I am so excited that AIR AND ASH by Alex Lidell is available now and that I get to share
the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by
Author Alex Lidell, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished
copy of AIR AND ASH & a copy of A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN by Sarah J. Maas,
International, courtesy of Alex and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a
chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
About the Book:
Title: AIR AND ASH
Author: Alex Lidell
Pub. Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Danger Bearing Press
Pages: 284
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Master and Commander meets Tamora Pierce in a
seafaring adventure of duty, love, magic, and a princess’s quest to protect her
kingdom on her own terms.
After a lifetime of
training, seventeen-year-old Princess Nile Greysik, a lieutenant on the
prestigious Ashing navy flagship, sails into battle with one vital mission—and
fails.
Barred from the sea and
facing a political marriage, Nile masquerades as a common sailor on the first
ship she can find. With a cowardly captain, incompetent crew, and a cruel,
too-handsome first officer intent on making her life a living hell, Nile must
hide her identity while trying to turn the sorry frigate battleworthy. Worse, a
terrifying and forbidden magic now tingles in Nile’s blood. If anyone catches
wind of who Nile is or what she can do, her life is over.
But when disaster threatens
the ship, Nile may have no choice but to unleash the truth that will curse her
future.
AIR AND ASH is the thrilling first installment of the TIDES series.
Recommended for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Tamora Pierce, and Naomi Novik.
Excerpt:
My breaths come quick, my
side vision a blur of sand. The horses rear, showing their bellies and hooves.
When Red turns to the beasts, I crash into him. The impact ricochets through
me. I drop my rock.
Red staggers but remains
standing.
I wrap my arms around Red
and draw the other pistol from his waistline even as he throws me to the
ground. I land in a heap and breathless, but my hands still clutch the gun.
Inconveniently, the bloody
weapon is as much a danger to me as to the men. It bucks in my hand, yielding
to the natural pulse of Clay’s uncontrolled magic. Rising to one knee, I move
the barrel between Bald and Red. “Stop,” I command. “All of you.”
Three sets of eyes grip me.
None give a sign of recognition. I little blame them—having spent most of my
life aboard an Ashing ship, the only people who’d reliably recognize me are
those I’ve served with. This Felielle trio is unlikely to recognize even Thad
outside the throne room, or think twice if they heard my name absent
salutation.
My palms are moist, but I
know better than to let the fear slip into my voice. “I believe the man has
understood your message,” I say.
Clay’s dog chooses that
moment to run up beside me and bare its teeth. Its low growl leadens the air
between us.
One heartbeat stretches
after another, punctuated by the break of waves and the horses’ snorts. My
breaths come quick and shallow. I’m unlikely to miss at this range, but the
pistol is good for one shot only.
Bald squints. “What’s your
stake in this?”
“A broken law and a bound
man.” I shake my head. The constant foreign presence in Ashing is a necessary
burden for now, but I hope to see it end after the war. “One pistol has fired
already, gentlemen. I expect the Ashing patrols are en route to investigate.”
Red scowls at me, likely
calculating whether he might knock me to the ground before I squeeze off the
trigger or the horses scamper. He probably can.
I scowl back, hoping the
thugs’ employer paid them too little to risk their hides so greatly. “I would
wager you will pay with your horses and backs if the patrols come upon us now.”
Bald snorts and makes a
decision. “Is the lady correct, Domenic? Has the message penetrated?” He lands
a vicious knee in the man’s abdomen.
Domenic’s jaw tightens, and
he has to draw a breath before he can speak. “I have a debt.” His voice is
steadier than I had expected. “I will pay it.”
“Why, that is all we wished
to hear in the first place.” Bald pats Domenic’s shoulder and turns away, then
twists back and punches Domenic’s jaw as an afterthought. “A pinch of a memory
aid.” He chuckles at his joke and, accepting the reins from Red, swings into
the saddle. The horses neigh and pick up a gallop, eager to be away, and I
raise my free arm to shield my eyes from the flying sand.
About
Alex:
Alex Lidell is an avid horseback rider, paramedic and ice cream addict.
Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful
librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition
to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s lifelong
love for YA fantasy books. Alex’s debut novel, THE CADET OF TILDOR, was an
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards finalist. Her second book AIR AND ASH releases
in May 2017.
Giveaway
Details:
1
winner will receive a finished copy of AIR AND ASH & a hardcover of A COURT
OF WINGS AND RUIN by Sarah J. Maas, INTERNATIONAL.
