Exiled: Autumn’s Peril

 
Exiled: Autumn's Peril

Book One in The Chronicles of Caleath

A Novel by: Rosalie Skinner

Genre: Sci-fi Fantasy

Editor: Lea Schizas

Line Editor: Christine I. Speakman

Cover Artist: Delilah K. Stephans

Words: 80245

Pages: 226

ISBN: 978-1-927085-52-3

Price: $5.95

Blurb:

Exiled and driven by guilt and vengeance, Caleath, adept in virtual reality games, finds himself on a world where magic rules. Assassins hunt him, ghosts haunt his nights, a sorcerer covets his knowledge and a beautiful hostage complicates his escape.

Washed ashore from the wreck of the Albatross, tortured in mind and body, Caleath  uses his dreaded nanobots in order to survive and  reluctantly befriends the young Gwilt  Their search for the survey satellite, which could lead Caleath home, unveils  the terrifying world of 'a dark soul, black magic and a bloody sword'.

On this perilous journey, an assassin destroys Caleath's healing nanobots, and exiles from his home planet follow his every move. He takes the beautiful Nasith, of the Ferran clan, hostage to keep the assassins at bay, but her presence endangers him more. A sorcerer forces Caleath to aid the Council of Mages when he discovers Caleath carries vital  knowledge that could save the Sharyac people from the invading Tarack, a species of giant ants.

Excerpt:

“Well three horses come this way. I can hold the assassin but the rest is up to you.”

“Adder’s spit, wizard! How long have you known?” Caleath spun as the first rider reached the edge of the clearing and threw himself off his horse.

The assassin took six strides across the clearing. He unsheathed a sword as he approached.

Caleath’s breath caught in his throat. The wizard raised his staff and the ranger froze mid step.

“Go!” Penwryt shouted when Caleath hesitated.

A strange miasma of white magic circled around the stationary ranger but whipped away from contact with Caleath when he sprinted toward the buckskin. Already a second ranger crossed to join his partner. His voice reached Caleath as he ran for the trees.

“What sorcery is this, Penwryt?” the ranger cried while he lifted his loaded crossbow and tracked Caleath’s movement with his aim. Caleath heard the wizard’s warning but when he turned to give heed, the crossbow bolt flew straight and true.

“No!” Penwryt bellowed.

The quarrel struck Caleath’s arm with enough force to knock him off his feet. White pain blinded him for a split second. When he recovered his balance, Caleath saw another ranger supported by a slight companion standing between him and the buckskin. The ranger, whom he recognized as Lachlan, looked unwell. His companion helped him stand.

Behind him, Caleath heard the second ranger reload the crossbow. He cursed and grabbed Lachlan’s companion with his good arm. Needing a shield, Caleath slung Lachlan’s friend between himself and the bowman. When Lachlan started forward, Caleath struck the ranger in the chest. His boot heel knocked the ranger’s chest and disabled his attempt at heroism.

“Stay down,” Caleath warned while he dragged the ranger’s struggling companion to where Enigma waited. Hampered by an arm pulsing with fire and aware he remained a target, Caleath lifted the uncooperative hostage across his good shoulder.

Using the cloak and body of the hostage as a shield, Caleath hauled himself and his struggling burden onto the unsettled buckskin. Raw pain exploded through his body when he hit the saddle. The horse sprang forward. Heavy hooves churned damp earth and Enigma thundered into the forest.

As soon as the horse hit full gallop, Caleath gained his balance and swung his human shield around to balance face down across the stallion’s shoulders. When the kicking and screaming paused for a second, Caleath identified the pitch and ferocity of his captive’s efforts. In a heartbeat, he knew the awful truth. He held a female hostage.

“Adder’s spit!” His heart skipped a beat. He’d taken aboard more trouble than he needed.

Reviews:

"Haunted, Hunted, Spellbinding!" - 5 star Amazon reader review

"To say I liked Exiled:Autumn's Peril would be more than an understatement. It was a pulsating and vibrating read which captivated me within minutes.
Caleath or shall I say Sarran is a fascinating character with depth and full of emotions. Throughout the book I wanted to support him, to kick him in the ass, to remind him, to calm him down.
The setting is great mix of fantasy and science fiction, the onion peeling like revelation of Caleath's past, the vivid story telling including a band with from torture to love, from dialogue to fight, granted an extraordinary reading pleasure.

If you look for an emotional character who desperately tries to change from reaction to action limited to one planet with unknown continents and cultures framed in a fantasy and science fiction setting then read Exiled:Autumn's Peril by Rosalie Skinner.

