Advent Of Darkness

Gary Caplan

Description

Advent of Darkness won 2014 Indie Excellence Finalist Award in Fantasy & Advent of Darkness is a Finalist of 2014 International Book Awards in Fiction-Fantasy.

Advent of Darkness has been chosen one of the NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winners for Summer 2013.

When veteran and archaeologist John Gideon is transported from Earth by a tall, strange man clothed in ornate red robes, he soon finds himself a stranger in a different world. Unbeknownst to him, the world of Illúmaril is the birthplace of his ancestors and where he truly belongs. Meeting the archmaster wizard Ragan, John is taken under the wizard's wing as a ward and student and begins his journey of exploring this strange new world.

From gnomes, elves, and menfolk to surprising new creatures, John is soon befriended by all, as he reestablishes his connection to his ancestor's home world and begins to learn the truth. Hidden on Earth as a child, John's true importance is only beginning to reveal itself as this foreign world becomes home. With his world turned upside down, John continues to learn about his past and more importantly, of the vital destiny that he has to fulfill.

Advent of Darkness is the first book in the epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Illúmaril. Styled after the timeless Lord of the Rings series, this sweeping novel is packed with action and adventure that will instantly hook science-fiction and fantasy fans everywhere. Sword and sorcery at its finest, this excellent story will take readers on an amazing journey through intense conflict and an awe-inspiring new world. With its huge scope and thrilling adventure, this is one novel that deserves a place in every reader's collection.

Following John Gideon and his adventures while trying to find his place in society, as well as his destiny, Advent of Darkness takes readers to the wonderful new world of Illúmaril. Embracing all sides of the conflict, the novel uniquely uses epic voices to describe what's happening across the landscape while still using John Gideon as the main character and tool for describing his and his companions' points of view. Utilizing dramatic fantasy and exhilarating action and adventure, this thrilling sword and sorcery novel sets a new standard for epic fantasy.

Sujets

• Fantastique
• Epic Fantasy
• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 23 juin 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781456620394
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Advent of
Darkness
 
 
Gary Caplan
 
 


Copyright ebook © 2013 Gary Caplan
All rights reserved.
 
