"Night Calls (Nyx Slaughter 1)" by Amber Lynn

INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Night Calls (Nyx Slaughter 1)

by Amber Lynn

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Amber Lynn, author of the Nyx Slaughter series. For further insights into her self-publishing journey, please visit Amber's blog and read her blog post: "Things I have learned since starting this journey".

Below you can read my review of Night Calls, the first book in the series, and you also have the chance to win a copy of your own in the giveaway below. Look out for my reviews of the other books in this series coming soon. There are six books so far (Night Calls, Night Marks, Night Bites, Night Howls, Night Lurks, and Night Finds), with the last book (Night Rises) due out in July. Beware ... once you start reading this series, you won't be able to stop.

Description

At night is where I am at my best. I prowl the shadows looking for my targets. If you find yourself on my list, you are the scum of the earth and I am here to end your life. Don't worry, I will try to make it as quick as possible.

I work for the paranorm governing body, otherwise known as the Grand Collective. I have lived within their midst my entire life. I am not like them though, I am just human. It has made my life a little difficult, but I have made it to the top of their team of assassins.

My life is about to turn upside down. Do you want to join me for my new adventure? Who am I, you ask? That's simple, most people call me Slaughter, but you can call me Nyx.

This is the first installment in the Nyx Slaughter series.

Excerpt

I collect my chains and toss them in the back of my vehicle. They will be due for another hose down when I get home. You would have thought William would have noticed me throwing the silver chains at him. Obviously, if I can touch them, I cannot be a werewolf. Just goes to show his IQ.

I leave his remains to wash away with the next storm, and climb into my old, beat up Suburban. I know it’s a tank, but I need the room for all my supplies. I never know what I am going to run into on one of these assassin assignments, but I like to be prepared for anything.

For vampires, I have the UV headlights that help slow them down and an arsenal of cutting and burning devices. Staking them in the heart, like books suggest, will do you very little good when they can just regrow it. Chopping their heads off and burning the body is about the only thing that keeps them down permanently. As for werewolves, silver really is the key for them. I imagine, cutting their heads off and burning their bodies would work just as well, but why go through all the extra effort when a single bullet will do?

Most of my calls are for those two species and most of them are for execution purposes. I get occasional calls to help with other kinds of shifters, demons, witches, and general misbehaving paranorms, but they are rare. People have started to figure out if you want someone killed, you call Nyx.

Review

By Lynda Dickson

Nyx Slaughter is an assassin, a killer for hire. Her targets - rogue vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings who break the code. Nyx is under the care and tutelage of the Collective, on whose doorstep she was left as a newborn. She is torn between her friendship with Ryan (a werewolf), Sebastian (head vampire), and later Alex (head werewolf). Nyx also has to contend with the unwanted attentions of Tommy, an old enemy who is obsessed with her.

Nyx always thought she was human, but she discovers her secret heritage, along with some amazing new powers she never knew she possessed. She learns to control them under the guidance of Sebastian and Alex, who also convince her to leave the Collective and join their Resistance movement. With Sebastian's help, Nyx sets up her own business as a private investigator, a plot device that should lead to some interesting storylines.

This book contains some fascinating twists on the traditional vampire and werewolf myths. It is humorous and sexy, but some of the dialogue is a bit stilted. The author does a great job of weaving the back-story into the elements of the story itself. This book ends on a cliff-hanger, leaving it open to the sequel, Night Marks, which I can't wait to read.

Interview with the Author

Hi Amber, thanks for joining me today to discuss Night Calls and the Nyx Slaughter series.

Which writers have influenced you the most? I have read a ton of paranormal books over the past couple years and the ones that I think about most are books written by Karen Marie Moning and Laurell K. Hamilton.

What age group do you recommend your book for? 17+ is probably best for the series in general. My main character can be a bit of a potty mouth and she hangs around a bunch of not exactly clean-minded guys.

What sparked the idea for this series? The first book came together when I was just sitting one day and all of a sudden thought of a tough female assassin who let one of her targets go because she found out they were related. From there ideas just kept coming.

Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel? At least in this series, I thought of Nyx first, who she was and what fun twists can be thrown at her along the way. That isn't always the way of it, though. I have some other ideas floating around for a stand-alone novel once I finish up the seven Nyx books and my thoughts on that one were not character-driven.

