A Shimmer of Magic (The Crystal Mages Trilogy) YA Epic Fantasy by Jane Shand ➱ New Release Book Tour with Rafflecopter
A Shimmer of Magic
The Crystal Mages Trilogy Book 1
by Jane Shand
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Elin believes she will never belong
Her magic is too dangerous.
This is the first book in The Crystal Mages Trilogy, a young adult coming-of-age epic fantasy series.
Elin is pulled into a dangerous quest and her life is changed forever when she is found by Kamaria, a mage with her own issues, and a group of rangers. Kamaria is desperate to prove herself and Elin could be the key.
Elin struggles with her burgeoning friendships, learning to control her magic, and her feelings for the grey-eyed ranger, Kai. All while contending with renegade mages, assassins, and deadly creatures from legend. She also learns secrets from her past and the reason why her parents abandoned her as a baby.
She discovers that her dead parents have bequeathed her a heavy responsibility, as well as a key. A key that could release a dark mage.
Elin will need to rein in her dangerous magic before evil is unleashed across the world.
If you enjoy strong heroines, richly imagined magical worlds, adventure, mystery, and stories about friendship, then you will love A Shimmer of Magic.
Try this brand-new YA coming-of-age, epic fantasy series today!
Excerpt 1 from A Shimmer of Magic
Elin stared with wide eyes and stumbled backwards. Flames licked hungrily at the wooden barn while sparks flew joining the stars as tiny orange gleams before winking out.
“No,” Elin whispered. She raised her hands as if to ward off the heat, or perhaps the knowledge of what she had done. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Taking another step back she gasped in a breath, tasting the sharp reek of soot. Her heart pounded, and her stomach clenched. She could extinguish it. She just needed to find that calm place within her, and she needed time.
“Scailtir spawn!” A voice yelled from somewhere close.
“She’s flawed. Chase her out!”
Elin stared at the villagers who had gathered. Where once their faces showed her warm smiles and friendly nods, they were now reduced to the harsh faces of strangers. They should fetch water, douse the fire, not concentrate on her! Their whole stock of hay for the farm animals was in that barn. If it caught… Elin searched each face for understanding or sympathy. Instead, there was only fear, anger, and revulsion. She flinched as something wet impacted her shoulder and burst, spraying liquid into her face. The juice trickled down her cheek and dripped onto her cloak - rotten fruit. Elin turned and fled, forcing down the rising sob. Why? Why did this keep happening to her? Why couldn’t she control it? Her legs carried her through the forest, brambles clawing at her trousers and cloak, low branches threatening to snarl her hair. She shoved onwards, ignoring the sting. Her eyes blurred with the tears that streaked her face. Finally, she stumbled to a halt on a hill to the east of the village. Lungs burning with the need for air she fell to her knees and gasped in lungfuls, grateful that she could not detect smoke on the breeze. She forced her breathing under control and closed her eyes. Sight wasn’t required. She needed her unique sense, the one that could touch the energy that infused everything. She found it. The fire still blazed out of control. They had waited too long to try and extinguish it. Elin ran a shaking hand over her face and inhaled deeply. Her ability to use the energy – the magic – that was everywhere, wouldn’t work if she fumbled; she had to find calm. Taking two more deep breaths, she used her ability to search for water found in the air. Over the village, the air was now too hot and dry. She found some further out, dragged it together, forced it higher, and pulled it towards Kinfar When the wet air reached optimum height over the village, it began to rain. Heavy drops grew harder until they pounded the flames into nothing. Elin sagged to the ground, utterly drained. She drew her knees to her chest and lay her head on them. Now what?
Elin clenched her hands so tight her nails dug crescents into her palms. She raised her head and yelled at the uncaring sky. Another village denied her. Just as she began to hope she could call this one home. She clenched her lips firmly to still their tremble. Why did she ever allow herself to dream that this time it would be different? She needed to return to the village to retrieve her pitiful belongings. They remained in her pack, which lay tucked out of sight under some tumbledown rocks by the sheep pen. She had learned never to bother unpacking. To keep everything hidden. For just such occasions as this. Elin stood on shaky legs, pushing the hurt and the sadness away behind the wall she had built in her mind.
With heavy footsteps she made her way back towards the village, her way guided now by a sliver of moon. She took a wide berth around it, not wishing to run into anyone. She might have doused the fire, but they didn’t know that, wouldn’t care even if she were to convince them it was her. She had started it, simply because she had lost control. A scowl chased across her face. If only Owen hadn’t provoked her… Elin shook her head. She should have pulled her knife on him instead. Punishment for that would not have meant banishment. Perhaps it was time to accept she couldn’t be around other people, to head out into the land on her own. She knew how to forage for food. Elin raised her head and peered around as a dull weight settled in her stomach. It was autumn already. What food would she find come winter? If she were a boy, she could offer work at farms in exchange for food and a bed for the night. Many farmers wouldn’t treat a girl the same way.
