Evan Burl and the Falling, Vol. 1-2
Read Evan Burl and the Falling, Vol. 1-2 Online
Authors: Justin Blaney
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Suspense, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Fantasy, #Teen & Young Adult
About Evan Burl and the Falling
Praise for Evan Burl and the Falling
Evan Burl and the Falling, Vol. 1-2
Justin Blaney
Copyright 2014 Justin Blaney
ISBN 978-0-9882510-0-7 (pbk)
ISBN 978-0-9882510-1-4 (ebook)
Free Giveaway
Enter a giveaway for $1000 in prizes including 50 signed hardback copies of this book at
http://justinblaney.com/giveaway
About Evan Burl and the Falling
A monster lives in all of us.
My father abandoned me when I was an infant.
My friends have turned against me.
My uncle hates me.
The most powerful sapients in the world want me dead.
They all have one thing in common.
They think I'm turning into a monster.
I'm starting to worry they're right.
Over a thousand years, one man unlocks sapience—the ability to transform the imagined into reality. But not everyone believes sapience is a gift because this power blurs the lines between dreaming and waking, making it impossible to divide real life from nightmare and friend from enemy.
The most powerful of these sapients rule the world, sharing little in common save their venom for each other and lurid horror for Evan Burl—a sixteen-year-old imprisoned with twelve immortal orphans in a haunted castle surrounded by the bones of a forgotten city. Evan finds a letter that orders his execution—signed by his own father—that reveals Evan's latent supernatural talents. As Evan makes use of his new abilities, he loses his grasp on the physical world and fears he might be responsible for the string of gruesome deaths that have begun to plague the orphans.
With each passing day, Evan's waking world is fading into a mist of dreams, replaced by starless nightmares that just might be real. The fates of those who remain alive rest on whether Evan can regain his ability to tell dream from reality and save his friends from the sapients who would rather the world forget that these twelve orphans ever lived.
Praise for Evan Burl and the Falling
"Justin Blaney's descriptive, yet punchy writing style is just one way Evan Burl and the Falling separates itself from the vast majority of young adult and fantasy writing being published today. With its intelligent and gripping storyline, relatable heroes, and highly-imagined villains this book captured my attention from the start. I can't wait to read what happens next."
Freya Hind
"The best fantasy book I've ever read"
Mitsy Princell
"Brilliant. I am recommending this book to all my friends"
Julia (from Amazon.com)
"Evan Burl is one of the most imaginative and creative (novels) I've read in a long time. Fans of fast-paced, action-packed fantasy will find a lot to love..."
Alyce Reese
"Well-crafted. Mysterious. Intriguing."
H.J. van der Klis
"I usually don't enjoy books of this genre... I'm really glad I took a chance. The characters were rich as was the story line. I couldn't put it down!!!"
Julie Weber
"Reading Evan Burl reminded me of how I felt when I read great books like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games for the first time."
Katie Zinda
"I read Evan Burl and the Falling when I was supposed to be working on my homework. That should speak for itself, it was a fantastic distraction from reality."
Jessie Crowther
"So much YA fiction has the same story with slightly different set pieces. Evan Burl, however, is truly creative."
Natasha (from Goodreads.com)
"I want more! It just isn't right that's over. Evan Burl is every bit as good as the top YA fiction out there right now, in my opinion, better. The characters are brilliant, each story line is captivating, the content is complex and unpredictable... I am intrigued to read more."
Bethany Canfield
"I'll never view a clear, blue sky the same! This book took ahold of my imagination and guided me through the forgotten hallways and secret rooms I've always dreamed of finding. A fantastic story about the burden of knowing one's destiny, and desperately trying to avoid it."
Eric Nienaber
"
Wickedly complex villains so entertaining and terrifying they'll get under your skin and creep you out ... Evan Burl's world will fascinate you and leave you begging for more."
Mary Weber
"Really well written"
Angela Foster
"This eerie world and amazing cast of characters grabbed my heart from the first page and never let go. I can honestly say I would do anything to get an advance copy of Evan Burl's next chapter."
Natalie Medina
"
The characters are awesome and the story is riveting."
Julianna Rickman
"I'm hooked. So many threads of greatness, I can't wait to see how the series ends."