What was the hardest part to write in this book? The first Nyx book is pretty much all backstory to set up the adventures to come. Trying to get all the information I wanted out there in a way that wasn't just shoving it down the reader's throat took some thought.

How do you hope this series affects its readers? I just hope they are able to pick up one of the books and enjoy a fun, fast-paced read. I try to insert a little comedy in places, so a few laughs along the way are what I aim for.

How long did it take you to write each book? These stories aren't extremely long. They do come in over 50,000 words, which does put them in the category of novel by most standards I find. That being said, the actual writing of them usually takes me about two weeks. I imagine most people would cringe about that short amount of time, but I have the ideas already worked out in my head, it is just getting them down on paper that takes time.

What is your writing routine? I start with figuring out my opening line. I go into each book with a general idea of where each book is going to end up, in fact, I tend to write the last chapter about a quarter of the way through. Once that opening line is down on paper, I just let the characters take me where they want to go. Sometimes those places really frighten me. I have many times been writing along and then suddenly just put my face in my hands to ask myself “Why do they do these things to me?” when my characters reveal or do something crazy. I try to get at least two chapters written a day, sometimes I am able to get five of them written if I don't have other responsibilities.

How did you get your books published? My books are currently just self-published via Smashwords and Kindle Direct Publishing. I like the freedom of being able to control everything about them.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer? Do it. In this day and age, you don't have to wait to be picked up by a publishing house. If you believe in your work, and have received outside feedback that others enjoy it, there is nothing stopping you, except maybe reading oodles of articles about formatting. I started out posting unedited versions of stories on Wattpad to get feedback. Granted, I didn't advertise or really direct people to the stories, so feedback wasn't quickly forthcoming. The process did help me grow as a writer, though, and I like to think the books kept getting better as I went.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? I have very eclectic tastes in hobbies. I love to make things in the kitchen and dabble in a lot of arts and crafts, including, but not limited to: drawing, knitting, quilting, and painting. I like to watch hockey, football and motor sports, ride my motorcycle, read, camp, fish, and shoot my bow and arrow.

What does your family think of your writing? I think it amuses my husband. He hasn't read any of the books yet, but there have been a couple times when I wanted some technical advice and he talked through scenes with me.

Please tell us a bit about your childhood. Not a whole lot to tell on that front. It was pretty average and I have always been glad to put it behind me. I am an extremely shy person and making friends was never easy so I spent most of my time reading or studying for school.

Did you enjoy school? Yes, I was a really big teacher's pet and I was crazy about being the best at everything. I wasn't always, but I did strive to be.

Did you like reading? Yes, I did in general, but there were reading programs set up in school that if you read so many books you got a small free pizza from Pizza Hut. Let's just say I was really motivated.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I think I have always had stories rolling around in my head, but it wasn't until a year ago that I actually starting writing anything down. After that first book, I realized that getting the ideas out of my head was a good idea. I have written nine short novels since that time and more ideas keep coming.

Did your childhood experiences influence your writing? I cannot say that they did.

What was your favorite book growing up? I probably had tons of “favorites”, but the one that comes to mind is She Died Too Young by Lurlene McDaniel. That series of books was horribly sad and I couldn't stop reading them as a preteen/teenager.

Who were your favorite authors? The ones that stick out in my mind are R. L. Stine and Lurlene McDaniel.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? I have only been publishing since February, so I haven't heard a lot back so far. I did join a group on Goodreads (love that site) that is giving me some much-needed feedback on the stories that are out now. I love hearing what worked for them and the things that don't go over as well.

What can we look forward to from you in the future? The Nyx Slaughter series should be done by early summer (July). There will be seven total books for the arc that I am currently writing. There may be more that come later as I am leaving myself open at the end of the seventh, but I do have another stand-alone book that I want to take a crack at. It is more sci-fi based and will be a big full-length novel.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today, Amber. I look forward to reading what you come up with next. You certainly have a great imagination!

From the Author

I love books. Until recently, I kept to just reading them, but ideas for characters and scenes took control of my mind and made me have to get those ideas down. I started with a series I called Avery Clavens. I enjoyed the world I created there, but it was really still the world we all live in so I decided to move on to something just a little bit different.

