By: S. McPherson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 31st 2016
When the Exlathars escaped the battle that night, their silhouetted figures merged with the sky, their wings swatted at stars and the Coltis people were too busy celebrating their victory torealise that there wasn’t one.
Now the Exlathars are back. And they bring with them remnants of everybody’s past.
Back in England, Dezaray discovers just how deep Coldivor’s connection to Earth really goes. But she cannot change their past and she cannot see how to alter their future. Soit seems the ripples that shake the surface are only a glimpse of what’s brewing beneath.
'Caught in the Ripples' delves deeper into the Water Rushes saga, answers questions the first book raised and plunges you into an ocean of intrigue and magic.
They thought the Elenfar was the end...turns out it was only the beginning.
Other Books In The Series.
Published: November 10th 2015 by S McPherson Books
Buy: Amazon
When 17-year-old, Dezaray Storm drunkenly stumbles across a portal one night, her downtrodden life begins to change, mainly because she starts living someone else's life.
Accidently trading places with the most powerful sorceress of the realm Coldivor, Dezaray finds herself assuming the identity of her magical lookalike, having to convince everyone in the realm that she's the real deal.
Aside from a few minor hiccups along the way, like the fact that she is not magical nor does she know even the simplest cards trick; Dezaray soon finds herself settling in. Particularly in the arms of Milo; a blue-eyed jokester with the ability to teleport.
However, it doesn't take long for Dezaray to realise that life on the other side is far from glitz and glamour and that creatures unimaginable are hunting her. A war is brewing between the seven empires of Coldivor and those that long to take over. Dezaray's enchanted double is their only hope; their secret weapon, set to be unleashed on her eighteenth birthday when she is gifted the powers of her forefathers.
But for the enchantress to return, Dezaray has to leave, and the thought of going back to Islon fills Dezaray with dread, for more reasons than one. Torn between a reality she can't stand and a fantasy she can't keep, Dezaray is struggling to see how any choice she makes will lead to a happy ending.
Excerpt 1:
The Exlathars rise and their black pointed teeth gleam as they lunge at the intruders. In the air, terraduchins collide with thrashing wings and hang in crooked talons. The Court throw spears of lead that slice though the creatures’ acid flesh, fearsome shrieks drowning out all other sounds of battle.
From every direction, Coltis folk charge at the beasts, their spears raised and potions ready. There is a flash of purple as one of the serums is tossed, smashing to the ground, inches from an Exlathar’s pointed ankle. It chuckles—a raspy, cold sound—then glides murderously toward the one who threw it. With an almighty shriek, a sulphurous mist spews from its mouth and falls onto the Coltis. He gawks, clutching his throat, gasping for air before his eyes bulge from his head and blood trickles from his nose.
‘What’s happening to Henriqué?’ bellows Vladimir as he watches the man violently convulse. ‘Iginassa,’ he calls out, setting a rock ablaze and hurtling it at the Exlathar with a thrust of his head. The beast squawks angrily and soars off to attack another as the flames of the rock are extinguished in the mud. Vladimir races to where Henriqué has fallen. Kneeling, Vladimir turns his friend to face him, jumping back in horror. Blood leaks from the fallen man’s nose and the corners of his eyes, his face barely recognisable. Drained of all moisture, his skin is now shrivelled and sunken.
‘Henriqué?’ Vladimir gasps, futilely, knowing his friend will not answer, his friend is no longer here. Snapped out of his shock by the howls of those around him, Vladimir is stricken to see the same thing happening to others. Though the Coltis continue to fight with vigour, the toxic yellow mist spraying from the open mouths of the beasts is all it takes to end them.
‘RUN,’ Vladimir yells. ‘Everyone back to Melaxous,’ and he rushes over to another fallen member of the Court, but he’s too late. He darts from victim to victim, but even Spee’ad as he is, Vladimir is not fast enough to save them. ‘No!’ he gasps as he sees an Exlathar creep up behind Lexovia as she battles with another.
‘BEHIND YOU,’ he roars...
Excerpt 2:
I hurtle through the portal, the shrieks of the
trelion bird echoing behind me long after the gateway has gone. Beatrice Brook shudders
below and I plunge into it, submerged beneath icy water, ripples expanding
around me like ribbons of lightning.