Annie Biondi
"This book will take you on a fantastic odyssey that immerses your senses with riveting action ... you will see, hear, smell and feel Evan's dangerous journey of self-discovery, constantly in fear that something could rise up out of the ground beneath your chair and pull you into this strange world."
Hilary Hansen
"Justin Blaney creates a wonderful world of intrigue, mischief, and magic that comes alive through vivid storytelling. This is a struggle of good and evil at its finest ... it will have your mind on edge as you race to the end."
Kari Skinner
"
This one is definitely a page turner! I must say this novel is much different than anything I have ever read."
Linda (from Goodreads.com)
"Rich, believable characters set in a captivating storyline that made me constantly anxious about what would come next. This story of hope and redemption will have you rooting for Evan to find the good within himself."
Marisa Loper
"A fantastic read."
Jestmesue (from Amazon.com)
"I am in love with this book"
Magen Bosarge
"My wife and I recently read this on a trip to the mountains near Seattle. Once we started, we couldn't put it down. The book will take you on an imaginative voyage that will rivet your attention."
Bob and Daphne
"
Evan Burl and The Falling is a facination story of mystery and magic. Pay attention to the details and the scenes will come alive in your imagination. This Novel is such a new and different story. I was fascinated up until the very end."
Marsha Thaileen
"
I have to say this book was amazing!! I seriously could not put it down ... an awesome present for those who are hard to buy for."
Melissa Willard
"
This world is both incredible and terrifying at the same time"
Courtney Bax
Cast of Characters
Wards of Daemanhur
Xry Mazol
Yesler
Ballard
Orphans of Daemanhur
Evan Burl
Henrietta
Haller
Little Saye
Anabelle
Lucy
Pearl
Parkrose
Gertrude
Roxhill
Othella
Vashion
Ravenna
The Amadeus family
Terillium
Mercer
Anastasia
Claire
Other Characters
Cevo –
Chancellor of El Qir
Mahalelel –
Vice Regent of El Qir
Dravus –
Delivery Master
Pike –
Mazol's son
For Anna
CHAPTER ONE
I found myself in a kingdom of stars and clouds. Endless. Deadly. Blue as blood.
Stretching without blemish from one side of the world to the other, the sky was perfect but for one single inky speck.
If anyone was watching, they might have wondered if I merely napped on a pillow of thin air.
But it was nothing so pleasant.
This was a falling.
For what felt like hours, the whole world seemed frozen below me. Except for the wind, everything lay silent. It seemed as if I could stay up there forever. It was beautiful really, if I ignored the fact that I was hurtling toward the ground at a speed that would turn my bones to gravel upon impact.
I didn't even feel sick to my stomach—until the last thirty seconds.
First, the rolling mountains and hills lumbered toward me like big bullies begging for a fight.
Then houses and barns popped out of the ground, grasping hands from a fresh grave pulling me down into the earth where I belong.
Ten seconds later, what seemed like a bit of lint stuck to my eyelash transformed into a living human, far below. Then more. Dozens. Hundreds of people. Working, eating, anything but looking up to see me plummeting through the sky.
Another ten seconds—far too soon—and the whole world rushed up at a speed that turned my stomach to acid.
The last hundred feet were the real test.
Gulping one last lungful of air, I realized in that moment that I was less brave and more foolish than I could possibly have imagined.
And right before the end, I closed my eyes.
Like I always do.
CHAPTER TWO
I woke with a gasp to the sound of men arguing.
I lay on my side in a bed of crackly brown leaves, each one large enough to wrap around my body like a cape. Rolling onto my stomach, I crawled under a sprawling rhododendron and stared through the foliage in the direction of the voices.
Two men passed through the outer wall of the East Gatehouse, under the trio of raised portcullises that were not supposed to be open. They led a grimacing horse and groaning cart that barely cleared the stone arch. I crouched lower.
"You can't hide forever," my uncle bellowed from somewhere in the darkness. "I know you stole it!"
The moon hovered high in the sky. I wondered how long I'd been out. Something bulged in my pocket. I pulled out a leather-bound book. My Uncle Mazol was going to beat me for this, but I couldn't remember stealing it. I could only read a few words, and those words were scorched in my mind, making my stomach twist each time I reimagined seeing them appear on the old pages. Then there was the dream. It played over and over. Falling. Falling. Falling. It always ended the same. Eyes clenched shut. Bones to gravel. Dust to dust.