In my Nyx Slaughter series, the real world is still out there, but my characters have their own little corner to call their own. I love that it is a bit more fantasy based and I am able to make more things up as I go. I can see at least three more books coming from that world with the possibility of having some different characters' points of view.

This whole writing thing is a hobby for me. I sit down on the weeknights and weekends and just float over to my other worlds for a while. Other hobbies of mine include: drawing, baking, arts and crafts, motorcycles, hockey, and archery. I like to think I have eclectic tastes where my hobbies are concerned. I love to laugh and try to make myself smile at least once a day. With the crazy thoughts going on in my head that usually isn't hard.

Giveaway

Enter the giveaway for your chance of winning one of two eBook copies of Night Calls. Thanks to Amber for donating these prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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"The Crimson League" by Victoria Grefer

The Crimson League

by Victoria Grefer

The Crimson League now has a brand new cover and extra features! Read it and The Magic Council before reading the last book in the trilogy, The King's Sons, which has just been released.

Description

What would you do if you were seventeen, a woodworker's daughter, and your kingdom’s sorcerer-dictator was determined to see you dead? 

Join Kora Porteg in the kingdom of Herezoth as she aids her homeland’s organized resistance. Opposing the sorcerer who slew the royal family, Kora soon discovers she’s a sorceress herself, as well as the unwitting subject of an old and often mocked legend. Though she accepts she can have no place in Herezoth after civil war should end, she fights alongside the usurper’s sister, a thief, a scholar, two telekinetic brothers, and other members of the group that calls itself the Crimson League. As their prospects deteriorate, the League has no choice but to make a final stand against its foe and the army that supports him. 

Full of magic and mayhem, The Crimson League is a blend of urban and epic fantasy bordering on the dystopian. It is the first in a trilogy of novels about Herezoth and its magicked inhabitants as they struggle to make names for themselves, or simply to survive, against prejudice and evil. A classic sword and sorcery adventure!

Map of Herezoth

Excerpt

The autumn wind’s whistle died with a choke as Kora Porteg slammed her brother’s window. The tattered curtains fell lifeless against the wall. Kora made no habit of attacking windows, not in the quaint little cottage she’d called home all her seventeen years, but she was alarmed, and bitterly disappointed, at the state of this particular one. 

“For the last time, Zacry, you can’t leave your room open to the world.” 

“Things aren’t that….” 

“Things are that bad! You should know. You steal Mother’s paper enough.” 

“I understand about half of the paper, they make everything so cryptic. And I haven’t snagged one in two weeks. She’s started torching them.” 

Torching them was probably best, Kora thought as she watched Zacry climb, unrepentant, into bed. He spent most days sneaking away to find news of the resistance, though he managed to hide the pastime from most people, his mother among them. He went filling his head with heroics, and him only eleven…. His new hobby frightened Kora, who forced her demeanor and her voice into nonchalance. 

“Father would want you to read. To read books.” 

“Well, Father’s not here, is he?” 

“Zacry!” 

Kora’s normally pale complexion lightened two shades. She jumped at her brother’s statement, and a strand of chestnut curls fell from the bun at the back of her neck. She stared out at a robust harvest moon, which just allowed her to descry the line of the unpaved road to Hogarane, the nearest village. Then she drew the curtains closed.

“I’m sorry,” Zacry murmured to Kora’s back. “I shouldn’t have said….” 

“Well, you, you’re right. But still, Zac!” 

“Why don’t you tell me a story?” 

Kora took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Will you pick up a book tomorrow? Not the paper?” 

“Yes.” The surrender was guilt-won, but Kora accepted it. 

“What story, then?” 

“The sorcerers.” 

Their father had told the tale many times when they were younger. Kora began the same way he always had: 

“Centuries before you were born, the God-blessed kingdom of Herezoth….” 

“God-forsaken’s more like it.” 

“The God-blessed kingdom of Herezoth,” Kora continued, “was home to many sorcerers. You could always tell a sorcerer because he was born with a special mark.” 

“A triangle.” 

