It’s worth noting almost immediately that Bardsley is a master of the genre, and he knows how to bend its rules and concepts to make things really enjoyable.  Chrix, his main character, takes advantage of the real magic system by introducing something the game characters have never seen before in stage magic and sleight of hand, to great effect.  With a nice mix of humor, action and intrigue, fans of the genre are sure to rip through this book in no time—which makes it convenient that its sequels have already been released.

He was killed on earth in a deadly street fight. Just because he was trying to survive on the streets by running a con. Chrix finds himself in a world full of action and adventure. To his excitement, he finds that this world is full of magic and monsters. But he has to start out with no combat or magical skills. So this would be conman has to fake it too survives. This leads him into a dangerous situation that nobody would normal survive.

The following is an extract from the book:

She shouted, “You’re a dirty rotten cheat! You’ve been playing us all along.”

As she shouted, the rest of the group backed off. They had clearly been expecting an explosion from the woman. I just sat in my chair with a calm smile on my face, looking her directly in the eye. She had one of her daggers in her hand and threw it directly in between my eyes.

Just as her dagger was about to penetrate my temple, the shield I had been preparing all day flashed into existence with a blue wave of energy.

The dagger froze in place as the man from the guild muttered, “Magician,” with some fear.

I was still looking into her eyes as I had not flinched or blinked, but was still smiling as if nothing had happened.

The dagger dropped to the floor with a clang and I said, “Fire magician, actually.”

One of the man’s pipes had fallen to the ground during the ruckus so I picked it up and relit it with a small flame. Passing it to the trembling man, I said in a dangerous tone, “I insist that we continue.”

This had been my real gamble. After being burned by a fire magician and left for dead, I guessed that nobody wanted to suffer that fate. I’d been charging my magical shield all afternoon and hoping that it would be enough for one blow. Luckily, it was. If she had thrown a second time, I would have been dead – or whatever it is that happens to me in this world.

As stated before, Bardsley is a prolific storyteller.  He’s been publishing content since December of last year, and he’s already delivered nearly twenty books since then.  The Return of the Master’s Quests: Resurrection of the Masters LitRPG series is three books deep by now, and Bardsley has more content coming out all the time.  If you want to, you can check out his author website here.  But don’t forget to check out Resurrection of Adventure (Book1): Dirty Rotten Magic on Amazon today!

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Original Post:

Welcome back, everyone, to the Otherworld.  We took a few days off while Mr. and Mrs. Tellest went on a brief vacation to celebrate their anniversary.  Sadly, Mr. Tellest did not win the jackpot in AC. But don’t be discouraged, you win the fantasy jackpot today!

Emanuel Fynn is hot on the fantasy circuit right now, a very well reviewed debut novel dropping earlier this month.  With a planned four books in The Elven Saga, now is a great time to get involved in this series.  It all starts with Sword of the Elves, where Fynn cuts his teeth with his great storytelling.

An Epic Elf Quest 

Carnage and terror are in the air. Vesus wakes up in an environment of desolation. His elven village has been destroyed and his memory is shattered. Moreover, he suffers in quiet agony since the girl of his dreams has been captured by brutal creatures.

Terra is a kingdom with numerous secrets and magical mysteries, which have been buried deeply in the past, but the elven hero is determined to restore what has been lost. 

With a mission in mind to rescue his loved one, he finds himself getting increasingly twisted into a complex history of wars, adventures, and legends. Along his journey to the Sword of Adamas, friends and foes cross his path, testing him to the core. The outcome of his endeavors will be unknown… for now… 

Fynn’s debut work is very entertaining.  Sword of the Elves picks up quickly and doesn’t let go until the very last word.  The style of the writing has a way of tugging you along from one event to the next, and before you know it, your time in Terra is at an end.  But fret not—this four book series is just getting started, and the sequel is coming next year.  In the meantime, don’t forget to pick up the awesome Sword of the Elves on Amazon.

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Primarily urban fantasy, but with healthy doses of mythology, hindu spirituality and philosophy, Rohit Gaur’s Ganesha’s Temple, the first book in his Temple Wars series, is unlike anything you’ve ever read. It is of the utmost quality, and it sucks you in right away.  Before you realized it, you’ll have flipped through most of the pages.

“I will help you prepare yourself for the dangers that lie ahead.”

Those words and Lord Ganesha’s appearance in a dream ring ominously in fourteen-year-old Tarun Sharma’s mind as he and his family travel to a festival celebrating the elephant-headed god.

Tarun, the son of Kashmir’s chief minister, soon experiences his first taste of danger when terrorists attack the festival. He flees into the wilderness and takes shelter in a cave—where he meets Ganesha and discovers the deity needs his help.