 
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com
 
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2039-4
 
 
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to all the great authors who wrote in this fantasy genre that inspired my imagination and interest to write. To J. R. R. Tolkien, Roger Zelany, Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Stephen Donaldson, Terry Brooks, and many others—thanks for the inspiration. I have had these ideas since I was a young boy. I just had to find the time to write. I would also like to dedicate this to my parents, Martin and Merri Caplan, who inspired me to learn; to some friends who helped me work through some of my ideas: my brother Mark and my old friends Brian Godshall, Bob Fedic, and David St John. Last but not least, to my good friend Basil Varian for his help with writing the original draft of the prologue and first six chapters and the part of the draft of last chapter, and his contribution of some interesting names to the Illúmaril story and his imaginative artwork.
Prologue
The car's headlights cut through the darkness of the night on the empty road outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. John Gideon sat behind the wheel, rubbing his eyes, his mind weary from several hours of travel. He was a tall man with a lean but powerful build, surfer good looks, and shoulder-length blond hair.
He had just completed the qualifying exams for his master's degree and his thesis project, which were the culmination of twenty-four months of full-time study at Temple University in Philadelphia.
World prehistory, Stone Age Europe, and archeological methods and theories still jangled in his brain, giving him a headache. Still, he had to laugh slightly at the course his life had taken. A few years earlier, he had left his home state of California and joined the military, not because he did not want to go to college, but because he felt almost compelled to serve. Because of his exceptional intelligence and his athletic ability, he had a few unique opportunities, including gathering intelligence for his company and later Fifty-Eighth Infantry, and that was when his tour of duty got interesting. For three years, he worked both in combat situations and non-combat situations of gathering of military intelligence. During his time in the military, he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against enemy forces. In 1970, he got out, wanting to put the horror of the past behind him. That year, he enrolled in one of Philadelphia's university's archeological sciences program because he thought that the study of "old stuff" would be sufficiently different. After three years of hell, archaeology would seem like heaven.
Now, here he was six years later, having completed college with honors and recently earned a master's degree, on his way to a doctorate.
He let out a bored sigh and looked up at the sky. In the darkness above, rain-filled nimbus clouds moved in to block the light of the stars.
It's going to rain, he thought to himself.
Cursing softly at the rotten change in the weather, he flipped on the radio and tuned it to the local pop music station, which was playing "Disco Duck."
God, I'm really beginning to hate that song, he thought as it mercifully faded out to be replaced by Rod Stewart's newest hit, "Tonight's the Night."
Now, that's more like it, he thought.
Soon, he found himself tapping unconsciously on the steering wheel and humming to himself. With a quick downward thrust, he shifted into fourth gear as he thought of trying to beat the rain.
Cool air blew on his face, tousling his light golden-blond hair and easing the stifling summer night air. Glancing at the clock on the dash, he saw it was five minutes to eight.
Thunder rumbled across the heavens, and the night sky flashed with lightning, though the storm was still minutes away.
Gideon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. As a rule, he liked lonely country roads during daylight. There were farms and cows and trees and stuff to look at, good for relieving the monotonous boredom of a long road trip. However, at night, the darkness and shadows made everything mysterious and spooky. Trees loomed from either side of the road, their appearance suddenly gnarled and misshapen when lit by the flashes of lightning. No longer the homes of happy squirrels and twittering birds, they became twisted, evil creatures one only encountered in a fairy tale about wicked witches and goblins.
Somewhat shaken by his thoughts, he downshifted and continued at a safe and steady forty-five miles per hour. It was then, more or less, that he realized with slight apprehension that his seemed to be the only car on the road. He had not passed, nor had he seen, another car for over an hour.
He thought that was a bit odd.
He looked into his rearview mirror.
Nothing.
Nervously, he looked about and began eyeing the dreadful trees again.
Then, as he turned his eyes back to the road before him, the headlight beams caught a man suddenly stepping out onto the road about one hundred yards in front of his oncoming car.
With his heart suddenly leaping into his throat, Gideon quickly lay down on the horn and slammed down hard on the brakes. He steered the wheel to the right. The Mustang's tires screeched to a reluctant halt.
The man stood on the road, motionless, as if he did not realize he had been only a few seconds away from being road kill, and looked at the car.
No, not at the car.
At me!
The engine rumbled idly as Gideon and the man looked at each other.
Was the man crazy? He was wearing some kind of robe, like a fancy housecoat. Red, he thought. He had a tightly cropped black beard and blue-gray eyes.
Piercing eyes. No fear in them.
Lucid, sane, determined.
Clearing his mind, Gideon leaned out the window and opened his mouth to speak, but the strange man in the road spoke first. His voice was clear and strong, though halted and strained, as if English was not his first language.
"John…Gid…eon."
It was not a question but rather a confirmation. Gideon stiffened warily at hearing his own name from this stranger's lips.
Thunder and lightning crashed overhead. Rain began to pour down from the sky in torrents. The storm had decided to break.
"Who?" he began.
"They…come…for you!" the man continued; his steady gaze seemed to grow even harder. "They have breached…the barrier, and they…have found…your scent. You are…in great danger!"
Gideon opened the door at this and began to step out of the car. He was shaken but resolute. He was going to find out who this person was and how he knew his name.
"Who the hell are you, man? Do you realize I nearly ran you over? What are you, stoned? And what the hell's all this about? 'They'? Who's they ?" he asked in a voice loud enough to be heard over the storm.
Instead of responding, the man cocked his head as if listening to the storm. Rain dripped off his upturned face in torrents.
"They…are…near…Very…close now. You must go, John Gideon! Now! "
" Who is coming, mister?" shouted Gideon, his voice now raised in frustrated anger, as well as in an attempt to be heard over the storm.
The man returned his gaze to Gideon.
"Gorghuan!" the man shouted. "Run, you fool! Get back in your…car and drive! Now !"
"Who or what is a gorghuan?" asked Gideon.
The tall man stared at Gideon wildly for a second and then composed himself and said in a low, matter-of-fact voice, "Something you do not want to meet on a lonely road at night."
Gideon realized that the man's English had gotten much better in the past minute or so, but then he heard something over the storm that sent a shiver down his spine.
It sounded like an unnatural baying howl.
He shuddered. This whole thing was seriously beginning to creep him out. The man again cocked his head, listening to the storm.
Did he hear that weird noise too?
As he looked at the wet, darkened road behind Gideon, the man's face slumped in defeat, and he said, "It is too late. They are here."
Gideon turned to look behind him and froze in terror at what he saw rushing toward him.
In the distance, he could make out three large four-legged black shapes running at full speed toward him. The faint huffing, growling sound coming from them was similar to that of a large predatory cat or dog. Their eyes burned with a red light, piercing the rainy darkness like infernal headlights.
"Holy shit!"
He turned back to the man. However, as he did so, he saw a strange light beginning to radiate from him, a pulsing light that streamed with rainbow hues. The man's expression turned from hardened determination to surprise and disbelief.
" No ! Emissaries of the ancient enemy! I cannot help you now," he said as the light from his body began to fade. "This spellweave has been interrupted. I will try to retrieve you farther on down the road."
And with that, he was gone.
The monstrous dog-things were now only seconds away from the car bumper. Without thinking, he leaped back into the car, floored the clutch, and threw the stick shift into second. The car lurched forward as he leaned hard on the accelerator. The rear tires spun wildly, smoking and screeching as they tried to latch on to the slick road surface. The car fishtailed left and then right. Something slammed into the back of the car, and there was the sound of metal being ripped free somewhere as the car shot forward. He looked back in the rearview mirror and saw one of the receding creatures grappling with what looked like his rear bumper in its jaws. However, the other two were still in hard pursuit, their massive legs pistoning like a freight