“That’s right. People say the mark was a triangle because to do sorcery, you needed three things: power, will, and knowledge. You had to be born with the power to cast spells, and not everyone was. You had to truly will the spell to be cast; you had to concentrate, to focus your mind on what you wanted. That applies to more than ancient magic, Zac.”

Zacry’s eye roll said Kora needn’t make her agenda more explicit; he’d promised to read a book, hadn’t he? And he went to school each day. Not that he had any other option beneath the new regime, but he worked diligently in lessons. His sister went on: 

“Lastly, a sorcerer needed the right incantation. If he didn’t know that, he could want to cast the spell more than anything and possess the world’s strongest magic. It wouldn’t matter a jot. Some sorcerers specialized in writing spells, but that required an understanding of magic’s subtleties that only a few ever mastered.” 

“What happened to the sorcerers?” 

“At first they lived with the normal folk in peace. They kept to themselves. They had their own court, their own laws to govern magic. The Hall of Sorcery was high in the mountains, and people say only the magicked ever saw it. They say you needed magic to find the path up to the peak where the Hall’s tallest spire broke the clouds. The court’s members were called Councilors, and their most famous leader was Brenthor. He was a wise man, and just. People like us weren’t afraid to go to him, offering money for help or begging for his aid. To this day it’s said Brenthor honored every honest plea. That’s probably an exaggeration, but we know for a fact he used the money from those who paid him to build houses and grow food for the poor. He advised those sorcerers who wrote spells to put them down in books, which he stored in a library next to the Hall. The king himself asked Brenthor for advice, many times. It was Brenthor who led the king’s warriors when they put down the Sorcerers’ Revolt.” 

Kora paused, waiting for Zacry to ask about the Revolt. The question came, and Kora pulled her brother’s blankets tight against him; he wiggled them loose as she said, “A sorcerer came before the magic court when Brenthor was off consulting with the king. This man’s name was Hansrelto, and he was cunning, proud, and cruel. He thought magic had dignity, and that Brenthor was wrong to serve the king, to sell incantations. A number of sorcerers thought like Hansrelto, and they rallied behind him, but it was Hansrelto by himself who showed up at the Hall. He knew Brenthor was gone, and that no one at the court could challenge him. 

“Hansrelto wanted sorcerers to rule Herezoth. He asked the court to follow him in an attack on the king and Brenthor’s policies. Brenthor’s second-in-command, a young sorceress named Mayven, was in charge the day Hansrelto came. She debated him, she called his views maniacal, but because Hansrelto thought all magic users had rights, he cast no spell against her. He’d come to marshal the court, and he managed to take a third of its members with him when he left, blowing apart the doors and destroying the front-most pillars. Legend holds a corner of the building collapsed. 

“Mayven understood how dangerous Hansrelto was. She wasted no time in uniting her sorcerers against him while Hansrelto terrorized the villages nearby, destroying homes, killing livestock, forcing the people to submit to his new order. Finally, Mayven’s army was put together. Brenthor took command when he returned with five thousand footsoldiers: the king had offered all assistance he could give. The battle took place at the foot of the mountains, and was bloody and long, and most of the magicked died. The ordinary soldiers fared little better. Only eight hundred survived, because Hansrelto cast devastating spells that took out people by the dozens. Brenthor triumphed in the end, but Hansrelto escaped to a nearby cave. Brenthor cast an enchantment on the entrance, a spell that would instantly kill Hansrelto if he walked out. 

“Hansrelto died in his prison, but he had already damaged relations between the magicked and the world, damaged them beyond repair. Hansrelto changed how people thought of sorcery. They became scared. They saw what magic could do in evil hands. Brenthor’s bravery meant nothing to them, so they forgot it. Mayven’s body wasn’t found, but no one heard from her again. Most think Hansrelto injured her and she left the battle to die. Perhaps that was best, because anyone who could cast spells was shunned after the revolt. Using magic of any kind was grounds for death. The few sorcerers that were left hid themselves. Magic arts were lost to time, or so it seemed.” 

“Until Zalski,” said the boy. 

“Until Zalski. He was the son of the king’s chief adviser. He bribed the royal guards, as many as he could, offering positions of power. Some he threatened in secret. However he did it, he had enough support to overthrow the royals. No one stood against him, not when he started casting spells. That was just two years ago.” 

