Weekend Special: Fire-Heart by C.S. Marks

C.S. Marks has published the second book of her Alterra series on the Kindle and has set a special 99 cent price for the weekend (it should be good thru Monday at midnight, but I wouldn't wait, in case it changes Sunday night, instead); after that it will increase to $2.99. You do need to read the series in order, but the first volume is also still priced at 99 cents and the author has said she intends to keep it there, at least until the entire series is out (of course, that could change, if she gets a publising deal, as Boyd Morrison did; all his books were pulled from the Kindle store and won't return at the same price, I'm sure). These are well-written, hefty volumes (516 and 732 pages) that are well-worth a dollar, even if you normally don't read fantasy. I've included links to the paperback versions of both books (yes, there is a third, but it isn't out for Kindle, yet ... it is coming) so that you can find the reader reviews easily (and yes, some people truly hated these books, but I wonder if there is a personal grudge involved, after looking at the other reviews posted by these readers, or they were colored by the very high prices of the paperbacks).

Fire-Heart (A Tale of Alterra, The World That Is) ($0.99; $23.39 Paperback)

In the second of the Tales of Alterra, the World that Is......the Elfhunter has been laid low, but he is not yet vanquished. Now there is a new challenge to be faced; Orogond has sworn on the grave of his father that he will find his wayward brother, Hallagond, and return him to the way of the Light. But Hallagond has been driven forth by shame, and believes that he is unworthy of redemption. The Company is now set upon a path that will take them into unfamiliar, distant lands filled with strange and intriguing people. Not only will they encounter wonders unknown to any in the northern lands, but they must now face a new, incredibly savage enemy. And all the while, Gaelen of the Greatwood is summoning Gorgon Elfhunter to follow after her, for she would lead him into lands where Elves do not venture. Should he find her, even the strength and will of the Fire-heart might not be enough.

Elfhunter (A Tale of Alterra, The World That Is) ($0.99; $18.44 Paperback) won the 2008 Reviewer's Choice Award: 'Best Fantasy.'

The first of the tales of Alterra, The World That Is. It concerns the quest of an unlikely pair of heroines, Gaelen and Nelwyn, who are Wood-elves of the Greatwood Forest. They are hunter-scouts in the realm of King Ri-Aruin, and they have sworn to protect their woodland home, but they are drawn into a quest to defend all the Elves of Alterra as they seek to destroy the 'Elfhunter', a monstrous entity intent on exterminating the Elves until none remain. Along the way, Gaelen and Nelwyn are joined by other interesting characters as they make their way through the realms of Alterra in pursuit of the Elfhunter, whose true name is 'Gorgon'. What headstrong Gaelen and her gentle cousin do not know is that Gorgon is in league with the Dark Power, and that the forces of Evil have forged an entanglement between Gorgon and Gaelen herself. Now she and all she loves are in jeopardy, and only an inspired plan put forth by Orogond, a mortal man, can save her.