The Outlanders (The LonTobyn Chronicle, Book 2)by David B. Coe
Lore Seekers Press
October 2, 2016
$4.99 eBook/ $18.95 Paperback
561 pages
ASIN: B01M0ZQPZ9
Four years after the insidious, devastating invasion by agents of Lon-Ser, Tobyn-Ser’s Order of Mages and Masters is riven by conflict and paralyzed by inaction. From the outlander, Baram, they have learned much about their neighbor to the west: Unlike Tobyn-Ser, which is served by the Mage-Craft of the Children of Amarid, Lon-Ser is devoid of magic. Instead it possesses a dazzling and deadly technology that shapes every aspect of its people’s daily life.
Frustrated by the Order’s inability to act, Orris, a young, rebellious mage, takes it upon himself to prevent further attacks on his homeland. Taking Baram from his prison, he embarks upon a perilous journey to Bragor-Nal, an enormous, violent city in Lon-Ser, ruled by a brutal, feudal-like system of Break-Laws, Nal-Lords, and Overlords. As Orris soon learns, however, Baram has been driven insane by his captivity. Upon reaching his strange and fractured homeland, the man abandons Orris.
Armed only with his magic, Orris is thrust into a world whose language he does not comprehend and whose technology he can barely fathom. Together with Gwilym, a man with strange powers, whose vision of Orris has lured him out of the mountains and into the chaos of the Nals, and Melyor, a beautiful Nal-Lord who harbors a secret that could cost her life, Orris must end the threat to Tobyn-Ser without getting himself and his companions killed.
THE OUTLANDERS is the second volume of the LonTobyn Chronicle, David B. Coe’s Crawford Award-winning debut series. This is the Author’s Edit of the original book.
EXCERPT
Dob ran a hand through his long, dark hair. “I propose a deal.” He glanced again at his comrades. “My friendship and all the benefits that come with it, in exchange for your...services for the evening.”
Her smile was coy. “That’s a very attractive proposition—”
“One you’d do well to accept.” All traces of mirth had left his face, leaving the grim set of his unshaved jaw, and the severity of his cold eyes.
Melyor straightened. “I’m afraid I can’t.”
“Why not?” Dob asked, his tone low and menacing.
“I’m waiting for someone. I’ll be offering my services to him this evening.”
The break-law narrowed his eyes. “Who?”
“Nal-Lord Savil.”
Dob raised his eyebrows in surprise. After a moment he began to laugh again. “Savil,” he said. His companions chuckled as well and he turned to them. “She’s waiting for Nal-Lord Savil.” The other men’s laughter mounted, and Dob faced her again, shaking his head. “You may be pretty, Kellyn, perhaps even beautiful. But you have a lot to learn about the workings of this part of the Nal. Savil is the most important person in the Realm; he answers to no one save his Overlord and the Sovereign, and he certainly doesn’t deign to be chosen by the likes of you. He can have any uestra he wants. And here you come, new to the Realm, thinking you can just claim him as you would an ale from a dispenser.” He shook his head again. “It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic. You’ll be lucky if he even notices you.”
Melyor kept her expression cool. “You sound jealous. Am I stepping on toes here? Perhaps you had planned on taking Savil back to your flat tonight.”
She was an accomplished street fighter--she had to be to have gotten as far as she had--and, slight as she was, she was exceptionally strong. Even so, and despite being prepared for Dob’s reaction, the man surprised her with his swiftness. Before the last word crossed her lips, Dob had twisted a brawny hand into her hair, and jerked her toward him so that the gleaming spikes on the wrist of his coat rested against her temple. “I’ve killed for far less,” he said, wrapping his other hand around her throat.
“I’m sure you have. But, in this case, you might wish to temper your response a bit.”
“What?” He spat the word with contempt.
By way of reply, Melyor tapped the blade of her dirk, which she already had in hand, against his groin.
He looked down, and gasped with fear and disbelief.
“Tell your men to back off,” she said under her breath, sensing that the break-law’s friends had formed a semicircle around them, “and then let go of me. Slowly, Dob--you wouldn’t want to do anything to make me nervous.”
For a moment he did nothing, and Melyor pressed the blade a bit harder against his britches.
“All right!” he whispered. “All right!”
“Tell them, not me.”
