The Unseen Spirits must be entertained, so that the city may prosper......
About the Book:
In the summer of 1914, Jane Fairchild, a young English musician, is kidnapped by magic and sent to Spellhaven, an island city ruled by magicians. Here, peace and prosperity are maintained with the assistance of Unseen Spirits bound to the service of the Lords Magician. The Spirits must be kept in good humour by the performance of all kinds of shows, dance, drama and music. Jane is one of many people kidnapped from the outside world and forced to contribute to these entertainments for a set period of service.
Only Jane is having none of it. She will not perform for her kidnapper, Lucian Palafox, but agrees to undertake an apprenticeship with another magician impresario, provided she is taught magic in return. Jane's forays into magic lead her deeper within the mysteries of Spellhaven, her rivalry with Lucian escalates and the quarrels between them grow strong enough to shake the city to its foundations.
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure
Release Date: August 17, 2017
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Follow the tour to read guest posts, reviews, and exclusive excerpts!
https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-tour-schedule-spellhaven-by-sandra.html
Purchase Links:
Follow the tour to read guest posts, reviews, and exclusive excerpts!
https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-tour-schedule-spellhaven-by-sandra.html
Purchase Links:
Mirror World Publishing eBook:
Mirror World Publishing Paperback:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.ca/Spellhaven-Sandra-Unerman-ebook/dp/B072YRDLD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500909249&sr=8-1&keywords=Spellhaven+by+Sandra+Unerman
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spellhaven-Sandra-Unerman-ebook/dp/B072YRDLD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500909290&sr=8-1&keywords=Spellhaven+by+Sandra+Unerman
Kobo:
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spellhaven-Sandra-Unerman-ebook/dp/B072YRDLD2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500909290&sr=8-1&keywords=Spellhaven+by+Sandra+Unerman
Kobo:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spellhaven-sandra-unerman/1126613810?ean=9781987976342
Meet the Author:
Sandra Unerman lives in London in the UK. When she retired from a career as a Government lawyer, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing at Middlesex University, specialising in SF and fantasy, and graduated in 2013. Since then, she has had a number of short stories published. In 2016, these included stories in Three Drops from a Cauldron, the Midwinter issue and Aurora Wolf, the September issue, both available online. She writes reviews and articles for the British Science Fiction Association and the British Fantasy Society. She is a member of London Clockhouse writers and other writing groups. Her interests include history, folklore and medieval literature.
Connect with Sandra :
Website:
https://sandraunermanwriter.com/
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Unerman/e/B0034NS9VM
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6566116.Sandra_Unerman
Goodreads Book Page:
Meet the Author:
Sandra Unerman lives in London in the UK. When she retired from a career as a Government lawyer, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing at Middlesex University, specialising in SF and fantasy, and graduated in 2013. Since then, she has had a number of short stories published. In 2016, these included stories in Three Drops from a Cauldron, the Midwinter issue and Aurora Wolf, the September issue, both available online. She writes reviews and articles for the British Science Fiction Association and the British Fantasy Society. She is a member of London Clockhouse writers and other writing groups. Her interests include history, folklore and medieval literature.
Connect with Sandra :
Website:
https://sandraunermanwriter.com/
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Unerman/e/B0034NS9VM
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6566116.Sandra_Unerman
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35546814-spellhaven
The sky was morning blue, skimmed over with white, and the air smelled of resin. Jane lay for a while, luxuriating in the absence of the fever which had driven her on her journey. She was clean and warm, and her skin felt soothed, though a few sores nagged at her here and there. Then she moved her arm and caught sight of her sleeve, made of a soft, mottled blue cloth she had never seen before. Someone had undressed her and put this on her. What had they done with her music bag?
She sat up and found the bag on the floor by her side with its contents intact. Once she had checked this, she looked about her, unsteady but curious. Her bed stood on its own in a courtyard with walls of pinkish brown and a cobblestone floor. She could see through an arch into a bigger space, where figures moved between other beds. She noticed a salty sparkle to the air, which seemed to glance off every edge and surface. She rubbed her eyes but when she opened them again the sparkle remained.
She wore a baggy shirt and a long skirt of soft wool, with nothing underneath them. Her hair was straggling out of its plaits as usual, into fine, pale curls which must be newly washed. Strangers had dressed her and rubbed ointment on her blisters and cuts. She grew hot with embarrassment as she thought about that but she would not be ashamed of what she could not help. She stretched out her fingers and decided they needed only a little practice to bring them into playing condition. She was more doubtful about her mouth, which felt parched and swollen.
Before she could gather the strength to go in search of a drink, a man came in to the courtyard.
‘Little maiden from England,’ he said. ‘It is good to see you awake.’
He stopped a polite distance from the bed and beckoned to someone else, who came forward with a tray. Jane took the cup she was offered and tasted it cautiously. It was diluted lime juice. The tray bearer smiled at her, set down the jug, and went away. The other man stood and watched. After the first painful swallows, Jane gathered her wits and looked back at him in return. She saw a square, strong man, maybe in early middle age, fit and prosperous. He wore fancy clothes, a belted, knee-length jacket in dark grey, wide-sleeved, over chestnut brown breeches. His hat was a baggy beret of a redder brown. He touched his hand to it now and said, ‘My name is Childeric. Welcome to Spellhaven’s Inn of Strangers, little maiden.’
