Today Vicki L. Weavil and Month9Books
are revealing the cover for SCEPTER OF FIRE, a companion
novel in the CROWN OF ICE Series! Which releases October 18, 2016! Check out
the gorgeous cover and enter to be one of the first readers to receive an
eGalley!!
Here’s a message from the author:
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly
Duckling” and “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” SCEPTER OF FIRE is a companion book
to CROWN OF ICE, my retelling of “The Snow Queen.” It takes place a few years
later, in the midst of an invasion by a power-mad foreign emperor, and includes
most of the characters from CROWN OF ICE.
However the protagonist in SCEPTER OF FIRE is
someone new—17yo Varna Lund, an ugly duckling among swans, who’s certain her
destiny lies in taking on the mantle of village healer after the death of her
aged mentor. But when a young soldier enlists her aid to care for his injured
friend, Varna and her sister, Gerda, are catapulted into the war that has
engulfed their country.
Forced to flee enemy troops with her sister and the two soldiers, Varna must also evade her mentor, Sten Rask—revealed to be a powerful mage seeking the enchanted mirror hidden by a former Snow Queen.
To protect the mirror, and their country, Varna,
Gerda, and the soldiers join forces with a sorceress, an enchanted reindeer, a
brilliant scholar, and a young woman traveling with a wolf. But Varna faces a
terrible temptation. Promised beauty and power by the devilishly handsome Rask,
she must choose—achieve her own desires, or protect a society that has never
embraced her.
The Cover:
I love how this cover matches the cover of CROWN
OF ICE, and yet is different enough to set the books apart. Both feature
striking young women, but whereas CROWN is glazed with icy blue tones, SCEPTER
is saturated with reds, golds and other fiery hues. If you look closely, you
can even see flames reflected in the girl’s eyes—very appropriate for a book
that deals with sorcerers who wield fire. Although the cover model is not an
“ugly duckling,” she does accurately reflect the protagonist during one portion
of the book, which I will not reveal at this point due to “spoilers”!
SCEPTER
OF FIRE
Author: Vicki L. Weavil
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Format: Paperback; eBook
Description:
Sharp as pine needles, and twice as bitter, seventeen-year-old Varna Lund’s determined to become a healer. At least patients don’t care about her looks, unlike the young men who spurn her for eighteen-year-old Gerda or even her younger sisters. An ugly duckling among swans, Varna hopes to bury her passionate nature in useful work.
Her healing skills are put to the test when Varna encounters Erik Stahl, a young soldier who’s deserted the battlefield to carry his injured friend, Anders Nygaard, to safety. Varna, enlisting the aid of Gerda, cares for Anders in secret.
But a brutal betrayal catapults the four young people into life on the run, where Varna discovers her old mentor is actually a powerful wizard. Seeking the enchanted mirror hidden by a former Snow Queen, the wizard hopes to use Gerda as a pawn in his plan to aid the invading emperor.
Other forces ally against the wizard, including an auburn-haired sorceress, an enchanted reindeer, a brilliant scholar, and a young woman traveling with a wolf. Along with the soldiers and Gerda, they vow to prevent the mirror from falling into enemy hands. But tempted with promises of beauty and power from her now devilishly handsome mentor, Varna must choose between her own desires and the good of a society that’s never embraced her.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” SCEPTER OF FIRE is a companion book to CROWN OF ICE.
Sharp as pine needles, and twice as bitter, seventeen-year-old Varna Lund’s determined to become a healer. At least patients don’t care about her looks, unlike the young men who spurn her for eighteen-year-old Gerda or even her younger sisters. An ugly duckling among swans, Varna hopes to bury her passionate nature in useful work.
Her healing skills are put to the test when Varna encounters Erik Stahl, a young soldier who’s deserted the battlefield to carry his injured friend, Anders Nygaard, to safety. Varna, enlisting the aid of Gerda, cares for Anders in secret.
But a brutal betrayal catapults the four young people into life on the run, where Varna discovers her old mentor is actually a powerful wizard. Seeking the enchanted mirror hidden by a former Snow Queen, the wizard hopes to use Gerda as a pawn in his plan to aid the invading emperor.
Other forces ally against the wizard, including an auburn-haired sorceress, an enchanted reindeer, a brilliant scholar, and a young woman traveling with a wolf. Along with the soldiers and Gerda, they vow to prevent the mirror from falling into enemy hands. But tempted with promises of beauty and power from her now devilishly handsome mentor, Varna must choose between her own desires and the good of a society that’s never embraced her.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” SCEPTER OF FIRE is a companion book to CROWN OF ICE.
Vicki loves
good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many
days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina
with her husband and some very spoiled cats. A member of SCBWI, Vicki is
represented by Fran Black at Literary Counsel, NY, NY.
(1) Winner will receive an eBook of CROWN
OF ICE & an eGalley of SCEPTER OF FIRE (when available) - Open INT!
What do you think of the cover? Leave a comment!
