Blood of Azure Series
by Jonathan J. Michael
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
Four races with powers dictated by the seasons seek balance and prosperity. However, life instinctively primes itself for survival, and when one race commands the touch of death, all others fall in line. Tyranny plagues Azure as an immortal ruler governs the knowledge of the seasons and those wielding its power.
Four young protagonists, Stone, Jaymes, Goose, and Astor, each navigate their way to escape his shadow and reclaim their freedom. Simple ambitions for young souls. But little did they know, they would uncover the secrets the realm is built upon, and the unique talents they each carry. Their ignorance allows the knowledge of the seasons to escape into the world around them little by little, and with it, a power loosing anarchy upon the realm. A power most aren’t worthy of wielding. It is up to Stone and his companions to tame that power and reclaim the balance.
Four seasons to balance the land. Four sages to balance the life.
Courage is for the bold. It is not for Stone McLarin. He’s been in hiding for four seasons after being orphaned by the Taoiseach. He doesn’t care for the heroic antics of avenging his parent’s death or securing his freedom. He only desires one thing—to protect his sister’s life.
This proves challenging when his sister, Jaymes, possesses a rivaling power of decay to that of the tyrant ruler’s. She’s a threat to his dominance, and there will be no escaping his shadow.
When the Taoiseach manipulates his way into Jaymes’s life and steals her away, Stone has no choice but to follow. He must venture into the heart of the tyrant’s domain and figure out how to penetrate the impenetrable. And if he succeeds there, he will have to slay the most powerful man in Azure.
In a world ruled by decay, what chance does life stand?
Season of Sacrifice is part one of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy full of grim encounters, heroic adventures, unique magic, and a captivating world to explore.
Author’s Note: Contains explicit language and some graphic descriptions.
Purchase Season of Sacrifice on Amazon
EXCERPT:
SEASON OF SACRIFICE – STONE
The four men are at a standstill with the monstrous fish as it splashes and rolls in the water. The captain, first mate, and second mate all look tense as they rush over to the other boom on port side. They raise it in no time and ready another line. Except this one doesn’t have a hook. They tie the end of the line into a slip-knot and throw it into the water where the battle is. Are they trying to lasso a fish? I’m just the greenhorn here, so I keep my mouth shut and follow suit regardless of how ridiculous their actions are.
Captain Crowbill pulls the line taut. They’ve lassoed it! What?
The goliath fish is wearing now with two lines tugging at it in separate directions and a third restraining its thrashing. They’re making progress, and both me and the captain crank our pulleys as fast as we can to keep up with the momentum of the anglers. The fish continues to fight hard, splashing and rolling until it is slowly raised out of the water.
For the first time, I get a glimpse of what we’re reeling in. It’s no fish. Or at least it doesn’t look like a fish. Not any I’ve ever seen. It’s a third the length of the ship, and it has legs! It has a long snout with massive teeth protruding from it and a long rigid tail with its spine bulging from its back, head to tail. And no scales. Don’t all fish have scales? Tigershit! It’s a river monster!
SEASON OF SUFFERING, BOOK 2
BLURB:
A villain in his own mind, Stone McLarin is labeled the hero for murdering a man.
Not only is Stone weighted down as a hero, but he’s idolized by the dominant religion, and he’s the sole protector of the knowledge of the ages. The pressure of the entire realm is on his shoulders.
Carib Reign, a shapeshifter building an army of immortals, plans to purge the Crimson Capital to find this hidden knowledge. His motive, to give the people of Azure the freedom they deserve.
With many adventures along the way, Stone will lead the charge to defend the Crimson Capital against the Immortal Army. Should he fail, anarchy is inevitable. Death for all Azure, a possibility.
Where there is life, death anticipates. But what if death is abandoned? Life will rebel.
Season of Suffering is part two of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy with both light and dark hearts. You’ll experience many fantasy tropes, clashing swords, unique magic, fantastical beasts, and a wide range of Azure’s scenic terrain.
Author’s Note: Contains explicit language and some graphic descriptions.
Purchase Season of Suffering on Amazon
Interview with Jonathan J. Michael
Have you ever had an imaginary friend?
This is absurd. We’re all imaginary. Of course I have. His name is J.R.R.
Do you have any phobias?
Heights. The irony, I really want to go to space. I’m also afraid of new experiences. Send me to a location I’ve never been, and I’m hesitant. Put me in a room with people I don’t know, and I want to escape. And here’s another weird one, I avoid looking at mirrors in a dark room. You never know what scary faces will appear on the other side. Oh, and Trader Joes. I don’t know if it’s a phobia, but I certainly feel uncomfortable in that place, like everyone is judging me. Haha.
Do you listen to music when you're writing?
Almost always. Please, let me recommend the best writing music. LOTR soundtrack from any of the movies. Epic Score: any of their albums. Audiomachine: any of their albums. And basically any James Horner, John Williams, or Hans Zimmer station you can find on whatever streaming service you have. I tend to enjoy the block buster soundtracks with music tied to great scenes. And another brilliant artist, who has inspired me quite a bit is Lindsey Sterling. If you can’t tell, I’m into the instrumental type of music.
Do you ever read your stories out loud?
Hardly. My mom had me read an entire chapter out loud to the family when I published my first book. It was a bit awkward, especially when I started reading about breasts. Whoops! Forgot that bit was in that chapter. We’re far from a prude family, but it was still weird because they were my words, intended for all to read. All, except my mother. Aside from that, I’ll occasionally read a paragraph here or there to make sure it sounds as intended.
Tell us about your main character and who inspired him/her.
Well…I have multiple main characters. Is that too much for the average reader? Yeah? I’ll stick with the main main character then.
His name is Stone McLarin. I don’t choose anything of relevance when naming my characters. It’s just what sounds good at the time. And now that I’m thinking about it, this one was inspired by my son. His middle name is Stone, and he loves exotic cars (McLaren).
Stone McLarin is an orphan (a common trope, I know) and he has a severe helicopter-parent thing going on with his younger sister. He fears losing her and does everything within his power to keep her safe. It works until she decides her favorite thing is independence. Stone finds himself chasing after her, and… well… you’ll have to read the story to find out where this leads them. He’s a natural leader, but reluctant and in denial about how talented he is. He has a morally sound heart, he’s level-headed, good with a sword, a tad clumsy, and afraid of heights. He’s also really good at taking a beating. And he wants nothing to do with being anyone’s hero. He only wants to save his sister. To summarize, Stone McLarin is the reluctant hero.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jonathan J Michael was born and raised in the greater Seattle area in the scenic state of Washington. Jonathan is an advocate of science, nature, and exploration, which has a heavy influence in his debut series, Blood of Azure.
When I drive down the freeway, I often want to veer onto the backroads and head for the mountains. When I'm at an evening gathering, I'm eager to step outside and gaze at the stars. When I'm on a ferry, I'm at the guardrail staring into the depths wondering what kind of leviathans lurk below. I'm an explorer, and since I'm not on the next Crew Dragon headed for the ISS, fantasy novels let me have what I seek. I write to explore a world of wonder.
~ Jonathan
Connect with Jonathan J Michael:
Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram
7 comments:
Looks like a great series.
Thanks for hosting!
I love the cover art, synopses and excerpts, this is a must read series for me. Thank you for sharing your interview and books' details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work
Thank you for hosting. And thank you for the kind comments. Should anyone have any questions, I'll be around.
Great interview, The Blood of Azure sounds like a great series for me to read, thanks for sharing it with me and have an awesome day!
Sounds creative and adventurous!! I look forward to checking it out!
looks like a fun one
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