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Excerpt

Blue Fire

Angela Castle

Excerpt Heat Level: Violence

Book Heat Level: 4

Buy at  www.roguephoenixpress.com

Crystal City

Land of the Kell

Claws dug into Drystan's arm. He swung his blade round his head, twisting his large body. Drystan, the commander of the Kell army, kicked high into the lizard-like man's underbelly then shoved the body away. The Drac Scoull left bloody scratch marks as it was hurtled onto its back. Drystan did not hesitate, his blade sunk all the way into the exposed side of the Scoull's armour. The enemy gave a high pitched squeal, its body convulsing in its death throes. He yanked the blade out and ran forward to the next target; blood and adrenaline coursed through his system. His heart, full of anguish and rage, pounded so hard against his ribs he feared it would explode. So many Drac Scoulls in the way.

The screams of the women echoed around him. Oh, by the gods. He fought not for his life but for theirs. The city had been left unguarded; the Drac Scoulls had stormed the inner city. In and out of every home they had gone. Drystan had witnessed them dragging out the women, the helpless babes, the young girls, to slaughter them. The streets were running red with their blood.

The army had been too far away, lured out to battle by Norlac, ruler of the Drac. Adalardo, King of the Kells, had seized the opportunity to end the war once and for all. Every able-bodied man had marched on the Drac fortress.

The Drac were like a swarm of insects moving in every direction. Drystan leapt over the body of an adolescent girl. His blade again hitting its mark; another Scoull's head went flying. His hard, muscled body ached from exertion and was dripping with sweat; his body armour was splattered with blood. He battled, until there were none left to kill.

"That has to be the entire Drac army," panted Melor, who had been fighting a step behind him.

"Go, keep searching. Do not rest until we know every Scoull is dead. May the gods have spared some of our women from this horror."

Melor nodded, racing off. Adalardo came hurtling around the corner on the back of his stag; his own face dark with the same anguished rage Drystan was feeling.

"Drystan, to the palace! There are still Scoulls inside." He bolted towards the Palace gate tower. Drystan raced behind his King. He hoped and prayed there were some still alive.

Reviews

Angela Castle’s Blue Fire is a fabulous short novel that had me entertained the whole way through.

Lila for Two Lips Reviews

Author: Angela Castle
Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy Romance
Reviewed by: Yadkny


Jane is, on Earth, your average 'plain Jane.' She knows this and has long since excepted this as fact, so she doesn't dwell on the disappointing appraising stares she receives from other men. Instead she continues on in life with her own cleaning business until she receives the cleaning job that changes everything.
Drystan is for all intents and purposes the Alpha male of the Kell people. Theirs a fierce warrior King and Drystan is the Commander of his army, but Drystan is no less an Alpha and could challenge to become king of he wanted. The Kell people are not of this realm, but they are no less in many ways human. Women of this land are not independently strong either physically or mentally. Physically they are revered for their more 'rounded' figures as that means they are more desirable and able to bear children and keep their man's bed warm. The expectation is that their Protector takes care of the woman’s needs as they seem to have no desire to fend for themselves. This you might guess, doesn't sit very well with our heroine Jane, since she is a very independent creature and has a black belt.
Jane's appearance in the people of Kell's lives is not unwanted and she couldn't have come at a better time, perhaps sooner, but unbeknownst to her, Jane holds of the key to their future and a new exciting way of life for both parties involved.
I have to say that I don't believe the synopsis does this book justice. I imagine that to most readers this will just seem like another run of the mill boy meets girl story with no character depth or plot. This is most definitely not the case. This book is full of new and exciting customs, creatures, and magic to explore. I will even venture further and goes as far as to say that initially I wasn't expecting much from this book, but I am more than happy to report how thrilled I am with this story and will be placing it in my re-reads pile. The author captured my attention with her quirky, anything but ordinary heroine and kept it with her Alpha male hunk of a hero who shows tenderness to the only woman he has ever grown to love. Throw in some other warrior hunks, an on-going war with a really evil enemy, and a sorcerer and the story really does come to life. By the end we are left with plenty of surprises and perhaps what could be considered a good start to a sequel.
Recommended reading for those seeking a hero that sees the fierce beauty behind the ordinary or plain. What a lucky girl Jane is!