“Two years,” mused Zacry. “I was nine. It seems longer than two years.” 

Of course it seems longer. He’s taken three-fourths of what we’ve earned for the past fifty months. It’s his way of keeping us weak, so we can’t rise up. Even down here he’s managed to get Farmer Byjon on his side, and since Farmer Byjon controls everything….” 

“But people did rise up,” said Zacry. “You’ve seen the wanted posters: the Crimson League. They stopped that caravan of quartz from reaching Zalski three months ago. They’ve killed as many soldiers as they’ve lost.” 

Kora shifted her weight from one side to the other. “They have courage,” she admitted. “The Crimson League is brave, if nothing else. And they deserve better than the deaths that wait for them. But if you don’t think Zalski has fifty men to replace every one they take from him….” 

Zacry stared stubbornly at his sister, as he did every time this story devolved into the same argument. “I believe in them.” 

“Just don’t believe too loudly, for all our sakes. Now, that’s enough for tonight. It’s late. Sleep well, Zac.”

Review

By Shelly Hammond

When deciding to read this book, I chose it completely at random out of a selection of Kindle books I'd been collecting over the past few months and adding to my "to-read" list. Within the first chapter or two, I began to see realize that perhaps this random choice was a very good one. By the fourth chapter, I was thrilled! I really enjoyed this book more than I could have imagined!  

The author created an entire world rich with its own landscapes, characters, and histories. This tale comes to life with each and every chapter and takes you, the reader, on a journey that unfolds in time with the characters. It feels like you are taking each step with them, maybe like you are watching them as if the tale is a movie unfolding as you go in perfect unison? The twists and turns will get you each time and right when you think you know what's going on something will happen (sometimes so suddenly your mouth will almost literally hit the floor) to make you have to rethink what you were thinking in the first place! 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book so much more than I had imagined I would when I first downloaded it. I am really looking forward to the next one (and the one after that as well). I would really recommend this book!

About the Author

Victoria is a New Orleans girl, born and raised, with an appreciation for the charm of the Deep South. She has a bachelor's degree in Spanish and English and a master's degree in Spanish literature, all from the University of Alabama. She started college as a journalism major and worked a year as a staff reporter for the Alabama student newspaper, "The Crimson White." That experience that helped her realize, once and for all, that her love for writing lay with fiction. She started enrolling in creative writing classes the following semester. 

From the age of six, Victoria dreamed of becoming a novelist, and her writing career began in the third grade with a series of stories about herself and her friends solving mysteries. In high school she fell in love with the fantasy genre, and started writing fantasy as an undergraduate student. She currently resides in Chicago, IL, where she spends her free time promoting The Crimson League. She is a doctoral student at the University of Chicago, where she teaches Spanish and hopes to write a dissertation that links contemporary fantasy literature with the picaresque novel of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. She has studied abroad in Spain, the Madrid region, two times, and can't wait to get acquainted with Latin America. 

Victoria loves cats, classic movies, cribbage,and random, useless trivia. The Crimson League, the first in The Herezoth Trilogy, was published in April 2012. The second book in the trilogy, The Magic Council, was released in November 2012. Book three, The King's Sons, has just been released.

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"Gothic Gladiator (Tales of the Gothic Warrior)" by Billy Wong

Gothic Gladiator

(Tales of the Gothic Warrior)

by Billy Wong

Description

Light-hearted (but violent) fantasy action with one butt-kicking heroine.

After winning her spot from a seven foot kickboxer, goth singer and self styled Gothic warrior Freya enters an evil billionaire's underground fighting tournament. She finds herself right at home battling aristocrats, sumos, thugs, ninjas and psycho killers for the title of "greatest in the world." But what will she face if she makes it to the final round against the mysterious Grand Champion?

A novelette. Third chronologically in the Gothic Warrior series.

Excerpt

To anyone watching not in the know, it would have looked like Freya was being severely bullied by seven foot two motorcycle gang leader Chase Young.  Chase's resume had it all—ex-college basketball star, war hero, survival expert, professional kickboxer.  Right now, he had his hands around Freya's neck, choking her suspended in midair over the junkyard as a crowd of his crude biker buddies watched.  But in reality Freya Blackstar, lead singer of goth metal band Helbound and self-styled Gothic warrior, was loving every second of this.

