The Curse of Gremdon Book Tour + Giveaway
We read and really liked Ciara Knight's YA novella, Love's Long Shadow (our review), so when the opportunity to host a tour for her new adult novel arose, we jumped at the chance.
Blurb: In a world where marriage is forbidden, sex is only granted to male warriors, and the outer realm is full of murderous creatures, Arianna fights to protect the life of her only living relative, her brother.
Tardon, an elite warrior, is granted anything he desires by the Elders, but finds little joy in the voluptuous women presented to him. Born for the bloodlust found only in battle, complicated emotions emerge when he discovers his equal in the alluring warrior, Arianna.
Charged by the Elders with saving the castle from attack, Tardon and Arianna risk the curse when they traverse the vast outer realm to retrieve serum from the Tree of Life. If successful, the Elders have promised Tardon the right to marry and Arianna the cure for her brother's death fever. Will their love carry them through or will the discovery of a great deception be their ultimate demise?
Magic. Lust. Love. Sacrifice. Intensely gripping from the opening scene, this riveting tale of destiny and desire will have the reader hungering for more, page after page, all the way through the ending. ~ Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)
An excerpt from The Curse of Gremdon:
Three guards pinned Tardon to the floor. He clawed at the damp stone but with so little space in the dungeon hall he could not free himself.
Tardon’s heart nearly burst from his chest at the sound of Arianna’s voice. Ten men wouldn’t be enough to keep him away.
A guard lashed him with his whip but Tardon continued to fight.
“Restrain yourself or the whip will be taken to Arianna’s cell.” The man in the Elder’s cape stepped in the direction he had heard Arianna’s voice.
Tardon’s back stiffened with concern. Yes, the whip stung and caused him to stumble, but the thought of it touching Arianna’s soft skin brought him to his knees. “I will obey.”
Screams rang from a nearby room and he instinctively tensed. Staring at the wall, he wondered what sort of torture occurred on the other side. And if, perhaps, a similar fate awaited him. Or Arianna
One of the guards cracked the whip in the air to regain Tardon’s undivided attention. “He is being punished for unspeakable crimes, so have no pity for the wailing of a madman when he brought it upon himself.”
He stopped fighting and allowed the guards, each holding one of his arms, to pull him down the hall.
“I am Saldor, an Elder advisor. On my honor, I assure you, there is no reason for you to worry. She will confess, and you will be free to return to your prior status.”
Tardon shouldered the guards in each of their ribs, sending both into the stone walls. Dirt and dust grew thick in the air.
Even if he had been chained like a beast he still could have snapped their worthless necks. Fire erupted inside him as he stood, his nose almost touching the man who had threatened Arianna, yet Saldor did not flinch.
The guards hit him from behind and he fell to his knees again. Heavy walls closed in on him. Iron cuffs snapped around his wrists.
“I see this does not please you. Every warrior wishes to maintain his status. You would risk your honor for mere pleasure?”
Tardon’s blood boiled. “She is not pleasure granted by the Elders—”
“You are right. She was a warrior that bewitched you.”
He shook off the swirling in his head and tried to stand, but the guards kept him on his knees.
“No magic,” Tardon said. “I am to blame for what the Elders thought they witnessed—”
“Thought? They found her almost naked in your chamber, yet you speak of no pleasure?” Saldor motioned for the guards to drag Tardon into a cell.
They dropped him on his side and the door clanked shut. He rose to his feet, smacking his head on a wooden beam. Still, he charged the iron bars and pressed his throbbing head against the cool metal.
Saldor still watched him, his lined face unreadable. “The Elders will not accept your explanation—”
“We are innocent.”
“You are not innocent.”
Tardon’s mind raced at Saldor’s accusations. He had done nothing to betray the laws he fought to protect. Yes, he had come close to breaking the law, but he had not committed the act. “You make false accusations about a warrior. You could be put to death for such lies. I have broken no laws!”
“You still profess your innocence?” Saldor’s brows lowered.
“Yes.”
“Here is the Elder’s proof.” Saldor summoned a guard; he took a large object from the man then tossed it at Tardon’s feet.
Tardon swallowed, staring in horror at the old book he’d hidden so carefully all these seasons.
The book, his grandfather’s book, the book of dreams, rested on the dirty ground as proof he had betrayed the Elders. Tardon fell to his knees and stroked the fading cover. The Elders would never listen to the truth now.
“Tell them I forced her.” He could barely choke the words out. He quivered inside at the notion of harming Arianna. Still, a confession would release her from a place no woman should find herself. If she stayed in the dungeon, it wouldn’t be long before one of the guards disobeyed and forced themselves on her. He swallowed down the rise of bile and impending doom. At least destroying his honor to save her life would allow him to die with purpose.
