This is my stop during the blog tour for Beyond the Moon by R.J. Wood. This tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 11 till 24 June. See the tour schedule here.
Beyond the Moon (The Voyages of Jake Flynn #2)By R.J. Wood
Genre: Fantasy/ Science Fiction/ Sword and Space/ Space Fantasy
Age category: Middle Grade/ Young Adult
Release Date: June 1, 2018
Blurb:
Beyond the Moon picks up after the battle above the ice planet Nystal, where Earth-kid Jake Flynn and crew have recently escaped from the Crimson Cabal. Their voyages continue on the other side of the galaxy where magic has displaced technology and monsters are real. Jake continues to grow in his new abilities to channel energy and fly tall wooden ships in space, but struggles with having been named the Justicar, a prophesied champion of the light. Pushing forward, he sets course for new planets in search of allies who will stand with him and help stop the cabal from resurrecting a long dead queen. To succeed, Jake must learn more about channeling and how to balance his new and unwelcome responsibilities with the continued search for his missing parents and a way home to Earth.
Aided and mentored by the young Life Magian, Starla Silvertree, her aged protector, Ottomeyer Riversend, and assisted by veteran sailors Jehnna Marik and Captain Billy Goldbar, Jake must make heavyweight decisions with deadly consequences.
Unicorns, ghost ships, pirates, space battles, magi wielding lightning and fire, dinosaurs, and a Valkyrie – Jake must face them all in this epic sword and space adventure. By the end, Jake will take another step toward adulthood, discover truths about his parents’ fate, suffer the death of a comrade, and muster the courage to charge into a final showdown with the terrifying snake-woman, Celia Sable.
You can add Beyond the Moon to your to-read list on Goodreads
You can buy Beyond the Moon here:
- Amazon ebook
- Amazon paperback
Excerpt :
The room at
the top of the Sun Tower was circular. Its wood floor was mostly
covered by a round white rug. Above her, a large chandelier hung from
the cross supports of the conical roof. Simple benches of light birch
were placed before each of four large lancet windows that faced the
directions of the winds. Sisters of the order would come here for
prayer and contemplation, to watch the sun rise in the East or set in
the West, to look out over the blue ocean to the South, or to gaze
upon the green forest to the North. Starla came for none of these
thing.
The Mother
stood alone at the north window where she watched the battle below.
Tamara Fallingleaf’s face was folded with the wrinkles of a
thousand years. Her eyes held the wisdom of them all. She was dressed
in dark green robes, the hems and sleeves embroidered with silver
thread. The gray and green sash tight around her waist ended in a
single tassel double bound with gold. Upon her head, pressed into her
gray hair and forehead, was a circlet of hand-worked Duranium adorned
with glittering emeralds. A thick silver chain hung from her neck and
disappeared beneath her robe
Starla
approached. She found it strange to see The Mother here by herself.
Usually, she was surrounded by guards, servants, and the other
high-ranking Life Magi that served as her advisors and aids. Now
everyone was gone, and for a reason that Starla could not begin to
comprehend, The Mother wanted to speak to her, the lowest of her
children, for the very first time, right now.
Starla
paused a few feet away and gulped for air. Seconds seemed like hours
as she waited to be acknowledged. She listened to the din of the
battle outside. Her heart pounded away in her chest with such
strength that she heard it. She wondered how long the youthful Blade
Dancer with green eyes would live this day; how long she herself
would live. It would have been nice to know his name.
She did her
best to push back the fear. Finally, she could take no more and for a
third time that day she broke discipline and spoke to The Mother
first.
“Mother,
you sent for me?”
The elder
woman made no reply and continued to watch the battle unfold at the
temple gates. Starla had heard some of the others talking outside.
There was still a small chance. The terrain made it difficult to
attack any but the one wall. Life Magi could not harm others
themselves, their vows forbid it, but they could keep the Blade
Dancers alive and return them to battle quickly.
The smaller
temple force might hold out that way long enough for help to arrive
from Strongbow province or a Corsair ship. It was a fleeting hope.
Even if word had already been sent, it would take days for any ground
force to arrive here by land, maybe the Sisters of the Horn could be
here faster. Until then, they were outnumbered twenty to one.
“They’re
cutting down the heartwood trees,” the older woman said calmly.
Starla’s heart jumped into her throat.
“The
trees?” she asked weakly, unable to even comprehend such a
despicable action.
“The last
was bonded to Tara Mosswood. When it fell, she collapsed and toppled
from the gatehouse. She was my first student. I don’t know if you
knew that.”
Starla did
not know that, but she knew Sister Mosswood as a stern and
gray-haired instructor that disliked mirth in the classroom. The loss
was unbelievable. That anyone would target the heartwood trees was
unimaginable. Life Magi bonded with heartwood trees as part of their
initiation. The bond gave a Life Magian her connection to the greater
forest and circle of life; it also gave a Life Magian their extended
longevity. As long as the tree lived, the magian did as well, and
vice versa. Nearly all of the Life Magi planted and bonded to
heartwood trees near the temple. The emotions gathered as tears in
Starla’s eyes and her throat tightened further.
“I didn’t
know Sister Mosswood well,” she squeaked.
“She had
a keen mind and a dry wit at times,” Tamara said, “a bit of a
prankster in class, but she did not show that side often later in her
life. The world will miss her. I…will miss her.” She turned from
the window, and gave Starla a long look. Starla could no longer hold
back the tears and they began to stream down her cheeks.
“We are
pacifists, Mother, why would someone do this to us? We are no threat
to anyone, it goes against every–” she didn’t finish the
emotion too strong.
“It is
partly my own fault child. We grew lax and overconfident. When I was
a girl, the remnants of a second outer wall sat beyond the clusters
of heartwoods. We were also better hosts then, and this temple opened
its doors to enclaves from the other magi orders.” She sighed. “The
wall was eventually removed instead of repaired, and the other orders
were pushed away.” She shook her head. “I wish that I had time to
tell you everything child, but they will reach my tree soon. It is
enough for you to know that the forces of the Destroyer are at our
gates and the Creator needs your service. Is it true that you chose
the ancient way and have bound yourself to a young tree somewhere
deep in the heart of the forest?”
“Yes,”
Starla said as she wiped a tear with her hand. “It is a tradition
of House Silvertree that goes back thousands of years to the first
Life Magi to come from our house.”
“Well,
your house traditions seem to have spared your life this day, the
Creator be praised. I suspect within the hour you will be only one of
a few Life Magi still living.”
Check out Destiny’s Gambit (The Voyages of Jake Flynn #1)!
You can buy Destiny’s Gambit here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords
A resourceful boy takes a glowing sailboat across the stars to search for his long-missing parents and becomes the target of pirates and an evil cabal with a sinister agenda.
You can buy Destiny’s Gambit here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords
About the Author:R. J. Wood has been creating stories and adventures for others since 1979. A bard at heart, he trained in Drama (BA) and History (MA) while at university. He currently lives near Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State with his wife and children. There he does a little fishing, some adventuring, and of course, his writing.
Like everyone of my generation and beyond I have been heavily influenced by film. I like to think of my books as movies in my mind. I developed my creative writing through fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal RPGs. My degree in drama helps me with story, characters, and especially dialogue. Having an advanced history degree is excellent for plots and characters, but it also helps me with world building.
You can find and contact R.J. Wood here:
- Website
- Goodreads
- Amazon
Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Beyond the Moon. One winner will win a $25 Amazon Gift card.
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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