His grip weakening from her kicks to his arms, Chase walked forward and slammed her down on the hood of a car with deafening force, creating a huge dent.  She cried out in pain, but recovered almost instantly and kicked him away.  "You dented my car!  Now I'm going to kick your ass!"  She peeled her mere five foot seven body off the hood and stood.  Already one of her infamous fingerless "battle gloves" was ripped off and blood covered half her face, but she bounced up and down lightly.  "Get ready big boy!"

She rushed forward, swinging for the fences.  Chase missed with a punch and absorbed several thunderous hooks to the body, each one cracking ribs and driving the breath from him.  Desperately he grabbed her by the hair and dazed her with a knee to the chin.  He stepped back and kicked her full force in the face, making her do a involuntary backflip.  Freya got her hands beneath her and tried to push up, drooling blood.  Her arms gave out.  She flopped face down in the dirt, one arm at her side, the other stretched out to her right.  The fingers of her left hand twitched a bit and were still; her eyes slowly closed, and blood began to pool around her mouth.

Chase backed off, hugging his middle.  "Oh, come on!  I know you're faking with that overdramatic collapse!  You think I haven't seen your stupid videos?  You want me to start beating on your 'corpse' so you can make your epic comeback."  She didn't move.  He stepped forward and nudged her right fist with his foot, but quickly pulled back.  "Fine then.  If you want to just keep lying there, we'll just say you lost."

Freya shook her head, got up and wiped her bloody lips.  "So you figured out my game, good for you.  But if you don't play it, that'll just make me mad."

Review

By anthony

It's a good read. The characters are engaging and the story is riveting. I could not wait to find out what happened. Some of the dialogue has some offensive language so beware if you are sensitive to swear words. The story is great though and the characters keep you engaged in what is going on and sitting on the edge of your seat.

About the Author

Billy Wong is an avid fan of heroic fantasy, with a special love for strong female warriors. He draws inspiration from the epic legends of old, and is on a quest to bring over the top deeds and larger than life heroes back to prominence in today's literary world.

Billy lives in Coney Island, Brooklyn. He has written numerous fantasy books, including the Iron Flower series and the Gothic Warrior series. The Gothic Warrior series consists of Gothic Warrior and the Dark Man, Seeds of Despair, Gothic Gladiator, and Best in the Elf-ing World.

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"Skrymers Glove" by Per Holbo

NEW RELEASE

Skrymers Glove

by Per Holbo

Per Holbo's NEW RELEASE is now available. The author is seeking reviews, so please read the book and leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Description

War in the Milky Way!

Two races, Aseir and Vanes, have allied against the brutal Yetten forces bent on dominating the entire galaxy. During experimentation with the Fyrkat device on planet Earth, two human children, Tjalfe and Roeskva, are abducted by the Yetten and now it's up to Thor, Loki, Balder, Freya and Sif to rescue them. Unfortunately there is a traitor among them and evidence does point to Loki, Thor's best friend. Thor struggles with the questions burning inside: could Loki really be the traitor or is something else going on? And will they succeed in saving the children's lives?

Excerpt

Click!

The sound behind him startled him and he turned around on his heels. The Yetten soldier looked at his weapon with a frightened expression and tried frantically to get it to work. Thor knew instantly how lucky he had been. If that rifle hadn´t malfunctioned there was little doubt Thor would have been killed right there on the spot. The short distance had definitely made it a sure kill if he had been able to fire. Thor reacted swiftly and the Yetten could do next to nothing as the fierce Aseir warrior stormed toward him and with a forceful jolt jabbed a knife deeply into his flesh just beneath his left shoulder blade and punctured his heart. The Yetten fell to the ground with a thump and Thor turned around to face the five Yetten soldiers who had rushed to aid their comrade and now pointed their weapons at Thor.

Loki saw it all from under the car and aimed. Two of them fell to the ground before they knew what hit them, but the remaining three managed to throw themselves flat on the ground. However, they had no time to appreciate their luck, because the moment after Thor made sure they were in no condition to fight.