“You seal not only your own fate, but all of your family with a confession of such disgrace.”
“I have no family.” Arianna’s delicate features played in his mind. “I confess, I—”
Saldor clutched the hilt of his sword and studied Tardon for a moment. “The Elders will never allow this. People of the castle will demand the woman be put to death and the true male warrior returned to his calling.”
“I will confess in front of all the inhabitants. Take me now. No reason to prolong my fate or Arianna’s suffering.”
Saldor stroked his chin. “I will take this to the Elders if you answer a question for me.”
Tardon nodded.
“Do you love her?” Saldor’s words hung in the air for a long, breathless moment.
“Love is forbidden.” Tardon shifted his weight between his knees.
“No, sex and marriage with a female warrior are forbidden. That is all the written law states.”
Tardon’s mind reeled, wondering what possible tricks this man played, but nothing fit. Saldor spoke the truth.
“Yes, I love her.” Tardon cleared his throat and spoke with pride. “Yes, I love her, and if that is a crime it will be one more reason to throw me to the fires and spare the true warrior, Arianna.”
“Not when she loves you, too.” Saldor turned and walked up the steps to the castle, suddenly leaving Tardon to his writhing emotions.
The man spoke falsehoods. Arianna knew nothing of love or marriage. She’d only caught a glimpse of his book, and her parents died seasons ago when she was still a child. He dragged his fingers through his matted hair, trying to steady his mind. Chain links clanked as he sat on the hard floor, resting his arms on his lap. Dirt and dry blood covered his hands, the same hands that had caressed every inch of Arianna’s body mere hours before.
Light from the low morning sun seeped through the bar-covered hole at the top of the cell wall. Merchants’ slippered feet brushed the pavement outside, scurrying to open their shops.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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About The Author: Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.
When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.
Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.
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.
GIVEAWAY: The author is giving away one free e-book of The Curse of Gremdon at each stop. To enter, simply leave a comment below with your name and email. This giveaway is open internationally.
Our review will be posted soon. We thank Ciara Knight and Bewitching Book Tours.
Blurb: In a world where marriage is forbidden, sex is only granted to male warriors, and the outer realm is full of murderous creatures, Arianna fights to protect the life of her only living relative, her brother.
Tardon, an elite warrior, is granted anything he desires by the Elders, but finds little joy in the voluptuous women presented to him. Born for the bloodlust found only in battle, complicated emotions emerge when he discovers his equal in the alluring warrior, Arianna.
Charged by the Elders with saving the castle from attack, Tardon and Arianna risk the curse when they traverse the vast outer realm to retrieve serum from the Tree of Life. If successful, the Elders have promised Tardon the right to marry and Arianna the cure for her brother's death fever. Will their love carry them through or will the discovery of a great deception be their ultimate demise?
Magic. Lust. Love. Sacrifice. Intensely gripping from the opening scene, this riveting tale of destiny and desire will have the reader hungering for more, page after page, all the way through the ending. ~ Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)
An excerpt from The Curse of Gremdon:
Three guards pinned Tardon to the floor. He clawed at the damp stone but with so little space in the dungeon hall he could not free himself.
Tardon’s heart nearly burst from his chest at the sound of Arianna’s voice. Ten men wouldn’t be enough to keep him away.
A guard lashed him with his whip but Tardon continued to fight.
“Restrain yourself or the whip will be taken to Arianna’s cell.” The man in the Elder’s cape stepped in the direction he had heard Arianna’s voice.
Tardon’s back stiffened with concern. Yes, the whip stung and caused him to stumble, but the thought of it touching Arianna’s soft skin brought him to his knees. “I will obey.”
Screams rang from a nearby room and he instinctively tensed. Staring at the wall, he wondered what sort of torture occurred on the other side. And if, perhaps, a similar fate awaited him. Or Arianna
One of the guards cracked the whip in the air to regain Tardon’s undivided attention. “He is being punished for unspeakable crimes, so have no pity for the wailing of a madman when he brought it upon himself.”
He stopped fighting and allowed the guards, each holding one of his arms, to pull him down the hall.
“I am Saldor, an Elder advisor. On my honor, I assure you, there is no reason for you to worry. She will confess, and you will be free to return to your prior status.”
Tardon shouldered the guards in each of their ribs, sending both into the stone walls. Dirt and dust grew thick in the air.
Even if he had been chained like a beast he still could have snapped their worthless necks. Fire erupted inside him as he stood, his nose almost touching the man who had threatened Arianna, yet Saldor did not flinch.