Thus begins a journey into a mystical spirit world full of strange creatures and infused by the life-giving power of prana. Tarun must travel into the spirit world to return to Ganesha what’s his. But the clock is ticking as he struggles to avoid the evil Serpentine and races to complete his tasks. If he fails, the disastrous consequences will spill out of the spirit world and devastate the Earth.

Travel with Tarun on an odyssey of epic importance in Rohit Gaur’s Ganesha’s Temple, the first book in the Temple Wars series. It’s a fantasy adventure with a message that will inspire as a young boy discovers the strength and courage he needs to persevere.

Gaur is a serial entrepreneur, and his many successes in life have clearly been used as a model for this book—and the long-spanning brand that is sure to come from it.  With beautiful art and maps, flawless writing and a story that’s as deep as it is compelling, Ganesha’s Temple is sure to be your favorite new book.  And today, you can get this book, regularly selling for $9.99 for the low price of… wait for it… absolutely free.  Be sure to pick it up from Amazon now!

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It’s 2026. Less than a week ago, a gigantic UFO from the fabled city of Atlantis arrived. Their rival, Osiria, also arrived. They convinced Americans to split apart: half of them transforming Mars into another Earth, and the other half picking a fight with very dangerous aliens. Both were a trick.

A unusually large group moves to a refugee camp built on Mars, and it’s extremely cramped. There is a great deal of infighting on Mars, while those left behind on Earth try to hide from the aliens. Our weapons are no match against theirs.

Pick up The Republic of Mars: Stage 4 TODAY! And stay tuned next week– we’ll have a very cool interview with Matthew!

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Luckily, I have a decent story to share with you today which has pushed me right back into that zone.  I’m a huge dog lover, and I feel like they aren’t used enough in fantasy.  Then I met Lola.

Elbot Carman has put together a wonderful little book that is intended for young adults between grades four and nine, but Lola the Buhund and the Empty Sky can be appropriate for all ages.  It’s been inspired by a lot of different things, including Pacific Northwest Native American tales for the basis of the story’s plot; with Shinto mythology and elements of Ireland’s countryside, Central Alaska’s wilderness, and Indian culture.  I love that there is a lot of interpretative folklore as a basis here, and I was won over easily by the canine protagonist.

Rejected by her mother as a pup, Lola is raised by a reclusive carpenter a decade and a half into one of her world’s most trying times. The world of Lumea went dark thirteen years before her birth – the sun, moon, and stars vanishing from the sky without a trace. In a harsh and inhospitable environment, it seems only the country of Prithvi has managed to survive.

Never knowing what the world was before, Lola and her human are thrust into a journey to uncover where the world’s light has gone. Gifted the ability to speak by a spell gone awry and joined by a party of colorful characters; the road ahead of her is filled with monsters, evil spirits, and the soldiers of a cruel and selfish monarch.

Lola the Buhund and the Empty Sky is a charming tale made all the more appealing by it’s illustrations.  Inspired by the works of Naoto Ōshima (the early designer for Sonic the Hedgehog), Carman’s world of Prithvi comes to life in a gorgeous way.

If you’re interested in Lola and her quest, take a look at her story, which is currently funding on Inkshares.

The post Fantasy Promo: Lola the Buhund and the Empty Sky appeared first on Tellest.

When someone tells a dragon story that I enjoy, you can be sure that I am beyond pleased.  I tried to tell my own, and though I’m proud of it, I know that there are other people out there who are better accustomed to weaving that particular narrative.  Such is the case with Amelia Smith, whose Anamat series paints the dragons like gods.  Only true believers can see them, and faith gives them strength.

It doesn’t hurt that Darna, the protagonist, is a cheeky little heroine who isn’t afraid of getting her hands a little dirty.  Thus begins her adventures in Scrapplings: Children of the Dragons.

Darna shouldn’t have been born – priestesses aren’t supposed to have babies – and she most certainly shouldn’t see dragons. After all, no one else does, except in Anamat, or so the minstrels say.

She sets out for the city of Anamat. Along the way, she meets Myril, an older girl with frequent premonitions and an eerie sense of hearing.

Then there’s Iola, who is so dragon-struck that she actually wants to be a priestess. She’s blind to the corruption in the temples.

Thorat is Iola’s champion. He sees dragons as much as the girls do, but unlike them he blends easily in to a crowd.

Apart from these four, the city seems to be nearly as dragon-blind as the provinces. Darna scavenges for scraps, but apprenticeships cost more than she’s likely to earn. When she’s offered a sack of gold beads for a small bit of thieving, she takes her chances… and ends up angering the dragon herself.

The best news of all, regarding Scrapplings, is that it is free through September.  Smith was incredibly generous in her offer there, and you can never ever go wrong with free.

