Water and Blood

 

 

Water and Blood

by N. K. Carlson

GENRE: YA Fantasy

Clashes on a pirate ship, battles on a castle wall, and an ancient secret unfolds. When life or death is at stake, one side must make a sacrifice to win.

After fleeing the Elven capital, Reith and his friends must race across Terrasohnen to warn the dwarves of the Shadow's long reach. Each new revelation brings even more questions and Reith has so much to learn about Shadows and his mysterious sword. Time is against Reith. Death stalks him in the desert, mountains, and sea, and the ever present darkness looms large over all.

Will they reach the dwarves in time to prevent more death? Or will the Shadow's destruction be too great, consuming everyone in the kingdoms of Terrasohnen?

Excerpt:

“So, if a fight is coming, what then? What does find me mean?” Reith asked.

“I have no idea,” Romulus said. “I have a suspicion that the Voice belongs to a Guardian of Light, or even the God of Light. You have a destiny, Reith.”

“Why me?”

“All chosen by the God of Light for one task or another ask that question. It is beyond our wisdom. The God of Light has purposes and plans we can know nothing about. He has written the story of Terrasohnen on the world, and we are following along as best we can, though the ending is hidden from our eyes. But as for your question, I do not believe the God of Light calls someone unless he purposes to accomplish something in and through them.”

“So you think I will be successful in whatever this is?”

“I don’t think it, I believe it. I have faith in the God of Light. I think he or someone speaking for him is speaking to you, so I trust that he will be with you.”

“Easy for you to say,” Reith said, “You’re not the one facing fighting and finding.”

“Perhaps not finding, but certainly fighting.”

They rode on in silence for a few minutes.

“You promised to return the favor,” Reith said. “Tell me about you.”

“I am Romulus, firstborn son of King Koinas, heir to the throne of the elves. My mother died seven winters ago. I am the only remaining child of her and my father. He shall be furious that I have gone, but it is for the best. I was raised in the palace of Sardis and had the greatest tutors in history, mathematics, law, military strategy, astronomy, jousting, archery, and swordplay. As prince, I felt a great concern for my people, that all would be treated with fairness and justice. I have taken an interest in hearing the grievances of my people against one another and against the crown, which I did my best to decide equitably. I know rulers do not choose their monikers, but Romulus the Just has a nice ring to it. I hope to live up to it. And now, I am afraid that the greatest threat to the kingdom and my people is my father, and so I am on this quest beside you, fleeing from his wrath to a foreign land to beg for aid.”

“Sounds bleak,” Reith said, not really knowing what to say to the prince. 

“It’s not as bleak as one might think. The God of Light is with us. We saw that at the funeral pyre for Kydar. And when the God of Light is with us, who can oppose us?”

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.

Q&A With the Author:

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

“Water and Blood” has a long history. When I first sat down to write my first draft, back in the summer of 2017, I wrote a 50,000 word draft that was very bare bones. With the advice of a friend, I ended up splitting the story in two and expanding it significantly. The first 25,000 words turned into 80,000 words and became “Shadow and Sword.” The second 25,000 words turned into 80,000 words and became “Water and Blood.” I rewrote “Water and Blood” from January 2021-February 2022, finishing nearly five years after that first draft.

 

Back to the question at hand, I had a few things I really enjoyed. First, that very first 2017 draft was the first novel I had ever finished, and “Water and Blood” was very much a part of that story. That satisfaction of finishing a book was very enjoyable.

 

I also really enjoyed spending more time with characters that I had already spent a lot of time with. I got to expand their character arcs and really spend more quality time with my main cast. Writing that second draft was a very interesting experience, and I really let the story go in some interesting and new ways. For instance, a main character dies at the end of “Water and Blood” and in the original, that character survived the whole series. But as I wrote, I realized it was a death that needed to happen to move the story forward. You’ll have to read “Water and Blood” to find out who!

 

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

As of today, I have not started writing anything else. I have several ideas that I am working on in my head. I have a couple of notes on my phone where I jot down my story ideas, and there are something like two dozen ideas in there right now. I have two projects that I am very excited about, and I think both projects will appeal to readers of “The Chronicles of Terrasohnen.”

 

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?

Oh, alright, I guess I’ll give some details. I have two sons, and they are 5 and 2 right now. I would like the next thing I write to be something they can read in the near future. I’m targeting a middle grade fantasy adventure story for that. I might go chapter by chapter and read it to the oldest and get his feedback!

 

I also have a huge, epic fantasy series that’s been in my head awhile. I still am in the very early stages of planning that one out, and I would like it extensively outlined before I ever start writing it, so that one is way off in the distance still.

 

In the nearer term, Book 3 of “The Chronicles of Terrasohnen” is finished and will be released in April 2024, so be on the lookout for that! We’ll announce the title and release a cover later this year! Book 3 completes the trilogy, so you can read “Shadow and Sword” and “Water and Blood” with confidence, knowing there is an ending, unlike some other prominent fantasy series out there.

 

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing stories since elementary school, but for the most part, those stories were only written during school. I began a blog in 2011 in college and began writing for fun for the first time. I started trying to write novels in 2013, and started three that I gave up on before Terrasohnen.

 

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you so much for reading my work and engaging with it on social media! It makes my day when someone likes my books and shares about them on social media.

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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/water-and-blood-n-k-carlson/1142920220

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