Venom and Song - CSFF Blog Tour Day One

Welcome once again to the CSFF Blog Tour!  Today kicks off a very special three day tour with two of my very favorite author dudes:  Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper.  These guys have both created amazing prose and breakneck adventure in their individually authored books, but today we look into the mad-science that happens when these two superstar authors get together for Book Two in The Berinfell Prophecies:

Venom and Song

Click to get your own copy!

Important Links:

• Christopher Hopper's site
• Wayne Thomas Batson's site
• The Undergroud - The Berinfell Prophecies forum
• Amazon

Book 2 in The Berinfell Prophecies follows its predecessor with fervor and fire.  Taking up the story from exactly where we left off in Curse of the Spider King, Venom and Song hurls us into the lives of the Seven as they encounter their people, train in the ancient art of Vexbane, discover their true history,  learn about themselves and each other, and fight to survive and free their race from hundreds of years of oppression.

The Seven carry a heavy burden, but first, they have to learn to use their ever-growing gifts:  air-walking, strength, speed, mind-reading, foresight, marksmanship, and flame-throwing.  Each Elven lord is equipped with one of these, but not yet ready to use their blessings.  It takes, Grimwarden, an externally gruff yet big-hearted military genius to reign in the Seven.  Along with some excellent cooking by an Elf named Mumthers.

Their training takes each one of the Seven on their own personal journey as well as a physical one.  Each is introduced to Ellos, the creator of all Allyra.  And in time, each will find their own connection to Ellos.  The teenage lords also find comfort in each other as a team.  They work together, using their abilities in harmony, rather than competing, thus learning to work "as one."  But none of their training is without cost, a foreshadowing of the realities of war.  For Allyra has been at war for over 800 years and the Seven are supposed to be the key to victory.

With training brought to an abrupt halt, the Seven are thrust from the protection of their practice sessions into the violent reality that has plauged Elves for centuries.  They fly on giant birds of prey, navigate ancient underground bastions, search for something vitally important known as the Keystone, and grow into warriors.

By the time the final battle begins, the Seven are no longer separate entities concerned with their own individual lives, but the focused, dedicated leaders of a race that desparately needs freedom.  New beasties have been brewing in Vesper Crag though.  The Spider King is prepared for a seige.  His forces are great, but his weaknesses will be exploited.  All in the name of Ellos, the war with the Spider King ends.  For victory or for ruin, I'll not say.  Only that we discover that one war's end may not be the end of fighting for the lives of the Children of Light.

This story takes us through so many exciting twists and turns that it's almost like riding a cavesurfer to Nightwish Caverns.  And if you have no idea what that means, read the book.  You won't be disappointed.  This installment of The Berinfell Prophecies is chalk full of intensity, wisdom, action, suspense, and just plain fun.  We ride along with the Seven through their myriad of emotions and challenges.  Every teenageer or anyone who's been one will easily relate to the experiences the Elven lords endure.  Though we are seldom faced with overt battles like in Allyra, we all have similar mountains to climb.  The spirit in which this story was written pervades through its rich language, intelligent humor, and sincerity. 

Trek into the unknown with the Seven.  And if you dare, travel into The Underground, the internet forum with direct links to specific parts of the book.

Tune in tomorrow, when I will have my personal interview with Wayne Thomas Batson.  Check out the authors' sites and see what other cool stuff my fellow tour participants found out about Venom and Song.

Angela
Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Amy Browning
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Melissa Carswell
Jeff Chapman
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
D. G. D. Davidson
April Erwin
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Chawna Schroeder
Tammy Shelnut
James Somers
Kathleen Smith
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

In case you missed my review and author interviews from Book One of The Berinfell Prophecies:  Curse of the Spider King, click HERE. 

Also - the very cool people at Thomas Nelson Publishing provided me with a review copy of this book, so that I may bring you this month's CSFF Blog Tour.

Until tomorrow!

-Amy