by Kyle Prue
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 18th 2020
Cartwright Publishing
Summary:
His fate has been foretold. Unless he can accept his destiny, the nation will fall to its doom.
Teenage warrior Neil Vapros has been captured. Imprisoned at the hands of the Empire, he’s forced to stage a daring breakout to return to his loved ones. But as he smashes the chains, he uncovers a shocking truth…
On the run and desperate to escape his fate, every attempt to resist the prophecy leads to more death and chaos. And now Neil understands that the only way anyone will live is if he embraces his own demise.
Will Neil pay the ultimate price to ensure freedom for all?
The Ashes is the thrilling conclusion to the award-winning Epic Feud Trilogy. If you like edge-of-your-seat action, gripping suspense, and explosive battles, then you’ll love Kyle Prue’s riveting finale.
Buy The Ashes to join the revolution today!
Summary:
To survive incredible odds, one teen may have to trust both his former enemies and his fire-forged destiny…
Neil Vapros is one of the last free warriors of the great city of Altryon. He and his brother’s only chance of staying alive involves trusting an uneasy alliance with their former enemies. But in the world beyond his city’s walls, Neil’s life is much more dangerous than he ever imagined possible…
The Emperor has hired a ruthless madman and a vicious pack of assassins to hunt down the last supernatural survivors. As the allies attempt to hide from their enemies, the leader of a rebellion singles out Neil as the answer to a prophecy. Neil isn’t sure he believes he’s been “chosen,” but he knows one thing for sure: their only chance for survival lies in sticking together. While treachery and pain wait around every corner, Neil and his allies may win the day, but victory without casualties could prove impossible…
The Flames is the second book in the award-winning Epic Feud trilogy of young adult fantasy novels. If you like rich fantasy settings, imaginative supernatural abilities, and tough-as-nails characters, then you’ll love Kyle Prue’s electrifying adventure.
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Excerpt:
Every time Neil awoke, he awoke
angry. He hadn’t asked to be a prophet or a chosen one, and it wasn’t exactly
convenient. Not only had he been pushed from bloody conflict to bloody
conflict, but if his new intel was right, then he was also marked for dead. And
the man he trusted most in the world had been lying to him for months.
Neil drifted in and out of
consciousness for days. When he finally awoke, his mouth had never felt drier
and every part of his body ached, especially his ribs. When he leaned up to
survey his surroundings, he realized his chest was bandaged tightly. So were
his knees and wrists. He’d been confined to a small military cot in what he
could only assume was one of the Wolf’s military tents.
As if summoned by
Neil’s angry thoughts, the leader of the rebel army promptly entered the
tent. “Neil Vapros, my good man,” the
Wolf said with a large grin. “It’s been quite
a while. You look shockingly alive.”
“You’re shocked?”
Neil countered. He could see the Wolf was slightly set off balance by his tone.
“Aren’t I the chosen one? I can’t die.”
“Ah,” the Wolf
said, “well, yes.”
The Wolf looked as
Neil remembered him. He was handsome, resolute, and strong with a straight
spine and iron jaw. His beard had grown out a bit, making him look gruffer and
younger.
The Wolf
approached slowly. “You’ve taken quite a beating. Want a drink?”
“Have any water?”
The Wolf pulled
his personal canteen from his belt and passed it to Neil. He took a swig. “When
we have the time I’d like to hear absolutely everything about how you came to
be here,” the Wolf said.
“Oh, we’ll
discuss,” Neil said. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve learned.”
This one was a barb
and the Wolf sensed it. “Feeling all right, Neil?”
“After Josephine’s
funeral you told me something that really stuck with me.” Neil sat up. He was
fuming.
“I told you that
you were burdened with purpose,” the Wolf said.
“You did. And you
told me that the only way out of this nightmare was through it. That if I
wanted to be with Bianca, I could fight my way through this war and be with
her.”
“Yes.”
“And then you told
me the prophecy. You used that prophecy to get me to join your band of
rebels. You said it was my destiny.”
Neil was on his feet, despite the pain. “A
Lightborn will bring forth a new Altryon.
The Lightborn will be like a Phoenix. Reborn in Fire. Forged in fire. My
life will bring about the new nation.”
“Yes,” the Wolf
said.
“That’s what you
said to me.”
“Yes.”
“And that’s how it
was told to you? Verbatim?”
The Wolf clenched
his fists. He lowered his head and Neil saw shame in his eyes. “Ah,” the Wolf
said, “I see.”
“My life?” Neil
said again, begging now. “My life? Because others have also heard the prophecy,
but they tell it a little differently. They seem to think my death will bring about the new nation.
But you heard it from the Man with the Golden Light. So they must be mistaken. It’s my life, right? Because that’s what you told me. You who are my friend, my mentor, my General.
You wouldn’t be the one lying to me, right?”
The Wolf was
silent, and Neil could see those eyes again. Dissecting him. Looking for a
strategy. Looking for a way out. “Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed?” he
finally asked. “What I would give?”
“It’s very clear
what you would give.” Neil’s hands were smoking. “My. Life.”
“May we speak with
some civility?” Neil had never seen the Wolf afraid before.
“No,” Neil said.
“Civility landed me here. I don’t want to be figurehead of a cause that’s going
to kill me. I don’t want to be a pawn of a man who is leading me to slaughter. Speak
with a little honesty.”
“Fine,” the Wolf
said, pivoting now. “Do you know how many men I see die every year?” Neil
didn’t respond in time. “More than you could possibly imagine. Last year it was
thousands. I see killing fields and hardly anything else. Do you know what I
would do to see that stop? Do you know what I would do to protect these men and
women?”
“What?” Neil spat.
“Anything.
Anything short of surrender.”
“You’re not
sorry?” Neil’s ribs ached and he was wheezing. “No apology? You just do what
you have to do?”
“I am sorry,” the
Wolf said. “I am sorrier than you could possibly know. I have an immeasurable
amount of blood on my hands. More than anyone else you know, I’d say. And
nothing has gutted me more than this lie.”
“More deception.”
Neil hobbled back in the direction of his bed. “More lies.”
“Neil you must
understand.” He took a step forward, and Neil’s hand ignited. The Wolf took the
step back. “I’m not even sure if I believe in the prophecy. Or if it’s you that
it describes.”
“The Empire
believes it,” Neil said. “They want to kill me for Altryon and you want to kill
me for Volteria. What’s the difference between the two of you?”
“I gave you a
choice.”
“No. No, you did
not.”
“Well, I’m giving
you one now. You want to leave? Leave. I won’t hold it against you. You want to
hide? Hide. That’s not cowardice. It’s understandable. But if you want to stay,
stay. This is not my rebellion. I just happen to be in charge of it. This is a
rebellion of thousands of good people who want to be heard and treated like
human beings. You can fight for them without fighting for me. But if you leave,
you are fighting for nothing and no one.”
Kyle is the founder of Sparking Literacy, a non-profit dedicated to lowering the high school dropout rate by inspiring teens to read, write and follow their dreams. An actor and comedian, Kyle trained at Second City Comedy Club in Chicago, where a number of SNL actors have gotten their start.
The Sparks has won numerous national awards including Best Book and Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. The Sparks was runner up for Best Young Adult Fiction at the Florida Book Festival and won Honorable Mentions at the New England Book Festival, Midwest Book Festival, Southern California Book Festival, the International London Book Festival and won a prestigious Indie Fab award. Kyle also won an International Moonbeam Award for Best Young Author. The Flames won the FAPA Presidentiial Gold Medais for Best Fiction and Best Fantasy 2017.
Learn more at www.kyleprue.com and www.sparkingliteracy.org.
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