Illmoor Chronicles 6: The Coldstone Conflict (OUT NOW)

[David Lee Stone]

Hey all

Illmoor 6: The Coldstone Conflict is now available from Amazon UK in hardback, along with the paperback of Illmoor 5: The Vanquish Vendetta. This release ends the 'second trilogy' of Illmoor that began with Illmoor 4: The Dwellings Debacle. All are published by Hodder.

Synopsis for IC6:
Vanquish has returned to Illmoor after an age in exile, and none can stand against him. To make matters worse, the continent's greatest hero has become a vessel for the dark god's spirit and a relentless army of possessed zombies has been formed out of the mindless people of Dullitch. With nothing but a pitiful band of crusaders fighting for freedom, the cities of Illmoor are falling one by one. Hope is fading fast ! And yet there is one - ancient and powerful enough to challenge the dark god. Can Illmoor unite to face its greatest enemy yet?

Synopsis for IC5:
Lord Curfew has been returned to Dullitch, but things are not as they seem. The real Lord Curfew was brutally murdered and now an evil impostor sits on his throne. Ruthless and hungry for power, he will do anything to sustain his disguise ...and people have started to notice. But, this impostor is a pawn of a much darker force. One that's older than Illmoor itself ...Meanwhile, elsewhere in Illmoor ...King Groan Teethgritt, his brother Gape, and Gordo Goldeaxe discover an ancient and valuable hammer that leads them back to Dullitch. Little do they know they have just unearthed a crucial part of Dullitch's past. Can old heroes reunitre to save the city once again?

Thanks, folks.

 

[David Lee Stone]

I actually forgot to include a sample chapter! Here goes:

SAMPLE CHAPTER: PROLOGUE

Certain stories only need to be told once: they get handed down, like old clothes, from generation to generation. Some get handed down because they're frightening, or whimsical, or good for a laugh. Others get handed down because they're true.

Everyone knew the story of Charney well - at least, well enough to know that it wasn't one. So when the hooded man wandered into Cambleton Valley, he knew exactly what to expect. The town, which was referred to only in hushed whispers, supported the entire werewolf community of Illmoor...and strangers were simply not tolerated. In the latter part of the Tri-Age, an agreement had been reached that, in exchange for food provided by nearby Spittle, the wolves would never leave their town...or, more importantly, the valley that secluded it.

Every so often, a stranger would wander in, and become food or, in some cases, a part of the pack.

The hooded man had absolutely no intention of becoming either.

He looked up. The signpost said: YOU ARE TRYING TO LEAVE CHARNEY. It certainly made its point, he thought.

A wolf howled in the night. It was joined by several more, and the sound grew into a cruel yet pitiful cry.

Stopping on the road to glance up at the moon, the hooded man quickly became attuned to the shadows moving around him, not by sight...but by the barely perceivable sounds they made.

'I am unarmed,' he said. 'Move out of the dark, if you've a will to slay me.'

Three wolves detached themselves from the forest fringe and circled the stranger, growling low and slathering with hunger.

'I've never been bitten by a wolf,' said the hooded man, his voice still calm. 'Is it VERY painful?'

The growls became synchronized as another pair of wolves emerged from the undergrowth and joined the pack.

'Hmm...this fight is a little bit one-sided, isn't it?' the hooded man continued, dropping his knapsack and taking a step back. 'Am I to face you one at a time, or all at once? Oh, I see, you're preparing to-'

He was cut off as the first wolf leaped at him, knocking him backwards. The hooded man tripped over his knapsack, and groped for the signpost in order to right himself...but the beasts were on him: all five, in fact, ripping at his flesh before he'd even hit the ground.

There was a wild struggle before the body fell limp and the wolves began to fight over it: all joined in the feast.

A few moments passed as the five wolves picked at their prey. Then something extraordinary happened...

The wolves began to die. Howling with pain and frustration, the first one scrabbled in the dirt, tongue lolling from the corner of its bloodied maw. As its eyes began to fix on infinity, its body changed back into human form...and it died.

The stranger, still lying in the middle of the road, began to laugh: a cold, cruel cackle that echoed through the surrounding hills.

.....now read on.