I'll wake you.”
“I'll take a watch,” a second voice said quietly a moment later,
and Moel felt the frown crease her forehead again. That was Ray.
Why two guides?
“Why?” Ecthen asked, her voice getting closer. They'd stepped into
the bottom of the gully below her cave, and Moel hesitated. She
didn’t want to show herself, not yet.
There was silence for a moment, and then Ray said, “Ziricon.”
“What?” Ecthen demanded in a fierce whisper.
“There's been a rumour.”
“They made peace. And they wouldn't attack in Orei.”
“These people are important!” Ray shot back in the same fierce
whisper. “Ziricon wants technology, we've got a group of the people
who know how to use it…”
“Where did this rumour come from?” Ecthen snapped.
“Juviel told me.”
There was a long silence, and then Ecthen said, “All right. Wake me
to take half the watch. At least we’ll be in Huish soon.”
Moel breathed out as she heard their footsteps retreat out of the
gully. Ecthen knew of the upper cave, but if they were on watch
then they wouldn't approach. She heard their footsteps whisper
away, and then the desert silence returned again.
Moel returned to her cave, and went back to sleep.
Amazon.com | Amazon UK
About Kate Coe:
Kate Coe is an editor, book reviewer and writer of fiction &
fantasy. She writes the sparkpunk GreenSky series and blogs at writingandcoe.co.uk. In real life she's a typesetter and fills her spare time in
between writing with web design, gaming, geeky cross-stitch and DIY
(which may or may not involve destroying things). She also reads
far fewer books that she would like to, but possibly more than she
really has time for.
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