The Emperor’s Harvest
Tales of Tzoladia Book 1
I love to listen to Baskrod's stories. He describes warlike men with natural armor who hibernate in rocky caves and peaceful people who soar through the air in a forest of giant trees. His tales are full of foreboding dreams and ancient prophecies; royal palaces and strange creatures. My brother laughs at me. He says that the old fisherman makes it all up. But everything Baskrod has ever predicted has come true. So I have always believed his stories.
UNTIL NOW
Baskrod appears to have gone mad. He claims that the emperor is sending a murderous horde of evil men to destroy our village. "They will drink your blood!" he yells, wide-eyed, while standing in the marketplace waving his trident. He has begged me to escape with him. But it is harvest time, and I must stay to help my family in the fields. Anyway, the emperor has no reason to turn against us. We pay our tribute.
If only we had listened to Baskrod.
The emperor planned his own harvest. His reapers were ax-wielding horsemen. And they were not harvesting crops. They harvested my people.
Now I am the sole survivor of my village. Baskrod claims that the one god has chosen me. He says I must travel to the distant capital of Tzoladia to save the world. Maybe Baskrod is right. Maybe it is my destiny. But I'm nobody. How can I save the world?
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Reviews
““A spirited novel that provides a deep, rich foundation for a planned fantasy series.” ”
“WOW! I can’t imagine living in a world like this! In some ways, so breathtakingly beautiful, then, in others, so painfully brutal.”
“This was a delightful, inventive read! It reminded me of The Lord of the Rings in its inventiveness of characters and world building, as well as the moral behind the story.”
Check out book 2!
The Emperor’s Trap
My dreams have great meaning. A dream brought me to Baskrod when I was a small boy. A dream showed me the emperor’s mad ravings in his throne room. And a recurring dream reveals that I will someday ride a lion into the city of Tzoladia at the head of a grand procession.
But prophecies, dreams, and signs are easy to misinterpret. Why else would the wise men of the Society of the Word hide in caves, carry swords, and employ spies? I thought they would know where to find the other deliverers.