THE MARK OF THE UNSEEN GOD
Benjamin Patterson
GENRE: Fantasy
BLURB:
Look to the hills with dread: Salmmonaksa has arrived. His armies swarm like a plague of locusts. As the emperor prepares for his final assault, the Home City trembles. Overrun by desperate refugees, the monarchs have gathered to plot their defence. High King Eldilin is back at the helm, but there's no food and no answers.
Princess Kathryn has not given up hope. Lying on a cot in her room is the man destined to save the realm. They desperately need him, and for the prophecies to prove themselves true, but he will not wake no matter how much she prays. Even if he did, he cannot do it alone. Many more will die, that is certain.
The Mark of the Unseen God is the final instalment of the Markulian Prophecies, a refreshingly original tale set in a breathtaking medieval world. To rid realm of evil, everything will be required. There is no peace without sacrifice, and no love without loss. May who they are and what they have be enough.
PURCHASE The Mark of the Unseen God : Book Three of the Markulian Prophecies on AMAZON.COM, AMAZON KINDLE, IBOOKS, INDIGO CHAPTERS, and BOOKTOPIA
Excerpt:
The matching dark cloaks of these young risk-takers looked impressive but were a childish indulgence. They caught the eye, marked them as rebels. It would be better to dress plainly than to advertise how organised they were. If anyone saw them gathered so, they would know immediately they were more than a few disobedient scallywags out for a midnight adventure, but the ambassador kept his judgements to himself. Their fate was not his concern.
Instead, he turned, pretending he was hesitant to be split from his men. The truth was he was counting on it. After a pause, ensuring the youths noticed his reticence, he nodded. Taking their cue, his crew pushed the dandy back into the water and floated away. Six black-cloaked rebels led the ambassador up the beach, three in front, three behind. From there, a winding path appeared, cut into the mountainside. Stray fronds flicked against his ears. Loose rocks skittered over stone. As they ascended, the coastal air lost its heaviness,
but the bugs became more relentless about his ears. The ambassador flicked them away. Such discomforts were familiar to Andreans, particularly those from Mourilyan.
At the top of the hill, he looked back. His boat was a darkened shadow amidst darker waters. If he did not know the boat was there, he would not have been able to make it out. All was quiet in the bay, for now.
‘Your dark clothing is a good choice. It will help conceal you as we traverse the ridges.’ The youth nearest him pointed to the ambassador’s cowl. ‘Is that how officials dress where you are from?’
The ambassador glanced his way to acknowledge the question but did not reply. Idle conversation would not benefit his cause. The less he said, the better.
Interview with Benjamin Patterson
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
I like to read a lot of older books from the early 1900’s and late 1800’s. They way they write, breaking all the rules of modern story telling and sentence construction, helps to expand my imagination. I think it makes me a better writer.
How do you select the names of your characters?
Character names have to fit the vibe and setting of your story. In this particular trilogy I wanted at traditional British type feel so I selected names accordingly. Some are names that are still prevalent today like Fredrick and Kathryn. Others I made up like Eldilin and Trastin.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
There are a few little Easter Eggs that only people who know me will understand. They include names of certain places I’ve visited or characters I’ve come across.
What was your hardest scene to write?
The end of book one is quite tragic and was difficult to write. I’ve had one person de-friend me over it, but I can’t say more lest we enter spoiler territory.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My recently completed trilogy is obviously one whole story arc, but that arc is completed now. My work-in-progress is a completely different story set in a different world.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I wanted to write a story that I would be happy to read. It’s a story of good vs evil with a main character who is flawed, in over their heard, but doing their best. I think I achieved all the above. My protagonist has a really rough time, but never gives in.
What inspired you to write The Mark of the Unseen God?
The entire trilogy was about bringing fantasy back to its good vs evil roots. A lot of fantasy these days has strayed to jaded, selfish characters who aren’t really fighting for good causes. They’re assassins or thieves or worse. I’m not really into that. I prefer the older Tolkien/Robert Jordan type narratives.
Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in The Mark of the Unseen God or what you have planned for the future?
My Work in Progress is another fantasy epic. I’m marketing it as The Princess Bride meets The Count of Monte Cristo. It should be released in 2026.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Mark of the Unseen God?
It all centers around a reluctant soldier dragged into a quest to save the Realm by a baby who won’t stop screaming unless he’s around. There are other threads, but the soldier is the main protagonist. He’s a bit of a bumbler, but he never gives up. It’s fun to watch him suffer and grow as weighty events force their way into his life.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
To be honest, I love the fact that it’s finished. So many people have started writing a book, not many finish. It’s a great feeling to have it in people’s hands and hearing their feedback.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Benjamin Patterson lives in North Queensland, Australia with his wife and four children. When not writing, arguing with pilots or volunteering, he's battling a life-controlling addiction to sport, an addiction his poor wife has discovered is easily passed from father to sons.
The Mark of the Unseen God completes his first fantasy trilogy. He hopes you enjoyed reading it as much as he enjoyed writing it. Writing is not easy. Without the encouragement of friends and family, the series would never have made it to print.
Though the series has sold well, Benjamin remains about one million book sales short of his goal. You can help him fulfill his goal, and encourage him to finish his next writing project, by writing rave reviews in every forum available and catching up with him at: http://www.facebook.com/theshadowofhishand
Stay tuned...
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7 comments:
I liked the excerpt.
This sounds like a good read.
Captivating cover
looks like a fun one
Great interview. This looks really good.
Thank you for hosting.
Thanks for the great excerpt and blurb. The book sounds very interesting.
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