At school and at college, people would call her ‘Little Janey’. She had learned to bare her teeth and answer, ‘Little but fierce,’ but just now she was grateful to be facing someone who could speak her language.
‘I’m Jane Fairchild. I’m afraid I’m lost. Where is this place? Do you know how I got here?’
‘You were summoned. May I see your arm?’
Jane pushed back her left sleeve. The mark was still visible, though its surface was soft now and it no longer felt as if it was growing down into her bones.
Childeric said, ‘That is Lucian’s mark, of the Clan Palafox. He is your summoner.’
‘Lucian Hunter?’ Jane’s encounter with that young man seemed to be on the other side of a great gulf but his face came sharply into his mind. ‘How could he send me here?’
‘By putting you under an enchantment.’ Childeric sounded amused, as Hunter had, she remembered, when he had first spoken to her. ‘This is the City of Magicians, my dear.’
‘I don’t believe in magic,’ Jane said flatly. ‘Please tell me what really happened. And how I can get home. Is there a British Consul here?’
‘The summoning spell does not need your belief. And in this city you will live in dire bewilderment if you do not accept the magic around you.’
Jane’s hands trembled so that she had to put her cup on the floor. ‘I don’t mean to live here. I want to go home.’
‘In due time.’ Childeric’s tone was kindly. ‘After a twelvemonth or maybe three. But you will have to wait for Lucian to return before your term of service is set.’
Jane struggled to her feet and seized hold of her music bag. ‘You must be mad. Let me speak to someone else.’
Childeric did not move to stop her but he said, ‘Do you speak any Latin?’
Jane stopped. ‘I didn’t go to that kind of school.’
Then your questioning must be limited to those who can speak English.’ He sounded entirely rational. ‘I’ll see who I can find. Meanwhile you should stay here and rest. I’ll send you some food.’
Exclusive Excerpt:
She sat up and found the bag on the floor by her side with its contents intact. Once she had checked this, she looked about her, unsteady but curious. Her bed stood on its own in a courtyard with walls of pinkish brown and a cobblestone floor. She could see through an arch into a bigger space, where figures moved between other beds. She noticed a salty sparkle to the air, which seemed to glance off every edge and surface. She rubbed her eyes but when she opened them again the sparkle remained.
She wore a baggy shirt and a long skirt of soft wool, with nothing underneath them. Her hair was straggling out of its plaits as usual, into fine, pale curls which must be newly washed. Strangers had dressed her and rubbed ointment on her blisters and cuts. She grew hot with embarrassment as she thought about that but she would not be ashamed of what she could not help. She stretched out her fingers and decided they needed only a little practice to bring them into playing condition. She was more doubtful about her mouth, which felt parched and swollen.
Before she could gather the strength to go in search of a drink, a man came in to the courtyard.
‘Little maiden from England,’ he said. ‘It is good to see you awake.’
He stopped a polite distance from the bed and beckoned to someone else, who came forward with a tray. Jane took the cup she was offered and tasted it cautiously. It was diluted lime juice. The tray bearer smiled at her, set down the jug, and went away. The other man stood and watched. After the first painful swallows, Jane gathered her wits and looked back at him in return. She saw a square, strong man, maybe in early middle age, fit and prosperous. He wore fancy clothes, a belted, knee-length jacket in dark grey, wide-sleeved, over chestnut brown breeches. His hat was a baggy beret of a redder brown. He touched his hand to it now and said, ‘My name is Childeric. Welcome to Spellhaven’s Inn of Strangers, little maiden.’
At school and at college, people would call her ‘Little Janey’. She had learned to bare her teeth and answer, ‘Little but fierce,’ but just now she was grateful to be facing someone who could speak her language.
‘I’m Jane Fairchild. I’m afraid I’m lost. Where is this place? Do you know how I got here?’
‘You were summoned. May I see your arm?’
Jane pushed back her left sleeve. The mark was still visible, though its surface was soft now and it no longer felt as if it was growing down into her bones.
Childeric said, ‘That is Lucian’s mark, of the Clan Palafox. He is your summoner.’
‘Lucian Hunter?’ Jane’s encounter with that young man seemed to be on the other side of a great gulf but his face came sharply into his mind. ‘How could he send me here?’
‘By putting you under an enchantment.’ Childeric sounded amused, as Hunter had, she remembered, when he had first spoken to her. ‘This is the City of Magicians, my dear.’
‘I don’t believe in magic,’ Jane said flatly. ‘Please tell me what really happened. And how I can get home. Is there a British Consul here?’
‘The summoning spell does not need your belief. And in this city you will live in dire bewilderment if you do not accept the magic around you.’
Jane’s hands trembled so that she had to put her cup on the floor. ‘I don’t mean to live here. I want to go home.’
‘In due time.’ Childeric’s tone was kindly. ‘After a twelvemonth or maybe three. But you will have to wait for Lucian to return before your term of service is set.’
Jane struggled to her feet and seized hold of her music bag. ‘You must be mad. Let me speak to someone else.’
Childeric did not move to stop her but he said, ‘Do you speak any Latin?’
Jane stopped. ‘I didn’t go to that kind of school.’
Then your questioning must be limited to those who can speak English.’ He sounded entirely rational. ‘I’ll see who I can find. Meanwhile you should stay here and rest. I’ll send you some food.’
Thank you so much for sharing an excerpt!!
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