The noise made the commander aware of what was going on. He burst with orders to his men as he ran toward Thor with his rifle raised shooting wildly at everything that moved. Thor saw it and ran sideways while returning fire. He reached Loki and threw himself under the car. The big Yetten commander ordered his men to storm the car. Thor and Loki quickly crawled out from under the car, turned it over and took cover behind it. Loki popped his head above the edge of the car to get a basic idea of the enemy´s positions and then sat down beside Thor with a disturbed expression on his face.

“Oops,” he said.

“Oops?” Thor responded, “What do you mean? Oops?”

“Erm... well, let´s just say that there are a few more Yetten soldiers than I expected.”

“A few more? How is that? How many more?”

“Look for yourself.”

Thor turned around and lifted his eyes above the edge of the car - not much, just enough to get a head count. His eyes widened at what he saw. From somewhere far away hordes of Yetten soldiers practically flooded through the northern entrance. Thor and Loki weren´t outnumbered ten to one, but more like a hundred to one! The Yetten had sent an entire regiment!

Thor turned around again and sat down with his back to the car.

“So,” he said, “that´s what you call ‘a few more,’ eh?” He looked at his friend with a theatrical resentment.

“It´s the entire Yetten nation out there!” he said in a loud voice.

Loki looked at Thor with a thoughtful expression. Thor looked back at Loki with a similar expression. Then they nodded at each other in a mutual understanding. They may be beaten, but they surely weren´t going to surrender. If this was to be their final hour, they were determined to go down with a bang!

Review

By Amy Burney

Skrymer's Glove is the first science fiction novel I have read in a long time. I found this to be an interesting read. The book's heavily based on theories of space (black holes for example) and time travel. I had to reread many parts to understand the story. I thought the plot was intriguing (I find reading about black holes fascinating). I liked having to guess whether Loki was a traitor, and what was going on with the mission.

There was also an interesting point brought up about the differences between science and magic, especially in the context of the village. That could lead to some philosophical debates.

In the book, a type of alien species called the Yetten are interested in the Fyrkat device, possibly because of its transportation abilities. The Asers and Vanes created a defensive alliance together against the Yettens despite their bad history. This fails when the Yettens kidnap Tjalfe and Roskva.

Thor and his comrades, including Sif and Freya, attempt a rescue mission to Skrymers Glove, a paradoxical cluster of five black holes where their combined gravity exceeds the fabric of reality, to rescue the children. The supernovas that created the black hole do and don't collide. This is impossible, but yet, it happens anyway. Therefore, Skrymers Glove is a paradoxical black hole. To complete the rescue mission, Thor and his comrades have to go into this black hole separately. If they make one wrong move, it could kill them.

To top it all off, there is a traitor in their midst. When the team attempted to transport the children to safety away from the Yetten, they failed because someone tampered with the transport system. Who did this? Could it be Loki, who is Thor's brother but also a Yetten? Or is it someone else?

Will Thor and his comrades save the children from the Letten? Who is the traitor in their midst? What will happen with the Fyrkat device? Find out in Skrymer's Glove.

About the Author

Per Holbo lives in Denmark with his wife and four children (two boys and two girls). He holds a Bachelor Degree in History and Political Science and has worked for many years with children and adults with special needs such as autism, ADHD, OCD.

Per writes books for children and adults. Skrymers Glove is his latest release and is suitable for all ages.

From the Author

When I was a kid, about 8 yrs. old or so, I would lend at least 25 books at the school library for my summer break. At first my teachers shook their heads in disbelief and they were probably thinking to themselves: he is never going to finish all of those books. But coming back after the summer break, I was always able to give them a detailed review of every single book. Some of those books were trilogies such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series and Ringworld.

I simply love books and though I like watching a movie just as much as everyone else, reading a book really is something else. By reading a book you construct pictures in your own mind instead of being served by a director.

But what I love the most about books is the possibility of finding several layers in the book. Things that you cannot find in a movie can be put into a book, because words can be used in such a way that other kinds of meaning appear or disappear.

I write about almost everything and anything, but always with my own speciality of "wry and dry" humor. I would like to describe it, but I cannot find the words - would you believe that?

I really hope you will enjoy my books...

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