I wait to rise to the surface, to instinctively come up for air but
I can’t lift my head. A hand is holding me down; a strong hand whose pressure I
know too well, Drake’s.
Somehow I swivel. The face is his but the eyes are a piercing blue:
shocking, like Milo’s. As I gape at them in disbelief, I hear Milo’s voice, as
though he were right beside me.
‘This is how it has to be,’ he says.
I go to scream, but my cries are muffled by the weight of water
slamming me down. I push against it, stretching up, reaching higher but only
getting further away from the surface.
‘The Exlathars are back,’ Milo continues. ‘We think they were never
gone.’
Never gone? The words repeat themselves over and over as I sink deeper
into the brook, now as vast as an ocean. My head throbs as bubbles tumble from
my lips, and Milo’s eyes burn, watching whilst I drown.
I wake up
panting, my blind hand reaching out for the face I may never see again.
Trembling, I sit, sifting through the nightmare as I try to figure out what of
it was memory, what was nightmare and what may have been a premonition.
The Hero Quiz!
Don’t you just love heroes? My list of the ones I could
rave about is endless, and not just the classic D.C. and Marvel delights but
all heroes! Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Jon Snow, etcetera, etcetera,
etcetera.
Heroes are the good guys; the reason we embrace the
story. They are the person we root for. They give us hope and show us qualities
we like to think exist in all of us. I often like to imagine what my ability
would be if I were a hero. It remains a toss-up between invisibility and
telekinesis. Hmmm…
Anyway, how well do you know your heroes? Take the quiz
below, called: ‘Weapon of Choice’. Can you identify the hero based on their
weapon?
Books S. McPherson Is Currently Reading
I’ve always envied the reader that could devour a book in a day or two. To me, it seems like some sort of super power. A power, I haven’t yet mastered. I’m the slower reader who savours her books and generally reads one every fortnight. I am working to improve on that but in the meantime, here is a little look at the books I have read this year:
- Red Queen: I’m sure most of you know the delicious tale of Mare Barrow, a red blooded girl with supernatural gifts to rival the silver blooded. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and spent days and hours tracking down the sequel.
- Glass Sword: The much anticipated sequel to Red Queen. This one gave me a deeper look at the world of silvers and reds and had an ending that once again has me itching for the next.
- Throne of Glass: Another popular YA, fantasy about the brilliant assassin, Celaena Sardothien who uncovers a delicious secret about the world she lives in. I really enjoyed this book as well.
- Crown of Midnight: The sequel to Throne of Glass which sent so many butterflies trilling through me and I completely shipped Chaol and Celaena.
- Heir of Fire: The third book in the Throne of Glass series. This one didn’t excite me as much as the earlier two and seemed a bit dragged out. It certainly seemed like a setup for exciting things to come though and I’m still intrigued.
- Six of Crows: This one was brilliant. The story of six crooks who embark on one of their biggest crimes yet: a prison break. What I loved about this book was how fully rounded the crew were and how they were so much more than just criminals.
- City of Glass: I probably don’t need to say more. The fourth book in the incredible Mortal Instruments series. These books I am intentionally savouring because they are simply too delicious. Although now Cassandra Clare has released Lady Midnight etc. I am quite keen to finish the rest.
- Cinder: Such an interesting take on a retelling of Cinderella. One word: Cyborg. I really liked this book and I just recently purchased part two: Scarlet
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard: A bunch of brilliant fairy-tales for those of the Harry Potter, wizarding world. *sigh*
- I am currently reading The Young Elites: the story of a sickness that gave those it plagued, supernatural abilities. I am not too far in to it but I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.
Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts? And what books are you currently reading? I would love some suggestions. YA, fantasy is my favourite but I’m up for anything.
S. McPherson is a young British expat living in Dubai and working as a kindergarten teacher. When she is not at work immersed in a world of imagination and fantasy created by the children, she is immersed in her own worlds of imagination and fantasy at home, dreaming up tales and writing them down. 'At Water’s Edge' is S. McPherson’s debut novel and the first in the epic fantasy saga, 'The Water Rushes'.
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Hi, Thanks so very much for supporting this step of my writing journey :)
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