Author Guest Post with N. K. Carlson, Shadow and Sword

Run!

Welcome to the Apri 21st stop on the blog tour for Shadow and Sword by N. K. Carlson with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

Fake News, Truth, and Fantasy

Stories have been part of human history since our beginning as a species. Early humans told stories about things that happened and they told speculative stories about what the gods were doing in the world and how the world came to be. Along the way, we began making up stories for the simple pleasure of it.

We also found that we could pass on more than just knowledge and collective memory, we could pass on a worldview, culture, and morality through story. One of the most interesting studies I have come across lately is a study that found that those who grew up reading Harry Potter were less likely to vote for Donald Trump than those who didn’t. That’s the power of story changing the course of readers’ future political lives.

In our era of “fake news,” the idea of a fantasy story may seem laughable. What good is a story set in a fantastical world when we have people spreading dangerous falsehoods? Worse is the accusation of escapism, that fantasy seeks only to take us away from the troubles of our world.

To push back against both of these, I have this to say: sometimes the best way we can confront evil in the real world is by seeing how beloved characters confront evil in a fantasy world. Dragons and villains exist in our world too, they just go by different names. Reading and writing fantasy shapes the imagination to face these bad guys with creative and brave solutions.

So, as you read Shadow and Sword, know you may come across characters like the Gray Man, Pryderus, and Koinas in the real world. You probably have already come across them. Fighting them may seem hopeless, but evil must be kept at bay. May you find your courage in Terrasohnen.

About the Book

Shadow and Sword
by N.K. Carlson

Published 19 April 2022
Creative James Media

Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 278
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

The word was just below a whisper, yet in sixteen-year-old Reith’s ears, it rang louder than he could have ever imagined. Reith had his life in order: apprentice under his mentor, Master Chronicler Vereinen, and follow in his footsteps. Until a shadowy figure appeared in his village, burning everything to the ground, including Reith’s future. Now Reith’s mentor is missing and Reith is on the run from the mysterious Shadow.

Reith adventures through magical forests, ancient ruins, and the lands of prejudiced elves to find his mentor, learn the secret of his sword, and unravel the mystery of the Shadow. Will Reith discover the truth of will the Shadow continue to fall over all of Terrashonen?

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Excerpt

Reith walked to the edge of the stairs and knelt to look at what was in this slot, reaching in and pulling out a long, shiny box. This box looked to be wood overlaid with gold, silver, and copper triangles, each alternating, coming together to form a pattern. The box was about five feet long, a foot wide, and three or four inches tall. On the side was a golden clasp, which he opened.

Reith was dazzled by the sunlight striking the metal inside. In the box sat a sword in a scabbard. Its hilt looked like it had been woven together from three different metals, just like the box. These three twisted together into a metallic braid. The cross guard was similarly woven together. A soft, leather grip covered part of the handle for ease of use. Diamonds adorned the hilt and the pommel. The scabbard was black leather with lines of the three metals inlaid upon the edges.

He lifted the sword out and held it in his hand. The grip was warm, as if someone had just set it down. It felt light, like it was part of his arm and not a foreign object. The strangest thing though was that it felt like it was vibrating in his hand, as if he had just clashed it against another warrior’s blade.

Reith lifted it to his face and saw that the edge was sharp, as if it had just been sharpened and shined the day before. He slashed the air in front of him experimentally, and the sword hummed through the air. Strange as it seemed, he felt like he was meant to have this sword.

About the Author

N. K. Carlson is an author living in Texas. Originally from the Chicago area, he graduated from the University of Illinois before studying at Logsdon Seminary, where he graduated with a master of divinity degree. He has published two books.

The Things that Charm Us and the Smelly Gospel (which was co-written with Drew Doss) both came out in 2020.

His love of writing began in elementary school when each student was given a blank white book to fill with a story. In college, he took an interest in blogging and writing novels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Medium | Amazon

Giveaway Alert!

N. K. Carlson will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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