The Book of Shade
K.C. Finn
Release Date: 12/13/13
Synopsis:
The Book of Shade
- SynopsisLily Coltrane’s to-do list for starting university life is pretty simple:
1. Make friends
2. Meet a cute guy
3. Survive her first year in Modern History
In the little English town of Piketon this seems more than achievable, so much so that Lily even joins The Illustrious Minds Literary Society, an extra-curricular club that promises a truly unique social experience. What Lily doesn’t bank on are the Society’s monthly visits to the mysterious Theatre Imaginique at the edge of town, a dark venue that houses the most obscure cavalcade of carnival performers she has ever laid eyes on.
Stranger still is the emergence of the theatre’s enigmatic proprietor Lemarick Novel, a stupendous showman with a frosty wit who never seems to smile, and who raises a plethora of questions in Lily’s fearful mind. How does he levitate with no sign of wires or mirrors? How do the lightning bolts that shoot from his hands look so real? And why, of all the people in the theatre, do his pale eyes keep locking on hers?
The answers to this and more lie buried in heritage and blood. The Book of Shade is opening, and Lily Coltrane will read it, whether she wants to or not.
AUTHOR BIO
Born in South Wales to Raymond and Jennifer
Finn, Kimberley Charlotte Elisabeth Finn (known to readers as K.C., otherwise
it'd be too much of a mouthful) was one of those corny little kids who always
wanted to be a writer. She was also incredibly stubborn, and so has finally
achieved that dream in 2013 with the release of her first two novellas in the
four-part Caecilius Rex saga.
As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.
As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.
Excerpt:
After
that came the turn of the gypsy Michael had also spoken of, but there were no
holograms of dead people tonight. The old Madame went by the name of Lady Eva
and she took to the stage, working herself into a trance that she claimed would
reveal the messages from the dead relatives of people in the audience that
night. She was a round Hispanic woman with dark eyebrows that almost met in the
middle who wailed like fury into the echoing theatre, calling on the ‘gitanos
of the past’ to aid her, whatever they were. It was laughable, but nobody was
laughing. In fact a lot of the older people in the audience were paying
terribly close attention, waiting on her words in a silence that would have
made a pin think twice about dropping.
Lady
Eva passed messages that shocked some of the audience members into sudden
tears, one older woman even rushed out of the exit door after the gypsy had
given her a man’s name and a few simple words. The Madame stayed only ten
minutes or so on the stage before her messages for the night were complete, but
the whole atmosphere of the space had swiftly changed by the time Baptiste
returned to the stage to announce the final act of the night, the headliner.
After all that she had seen Lily could hardly remember what it was from the
playbill.
“Ladies
and gentlemen, your raucous applause, if you please, for the sensational
Monsieur Novel!”
The
audience obeyed the MC’s command, but when Baptiste had vacated, nobody came to
the stage. It wasn’t until the last clap died some moments later that Lily
heard footsteps clicking along the old theatre boards. The illusionist stepped
from total blackness into the shadow at the edge of the stage, and even craning
her head only afforded Lily the frame of a man in a long Victorian coat. The
tense air in the dated theatre was sliceable, and every spectator breathed in
their portion of that heavy air in anticipation of the moment when the odd
Monsieur would step into the spotlight.
Novel
did not disappoint them. A shock of lightning appeared from nowhere at all and
in the split-second that it flashed he appeared for all to see. It seemed as
though the patrons of the theatre gasped as a single being, even those who must
have seen him before were transfixed in shock. His eyes were cast into black,
shadowy sockets by the bright white spotlight pouring down from above. Skin
pale as a spectre’s was exaggerated by the darkly drawn eyebrows arching into
points above those gloomy hollows. His lips too were black as coal, a superb effort
in stage makeup that reminded Lily of a haunting cross between a French mime
and a black-and-white movie serial killer. She didn’t know which to be more
afraid of.
Perhaps
more astonishing still was Monsieur Novel’s hair. It was long enough to be
combed behind his ears, though it did not grace his neck, and in the dusty
spotlight it appeared to be totally white. The illusionist’s black mouth
stretched into a serious sneer as he surveyed the awestruck crowd. He held out
one pale hand with a slow and deliberate grace. Tiny blue sparks grew in his
palm as he swept the hand from left to right in welcome.
“Good
evening,” he purred in the darkest of tones.
And
this time the lightning came straight from his palm when it struck.
LINKS:
Release party on the Friday night, Dec 20 at:
KC Finn has created the party event. Everyone who “attends” the Release Party will get a coupon for 50% off the retail price of the book! Check it out:
'Discover
Your Shadepower' at K.C.’s blog where you can find out using
your birth month what kind of magic you'd have if you were in her book:
My Review:
The Book Of Shade by K.C. Finn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lily Coltrane is attending her first year at a university in Piketon, England. She joins an extra-curricular club called The Illustrious Minds Literary Society. The club attends a monthly showing of strange carnival-like performances at the Theatre Imaginique. Lily is intrigued by the proprietor, Lemarick Novel, who is an illusionist that seems to be able to manipulate the elements. With the help of the Book of Shade, Lily will discover how Novel accomplishes his feats.
This is one of those stories that definitely gets better the more you read it. Once you get into the part of the tale that discusses the Shades the novel gets hard to put down.
I really enjoyed the interaction between Lily and Novel. Their emotions are all over the board which makes the story interesting.
K. C. Finn created an imaginative fantasy realm that is action pact and captivating. There are interesting twists and a lot of mystery. I really enjoyed The Book of Shade. It seemed enlivening and diverse from the books I typically read.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication: December 20th 2013 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
edition language: English
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Book Of Shade by K.C. Finn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lily Coltrane is attending her first year at a university in Piketon, England. She joins an extra-curricular club called The Illustrious Minds Literary Society. The club attends a monthly showing of strange carnival-like performances at the Theatre Imaginique. Lily is intrigued by the proprietor, Lemarick Novel, who is an illusionist that seems to be able to manipulate the elements. With the help of the Book of Shade, Lily will discover how Novel accomplishes his feats.
This is one of those stories that definitely gets better the more you read it. Once you get into the part of the tale that discusses the Shades the novel gets hard to put down.
I really enjoyed the interaction between Lily and Novel. Their emotions are all over the board which makes the story interesting.
K. C. Finn created an imaginative fantasy realm that is action pact and captivating. There are interesting twists and a lot of mystery. I really enjoyed The Book of Shade. It seemed enlivening and diverse from the books I typically read.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication: December 20th 2013 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
edition language: English
Giveaway:
