The Quest - Tarnish
J. D. Brink
Publisher: Fugitive Fiction
Summary
Praised for its unique storytelling, engaging detail, and heart-felt characters, Tarnish stands alone in the annals of fantasy fiction. Now try Part One for less! Billy Cole is the son of legendary folk hero Ian the Black. He should be marching to war, battling dragons, and rescuing fair maidens. Unfortunately for him, the war is long over, the last dragon was slain by the Dread Duke, and all the girls in Redfield are either several years younger or already married. Billy’s sixteen springs old and ready for a life of valor and excitement. So far, however, he seems destined only for boredom and manual labor in a small farm town. Then a scarecrow tries to kill him and a golem of swamp water and vines trudges into town and attacks his father. Evil has risen from the Blood Marsh and Redfield needs a hero. And while Billy has the brass to take on an entire army alone, he’s smart enough to know better. Instead, he straps on a sword more experienced than himself and the mantle of Wil Thunderstrike—wandering hero and teller of tales—to venture into the Free Fertile Lands and find the help they need. But the world beyond Redfield isn’t like in the tavern tales, and not everyone who carries a sword is a hero… The TARNISH Trilogy: -- The Quest (Part I) -- Among the Shadows (Part II) -- Heroes and Villains (Part III) The Tarnish: Complete Trilogy Edition is also available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats. REVIEWS: “The narrative was strong – from the language, to the dialogue, to the imagery. Brink isn’t afraid to write lengthy paragraphs and scenes, to take his time setting things up, and to show us his world. That, to me, is engaging. Even small, throw-away scenes like the dream of monsters inside the tavern are full of fantastic detail, allowing you to not just ‘see’ the danger but ‘feel’ it as well… It’s not just mindless heroism and adventure, however. There’s also a heart to the novel, a very self-aware sort of appreciation for humanity and the horrors of war.” -- Beauty in Ruins "The strength of Tarnish is Billy's coming-of-age narrative, his quest to develop his own, innate heroism, and his struggle to reconcile illustrious legends with harsher truths... [Its] high fantasy styling is tempered by comfortable, somewhat modern language, a relatable, every-man main character, and a universal theme that transcends the genre." -- Tales of the Talisman Magazine "That's why I like this book... [Billy's] going to be a hero one day. It's just going to take a couple more black eyes and a night in the Fellwater drunk tank to get there." -- Forever Young Adult "What's amazing about this book is that it is its own story. It's not some spin off, take off, bull$#!% twisting of the same young adult themes. And I love that you get all these stories within stories... It's like, bookception." -- Rattle the Stars "Fantasy? Sword fights? Monsters? Destiny? Gimme, Gimme!" -- The Book Heap