Sometimes, the celebration begins with the beginning. The beginning of WEIGHTED, a prequel novelette by Ciara Knight, is one such place to start the enjoyment. Here's a short excerpt of Chapter One:
Subject: Raeth Arteres
Date: March 8, 2185
Species: Neumarian
Status: Captured
Tick-tock…tick-tock…I clutch the sides of the steel bed in my cell and push
up on my elbows. The clock, with its bronze rim, hangs high on the wall,
taunting me. The long black arm of the second hand struggles up the side of the
enormous disc, ticking away the last few moments of my life.
Tap…tap. Footsteps, two by two, march to the
cell door. Sucking in a long breath, I embrace the rhythmic sounds of the
airship, with the occasional interruption of an engine sputtering.
Tap…thump.
The Queen’s unmistakable gait
interrupts my dream-like state. It matches the sounds of the ship, as if she is
an extension of the heap of metal propelling us across the desert wasteland.
“Open the door.” Her voice echoes down
the narrow hall.
Tick…
The hand struggles to reach the
twelve. If it doesn’t make it, maybe the door won’t open. It teeters and
shakes, then slides straight up in unison with the door.
…Tock.
“Be quick, before the parasite uses
her curse on us.” Her raspy, artificial voice sends a quiver to my core.
A guard races in with a handheld
device and points it at my neck. I’ve been collared like a dog. I clutch the
slick metal ring around my neck, pulling it from my skin, but current zaps
through my shoulders and my arm juts out to my side, shaking. Searing pain runs
along my veins.
After all these years of my brother
hiding me, it was inevitable I’d get caught.
Darkness swirls deep inside, brewing a storm. I
can’t remember what it will do if I release it. Is it a gift, as my brother
told me, or a curse, as the Queen believes? All I know is that if I unleash it,
the Queen will have what she wants, so I push it down deep, keeping it hidden
from her.
***Brilliant! I definitely want to find out what happens from here. You can, too, by purchasing your copy of WEIGHTED (Smashwords, Amazon, B&N). And check out this cover:
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| Coverlove! Click here to check it out at Goodreads. |
The Great War of 2185 is over, but my
nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting
interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is
really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret
of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body
begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will
I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories
are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people
by morning.
Author bio:
Ciara
writes to ‘Defy the Dark’ with her fantasy and paranormal books. Her debut
novel, The Curse of Gremdon, was released to acclaimed reviews, securing a
Night Owl Top Pick and five stars from the Paranormal Romance Guild. Also, book
I, Rise From Darkness, from her debut young adult Battle For Souls series,
secured glowing reviews and won July Book of the Month from Long and Short
Reviews.
Her first love, besides her
family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe,
visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.
Ciara is extremely
sociable so please feel free to connect with her at her blog, website, Twitter, Goodreads, or Facebook.
Upcoming books in
The Neumarian Chronicles:
Escapement (Book I) - Early 2013
Pendulum (Book II) - Mid 2013
Balance (Book III) - Early 2014
Other books by Cara Knight:
Battle for Souls Series
Ascension of Evil -
Coming in October
Something this novel has me contemplating is the idea of "gifts" vs. "curses". If you had a special ability, such as ESP, telepathy, a touch that allowed you control whether a person lived or died...would you consider it a gift or a curse?
What a lovely cover! I'm not a big reader of YA anymore, used to love it when I was younger but now I'm more into erotica. But, I just love YA covers. They are usually so gripping and so original. Love them.
ReplyDeleteI might give this book a try.
That would be cool. I really loved the beginning. Caught me up right away.
DeleteThank you so much for helping with the Weighted release day blitz. You are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteAngelina - This is an intense, dark story. You might be surprised. Non anxiety teen or whimpering heroine. It is not a romance, though.
My pleasure, Ciara :-)
DeleteWow, that beginning really hooked me! This sounds fantastic~ thanks for sharing the title with us :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Jess. I really like that beginning as well.
DeleteThis sounds great, Angela! Thanks for the heads up! As for gift vs. curse, therein lies the struggle of many great stories!!!
ReplyDeleteVery true, Susanna.
DeleteOh, I can see having the ability to decide who lives and dies as being both a gift and a curse. Thanks for making me aware of this book.
ReplyDeleteSounds fabulous!! Love the cover, too. :))
ReplyDelete