Scrapplings: Children of the Dragons is the first book in a five part series. Book Two, Priestess of the Dragon’s Temple, is also available.  If you’re interested in the first book, you can find it here, on Amazon.  It’s also available on iTunes, Google Play, and on Kobo.

The post Fantasy Book Promo: Scrapplings: Children of the Dragons appeared first on Tellest.

Dumas crafts an excellent story for kids and their parents which takes a girl and throws her into a mysterious world of wolves.  Her craft is definitely praised, as you can see by her ratings and reviews on Goodreads.

Have you ever dreamed of being a wolf? Jala has. And she thinks her magical mother has found a way to make her dream come true. Her mother won’t actually come right out and say she is magic. That’s not how magic works. But Jala knows magic when she sees it, so she is not a bit surprised when a mysterious mirror appears in her room one day. Like Alice’s looking glass, the mirror opens a portal to a new world. A world of wolves.

Dumas has gone all out for her story, including producing a cute little trailer for the book.

If you’re interested in Jala and the Wolves, check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.  If you want to know more about Dumas and her writing, don’t forget to visit her website.

The post Children’s Fantasy Promo – Jala and the Wolves appeared first on Tellest.

Today’s Otherworld book is a little something that I happen to like a lot.  Sonja Wuthrich has concocted an interesting little world with Elementary Virtue: The Savior that I can really sink my teeth into. It’s an urban fantasy that almost reads like a superhero fantasy, which I have my fair share of experience with.

Moving to Canada was supposed to be a fresh start for Gregory; all he wants is a normal life. Hang out with his friends and have fun, like any normal eighteen year old.

When Gregory finds out that he is the prophecised savior of a mystical clan, his life is turned upside down.

Caught up in a war between the mystics, some of whom see him as the savior, and others simply want him dead.

His situation gets even more dangerous by his tendency to immolate everything around him whenever he gets angry.
As conflicts come to a head, Gregory’s life is in balance…

Then there’s Leyla…

Her lifelong crush on Gregory is messing everything up, compromising his cover in a time when he needs to lay low and keep his cool to avoid detection.

Will they be able to unravel the secrets of an Ancient prophecy, thwart their enemies, and deal with their feelings towards each other in time?

Wuthrich has done an excellent job with this story, and she’s doing it for all the right reasons.  It’s a beautiful passion for her, and it shows on each page.  If you’re interested in Elemental Virtue: The Savior, check it out on Amazon.  And keep an eye on it, as it is going to be free on May 18th!

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Rather than let that dictate whether or not you’d find it a fun read, I’ll let Starbird sell you with her wonderfully chosen words:

“A goddess with man trouble, stalkers and secrets.”

Rosamond has a secret: she’s a jaguar shapeshifter hiding from an eternal stalker. Rosamond wants to live an ordinary human life, but the Eternals have other plans. Her boyfriend leaves. Her friends betray her. And Gideon the Dragon demands that she use her ability to cross the planes of death and trap a powerful god in the afterlife–a god to whom Rosamond owes a debt of loyalty. To top it all, a psychopathic sorcerer poisons her with his dark magic. Someone is behind the chaos, but who? And why target her?

Will Rosamond unravel the hidden mysteries before the sorcerer’s lethal spell runs it course?

“The author weaves a rich tapestry of vivid images, powerful emotions, and intrigue into an action-packed fantasy that I couldn’t put down. She takes you deep into an ethereal world created from the earthiness of tradition and nature, born of blood and lust. Truly spellbinding!”

If you’re interested in Rosamond Eternal, you can find the book on Amazon, here.  And as I’m sure you’ll be interested to read up more on Starbird, you can find her website here as well.

The post Urban Fantasy Promo – The Jaguar Key appeared first on Tellest.

Marla Owens was forced to go on the run after the brutal murder of her parents.  But that was only the beginning…

Devastating tragedy puts 14-year-old high school freshman Marla Owens on a fast-paced journey of survival, revival and coming of age. Driven by a force she can’t begin to understand and a burning need to find out the truth, she heads toward her mother’s home in North Dakota. She soon learns more about herself and her family than she could have ever imagined—her mother was royal heir to the powerful Skatian throne! And now the Skatian people need her to protect their world from those who wish to conquer it.

In a classic tale of good versus evil, set on Earth and beyond, a young girl fights to survive to become a young woman—and the reluctant queen of Skatia.  Who can she trust? Will she be able to control her own immense abilities and justified anger to do what’s right? One thing’s for sure: Marla’s not in Texas anymore!

Hendricks is an author worthy of your attention, and Half Blood Queen is a dependable read.  Check it out on Amazon, here, and when you’re done, do go to the author’s website for more information on her story and her works.

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