When she was younger and had been forced out of a village, it had been different. Farmers, or their wives, took pity on a young, starving child. But now, as an older teenager, she was viewed very differently. Wives saw her as a temptation for their husbands. Men saw her as a woman who couldn’t complain about their behaviour. So there was always less sympathy and more suspicion. A shiver ran down her back as she recalled occasions where she had nearly starved or had run from farm workers, curses sounding in her ears when she wouldn’t ‘play’.
Elin slapped her thigh. Things to think about later. For now, she needed her pack and to flee from Kinfar.
Excerpt 2 from A Shimmer of Magic
“I do have one piece of interesting news, though. I know you have an obsession with all things Ferranzian—”
“It is not an obsession!” Kamaria interrupted.
Kai raised an eyebrow, and Kamaria glowered. “Fine, what did you discover?” Kamaria couldn’t help the quickening of her pulse. Had Nafasi, the Goddess of Fate, stepped in to help her? First, she found a map to Ferranzia, and now Kai had located something too?
“You once told me that only Ferranzians had eyes like great cats – or wolves. Amber. And many of them were said to have red hair,” he paused.
Kamaria’s voice resembled a growl, “Get on with it!”
He grinned. “I met a girl with hair like a copper sunset and amber eyes.” His gaze became distant. “There was something about her….”
“Where was this? Why didn’t you bring her here?” Kamaria grabbed his arm and shook it, excitement blazed through her, and she had to work hard to damp it down.
“Not obsessed, huh?” Kai lifted his eyebrows.
Kamaria dropped his arm and whispered, “I found something too. It is almost as if Nafasi is working with me.”
Kai made no comment. He was less convinced by the Gods and Goddesses that most people worshipped. They were mostly the same in Kamaria’s country to the south, though they had different names. Kai believed in the Goddess of Creation, who the people of the empire called Loinnir, the Divine Maker. However, he didn’t pray regularly.
“I found the girl, or rather, she found me, just south of Cheros. She was heading north-east. I didn’t bring her here because she didn’t trust me one bit.” Kai sounded indignant.
“Finally, a sensible girl who doesn’t fall for your charms,” Kamaria smirked.
Kai’s brows drew down in puzzlement. “I made it quite clear I wasn’t a threat but that there were bonereiver nests around, and she shouldn’t be out on her own. But she insisted she was fine.” He lifted a shoulder. “I could hardly kidnap her, could I? Especially as she didn’t exactly announce that she was Ferranzian.”
“No, I suppose not,” Kamaria said. “But after you’ve rested, you need to take me back out there. I must find her again.”
Kai squinted. “Why is it so important?”
Kamaria leaned in with a grin. “I found a map.”
“A map?”
Kamaria scanned around and made a hushing gesture. “If I can get into Ferranzia, I’ll prove my loyalty to the High Mage once and for all. All those who sneer and whisper about me will eat their words.”
I think I have always been a writer – or at least a storyteller! When I was little my dolls would go on adventures in made up worlds where often the Princess would rescue the Knight! When I was about eleven a friend of the family offered ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to us to read. That was when my true love for all things fantasy began. I loved the idea of magic, and it was all about escapism for me. I always made-up elaborate games for myself and my friends to play, or my toys, and it wasn’t much of a stretch to begin writing them. I wrote mostly for fun although I did try to get a novel published when I was about 22, but I had no clue what I was doing so of course it was rejected!
Then in 2017 I found Writing Magazine in a shop, read it, and was fired up to get serious about writing. I joined a short story course, and I wrote another novel and sent it to an agent and a small press. The small press gave me some valuable feedback. However, by then I had started writing The Shard and joined a novel writing course. With the help of that course I created a book I was proud of. After a lot of research into publishing I chose to self-publish and published The Shard in 2020 on Amazon. At this point I began to see myself as both a writer and an author and I hoped to make it my career.
In late 2021 I decided to take my books to all the other retailers too. I now have four books published with A Shimmer of Magic having just gone live. A Shimmer of Magic is the first in a trilogy (The Crystal Mages Trilogy), book 2 should release in July 2023, and I am writing book 3 ready for publication in Autumn/Fall of 2023. I am also starting work on a new series set on the same continent as The Crystal Mages Trilogy.
Jane Shand has always been an avid reader of fantasy and mystery and is an author of YA Fantasy.
She got hooked on fantasy after reading ‘Lord of the Rings’ at a young age and was determined to write books full of magic and adventure.
She lives in Hampshire, England with her family and two cheeky cats who would love to help her write.
She has published The Darkling Duology plus a prequel novella, a standalone book, and is now working on The Crystal Mages Trilogy which will be followed by a longer series set on the same continent.
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This sounds like a good read!
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