Publication date: April 10th 2013
by Amazon Digital
Genre: YA Fantasy
Seventeen-year-old Ciardis has grown up in poverty, a cleaner in a small vale on the outskirts of the kingdom. But beneath her kingdom’s seemingly idyllic surface lies a hidden secret. Whispers of an inept crown Prince are growing ever louder—intensified by the five year anniversary of the soulbond initiations.
Amidst scandalous whispers, Ciardis finds herself chosen to train for the Companion’s Guild. She leaves her home and sets off on a personal journey to become a Court Companion. A position she’d never thought possible for a lowly servant to obtain, she must prove that she has the skills to attract a Patron.
But she must master those skills quickly. If the legends are true, only Ciardis can harness the power to raise a Prince in an Imperial Court sworn to bring him down.
This sensational series debut melds intricate storylines with remarkable characters and unforgettable magic. Sworn To Raise is ideal for fans of Kristin Cashore, Michelle Sagara, and Maria Snyder.
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EXCERPT:
Ciardis sat and dropped her hands into
her lap, ready for anything, as long as she found out what her talent was, if
any. Sarah took off her spectacles and tucked back behind her ears the wisps of
hair that were fluttering in her face. Then she straightened up and put her
hands on either side of Ciardis's face.
"Hmm," she said after five
long minutes. Ciardis frowned. There'd been no magic spark or rustling winds or
anything.
Where was the magical flash of power? Wasn’t
that how you could tell a mage from a mundane? Ciardis hoped the lack of
magical excitement didn’t mean anything. Perhaps
Sarah’s empathic touch wasn’t meant to be a visual demonstration?
Ciardis peered anxiously at Sarah's
face, hoping for a clue.
"I don't believe it,"
Sarah whispered finally. In a slightly louder voice, she asked, "What did
you say your full name was?"
"Ciardis Rafaela Vane."
Sarah said quickly, "And it is
your true name, registered by the hands of your mother and father?"
Ciardis nodded anxiously. "They
went to the birth archives in the town and everything. Named me after the town,
in a way. At least, that's what I've been told."
"Then someone misled you. Or
deliberately lied." Sarah stared at her intently and abruptly stood,
"Come with me now!"
They rushed out of Ciardis's room and into
the dorm hallway, Sarah clasping Ciardis's hand as they ran. They passed
through three different corridors along the way. Ciardis barely saw a glimpse
of the intricate artwork and beautiful statues in the halls as she rushed
around corners – trying to keep up with Sarah’s fast pace. Soon they came to an
abrupt stop in front of a large door. At the top of the door in scrolled
letters was inscribed, “The Companions
Library”. As they entered, Sarah asked in a hoarse whisper, "Do you recall
what the first part of my mage gift is?"
Ciardis nodded and said, "A
photographic memory." She tried to ignore the trembling in Sarah's hands
as the archivist led her through the bookcases. For her part Sarah would stop in
the middle of the library aisles and turn in a circle while pulling Ciardis
with her.
Occasionally Sarah’s hand would tighten
on Ciardis's as she cast her gaze around her like a bloodhound on the hunt. Sarah
was searching with her magic for something…what exactly that was Ciardis
couldn’t say. Seeing the girl’s confusion Sarah explained, “I’m sending out
feelers from my mage core in different directions hoping to sense the
manuscript that most feels like your mage core.”
“My mage core?” questioned Ciardis, “I
have one?”
“Oh, most definitely,” said Sarah in a
grim tone, “I would question how you didn’t know about it before this.”
After a few minutes of this, Sarah
instructed Ciardis in a whisper, "The imprints that I’m sending feelers
out for are like markers. If it's in a book, I can trace the marker back to its
source. With my memory and the imprint trail, I never forget where I've placed
a book."
After a moment of silence she continued,
"Your imprint reminds me strongly of a book I read long ago, as a child.
If I'm right, there hasn't been a Companion trainee of your type in more than
thirty years."
About this Author:
Terah Edun is an international development professional and author/lover of all things Young Adult Fantasy fiction. She is a native Georgian, adoptive Washingtonian, unrepentant expat currently living in South Sudan, brilliant dreamer, lover of dogs and not-so-closet geek. Her first novel, Red Madrassa, was released on November 8th and her second novel, Sworn to Raise, comes out in April 2013.Author Links:
http://teedun.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517970.Terah_Edun
https://www.facebook.com/TerahEdunAuthor
https://twitter.com/terahedun
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