“It’s all right,” he said, pitching his voice to carry. “Everything’s all right.” He relaxed his grip on her hair.
Dob ran a hand through his long, dark hair. “I propose a deal.” He glanced again at his comrades. “My friendship and all the benefits that come with it, in exchange for your...services for the evening.”
Her smile was coy. “That’s a very attractive proposition—”
“One you’d do well to accept.” All traces of mirth had left his face, leaving the grim set of his unshaved jaw, and the severity of his cold eyes.
Melyor straightened. “I’m afraid I can’t.”
“Why not?” Dob asked, his tone low and menacing.
“I’m waiting for someone. I’ll be offering my services to him this evening.”
The break-law narrowed his eyes. “Who?”
“Nal-Lord Savil.”
Dob raised his eyebrows in surprise. After a moment he began to laugh again. “Savil,” he said. His companions chuckled as well and he turned to them. “She’s waiting for Nal-Lord Savil.” The other men’s laughter mounted, and Dob faced her again, shaking his head. “You may be pretty, Kellyn, perhaps even beautiful. But you have a lot to learn about the workings of this part of the Nal. Savil is the most important person in the Realm; he answers to no one save his Overlord and the Sovereign, and he certainly doesn’t deign to be chosen by the likes of you. He can have any uestra he wants. And here you come, new to the Realm, thinking you can just claim him as you would an ale from a dispenser.” He shook his head again. “It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic. You’ll be lucky if he even notices you.”
Melyor kept her expression cool. “You sound jealous. Am I stepping on toes here? Perhaps you had planned on taking Savil back to your flat tonight.”
She was an accomplished street fighter--she had to be to have gotten as far as she had--and, slight as she was, she was exceptionally strong. Even so, and despite being prepared for Dob’s reaction, the man surprised her with his swiftness. Before the last word crossed her lips, Dob had twisted a brawny hand into her hair, and jerked her toward him so that the gleaming spikes on the wrist of his coat rested against her temple. “I’ve killed for far less,” he said, wrapping his other hand around her throat.
“I’m sure you have. But, in this case, you might wish to temper your response a bit.”
“What?” He spat the word with contempt.
By way of reply, Melyor tapped the blade of her dirk, which she already had in hand, against his groin.
He looked down, and gasped with fear and disbelief.
“Tell your men to back off,” she said under her breath, sensing that the break-law’s friends had formed a semicircle around them, “and then let go of me. Slowly, Dob--you wouldn’t want to do anything to make me nervous.”
For a moment he did nothing, and Melyor pressed the blade a bit harder against his britches.
“All right!” he whispered. “All right!”
“Tell them, not me.”
“It’s all right,” he said, pitching his voice to carry. “Everything’s all right.” He relaxed his grip on her hair.
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David B. Co
Writing under his own name (http://www.DavidBCoe.com) he has most recently completed a contemporary urban fantasy called the Case Files of Justis Fearsson, published by Baen Books. The first two books, SPELL BLIND and HIS FATHER’S EYES came out in 2015. The third volume, SHADOW’S BLADE, has recently been released.
Writing under the D.B. Jackson pen name (http://www.DBJackson-Author.com), he writes the Thieftaker Chronicles, a series set in pre-Revolutionary Boston that combines elements of urban fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. All four books in the series, THIEFTAKER, THIEVES’ QUARRY, A PLUNDER OF SOULS, and DEAD MAN’S REACH, are available from Tor Books.
David is the author of the LonTobyn Chronicle, his debut trilogy, which received the Crawford Fantasy Award as the best work by a new author in fantasy. He has also written the critically acclaimed Winds of the Forelands quintet and Blood of the Southlands trilogy, and the novelization of director Ridley Scott’s movie, ROBIN HOOD, starring Russell Crowe. David’s books have been translated into a dozen languages.
He received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his Master’s and Ph.D. in U.S. history from Stanford University. He co-founded and regularly contributes to the Magical Words group blog (http://magicalwords.net), a site devoted to discussions of the craft and business of writing fantasy, and is co-author of How To Write Magical Words: A Writer’s Companion.
GIVEAWAY!
There is a tour-wide giveaway for 3 sets of CHILDREN OF THE AMARID and THE OUTLANDERS, and a $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Giveaway runs Nov. 10 thru Dec. 15th. If you’d like to share, the Rafflecopter code is below.