From virtual reality to reality - From hate to revenge:
Exiled:Autumn's Peril is a strong debut with a lot of potential.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series." 5 star Amazon reader review

Customer Reviews:

I found myself immersed in the world of Caleath from the start. I love how the writing brings back words I have almost forgotten and rarely get the chance to use. The rich text, the flourishing style is reminiscent of a dying art, lost as ebooks are more often designed for a quick read and not for total immersion into a fantasy world. Skinner’s writing style makes Exiled: Autumn’s Peril easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable. rnrnThe story twists and turns. The main character’s challenges drive him through dark times. Knowing the story is a loose analogy for coping with chronic illness, and having been through the reality of seeing a successful, productive, future dissolve into a life long struggle with chronic pain and disappointment, I can empathise with his plight. rnrnReading the next books in the series, I know there are moments of humour and reprieve as Caleath conquers the many challenges he faces and survives. rnrnFor those who love epic Fantasy and enjoy a little Sci fi on the side, The Chronicles of Caleath is a great series. I have found them highly addictive. rn

I'm wavering on this one. The writing and plot are quite good. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with this book. By all means, do not let my opinion sway you. If I really hated it, I wouldn't have finished it. And if I don't finish a book, I don't review it. If I do finish a book, on the other hand, I feel like I should write a review. As a writer, I wish readers would do the same for me.rnrnWhat I didn't care for is stylistic opinion only. Simply put, I would have written it differently. I'm not so hung up on my style that I can't enjoy completely different approaches. But, this one has too much somewhat florid description. If I use the Kindle dictionary to look up a word, then it's probably not going to be familiar to 99% of the reading audience (okay, make that 95%). rnrnI also have a little problem with how much of the book is spent on making the MC absolutely miserable. He almost cracked a smile once, had a bit of sex, but nowhere did he ENJOY anything. I think poor Caleath deserved a bit more of a break once in awhile. He's constantly being wounded, beaten, chased, reviled, and generally having a really crappy time.rnrnSo, stylistically, I would have let the guy have a little bit of a vacation between the shipwreck and being chased down by his best friend. You know, give him a day or two to heal up. Nanobots notwithstanding, his ability to forge onward when anybody else would be in a hospital bed was just too much for me.rnrnNow, that being said, people who relish epic fantasy with a dash of scifi thrown in will certainly enjoy this first book of the Chronicles of Caleath. rn

Exiled: Autumn’s Peril is the first book in Rosalie Skinners’s Chronicles of Caleath. So before you start reading this one, be aware that it’s highly addictive and will leave you craving the next book in the series. rnrnAutumn’s Peril weaves an intriguing tale where sci-fi meets fantasy. A planet still in its middle ages becomes the setting for a vicious real life game transmitted to an entertainment-craving audience spread through the federation of advanced worlds. Former Game Master and champion Caleath fights for his life in an archaic world, while the vengeful organizer tightens the net around him, not to mention an ignorant local mage getting in his way.rnrnCaleath is a nicely ambiguous character, not your foolhardy hero but a man fighting for survival while trying to preserve his humanity against all odds.rnrnFast-paced and vividly written, the story takes unexpected twists that keep you turning the pages. Even though you find yourself on a roller coaster, you can always trust never to be thrown off. Lean back and enjoy the ride.rn

Exiled: Autumn's Peril by Rosalie SkinnerrnrnReview by Wendy LaharnarrnrnHunted. Haunted. Homesick.rnrnGame Master, Caleath, exiled from the planet Rampart 6, is pursued by 'Assassins' when it's discovered he could be an Ithaki spawn, one with unique skills and superior genes. Caleath's obsession with the 'Game' has tragic consequences. He is haunted by guilt and by ghostly accusers who died because of it. When he is shipwrecked on an alien planet, in Allorn, a land governed by mages, Caleath, has a chance at a new life if he keeps a low profile. But the evil Ephraim, who exiled him, knows his every move, and the mages discover he carries vital data in his memory chip to save the planet from the giant ant creatures, the Tarack. The mages are determined to take this knowledge from him. rnrnCaleath is a fascinatingly complex character; slave, felon, hero, but with compassion in his nature he must suppress for the sake of survival. His protection of Gwilt, the lovable innocent, threatens to bring him down.rnrnGwilt is the light that contrasts Caleath's darkness. His admiration of, and desire to follow this exotic stranger brings to Caleath the gift of friendship, but proves to be a dangerous weapon against him. Through Gwilt's curiosity and lust for adventure, we are drawn into the terrifying world of 'a dark soul, black magic and a bloody sword'. rnrnMicro chipped magic and advanced technology underpin the tense, conflict driven action that keeps the reader's heart rate soaring from the initial shipwreck to the climactic confrontation of wizardry. With the tendrils of her wizard's hex, Rosalie Skinner spins her magic. She writes with intelligence and a vivid imagination. Her beautiful phrasing colours the alien world and the characters that inhabit Caleath's bleak adventure. This is a spellbinding Fantasy and Science Fiction thriller.rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrn

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