The guards hit him from behind and he fell to his knees again. Heavy walls closed in on him. Iron cuffs snapped around his wrists.
“I see this does not please you. Every warrior wishes to maintain his status. You would risk your honor for mere pleasure?”
Tardon’s blood boiled. “She is not pleasure granted by the Elders—”
“You are right. She was a warrior that bewitched you.”
He shook off the swirling in his head and tried to stand, but the guards kept him on his knees.
“No magic,” Tardon said. “I am to blame for what the Elders thought they witnessed—”
“Thought? They found her almost naked in your chamber, yet you speak of no pleasure?” Saldor motioned for the guards to drag Tardon into a cell.
They dropped him on his side and the door clanked shut. He rose to his feet, smacking his head on a wooden beam. Still, he charged the iron bars and pressed his throbbing head against the cool metal.
Saldor still watched him, his lined face unreadable. “The Elders will not accept your explanation—”
“We are innocent.”
“You are not innocent.”
Tardon’s mind raced at Saldor’s accusations. He had done nothing to betray the laws he fought to protect. Yes, he had come close to breaking the law, but he had not committed the act. “You make false accusations about a warrior. You could be put to death for such lies. I have broken no laws!”
“You still profess your innocence?” Saldor’s brows lowered.
“Yes.”
“Here is the Elder’s proof.” Saldor summoned a guard; he took a large object from the man then tossed it at Tardon’s feet.
Tardon swallowed, staring in horror at the old book he’d hidden so carefully all these seasons.
The book, his grandfather’s book, the book of dreams, rested on the dirty ground as proof he had betrayed the Elders. Tardon fell to his knees and stroked the fading cover. The Elders would never listen to the truth now.
“Tell them I forced her.” He could barely choke the words out. He quivered inside at the notion of harming Arianna. Still, a confession would release her from a place no woman should find herself. If she stayed in the dungeon, it wouldn’t be long before one of the guards disobeyed and forced themselves on her. He swallowed down the rise of bile and impending doom. At least destroying his honor to save her life would allow him to die with purpose.
“You seal not only your own fate, but all of your family with a confession of such disgrace.”
“I have no family.” Arianna’s delicate features played in his mind. “I confess, I—”
Saldor clutched the hilt of his sword and studied Tardon for a moment. “The Elders will never allow this. People of the castle will demand the woman be put to death and the true male warrior returned to his calling.”
“I will confess in front of all the inhabitants. Take me now. No reason to prolong my fate or Arianna’s suffering.”
Saldor stroked his chin. “I will take this to the Elders if you answer a question for me.”
Tardon nodded.
“Do you love her?” Saldor’s words hung in the air for a long, breathless moment.
“Love is forbidden.” Tardon shifted his weight between his knees.
“No, sex and marriage with a female warrior are forbidden. That is all the written law states.”
Tardon’s mind reeled, wondering what possible tricks this man played, but nothing fit. Saldor spoke the truth.
“Yes, I love her.” Tardon cleared his throat and spoke with pride. “Yes, I love her, and if that is a crime it will be one more reason to throw me to the fires and spare the true warrior, Arianna.”
“Not when she loves you, too.” Saldor turned and walked up the steps to the castle, suddenly leaving Tardon to his writhing emotions.
The man spoke falsehoods. Arianna knew nothing of love or marriage. She’d only caught a glimpse of his book, and her parents died seasons ago when she was still a child. He dragged his fingers through his matted hair, trying to steady his mind. Chain links clanked as he sat on the hard floor, resting his arms on his lap. Dirt and dry blood covered his hands, the same hands that had caressed every inch of Arianna’s body mere hours before.
Light from the low morning sun seeped through the bar-covered hole at the top of the cell wall. Merchants’ slippered feet brushed the pavement outside, scurrying to open their shops.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
About The Author: Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.
When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.
Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.
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.
GIVEAWAY: The author is giving away one free e-book of The Curse of Gremdon at each stop. To enter, simply leave a comment below with your name and email. This giveaway is open internationally.
Our review will be posted soon. We thank Ciara Knight and Bewitching Book Tours.
Thanks for taking the time to read and review, The Curse of Gremdon. I look forward to your review.
ReplyDeleteOh what a heartbreaking excerpt! A crime to love and have marriage? I'm very intrigued to read this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the excerpt and for the giveaway opportunity!
sophiarose1816@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCharissa Jackson
charissajackson89@gmail.com
Sophia ~ I left a comment before so if this shows as a duplicate later, sorry about that. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited that you were connected with the characters in the excerpt. Good luck on the giveaway.
Charissa ~ Good luck on the giveaway. Thanks for stopping in to check out The Curse of Gremdon.