The Excalibur (Space Lore Book 2) (38 page)

From the ramp of the Vonnegan shuttle, Vere watched them go, then looked back at Traskk in the sand, only his torso and head moving, his limbs scattered in the sand and motionless. In the brief moment she watched, she saw him using his mouth and face as he struggled to turn himself over, all the while growling in frustration and rage. Then the Fianna ushered her further up the ramp and she was aboard her captor’s ship.

90

 
“Where did I go wrong?” she asked.

Vere knew she was asleep. She also knew the figure in black robes was there, somewhere. He wasn’t speaking to her, though.

“What should I have done differently?”

Even though she was asleep, on some level of consciousness she knew that with every passing moment she was further away from Edsall Dark, further into Vonnegan territory and closer to the Cauldrons of Dagda.

She waited for a long time, but without any response. In those moments, she began to understand how completely and utterly alone she was.

The adventure continues in Book 3 of the Space Lore trilogy…

The Round Table

The CasterLan forces have withdrawn to the edges of the solar system. Vere CasterLan, their leader, struggles to survive in the galaxy’s most feared prison. Meanwhile, the Vonnegan Empire looks to find more planets to rule over.

Seeing firsthand the cruelty and suffering that the Vonnegan Empire is capable of, Vere begins to understand that only one thing that can bring peace to the galaxy and stop Mowbray Vonnegan once and for all. It’s a simple notion, only three words: the round table.

But as the call goes out for armies from every corner of space to unite against a common evil, will anyone listen to a ruler who has already lost everything she once had?

In this third installment of the Space Lore trilogy, discover the fates of Vere, Morgan, and the entire galaxy.
 

Purchase your copy today at:
 
http://amzn.to/26wWXBA

Acknowledgments

As always, I am indebted to many people for their support: Jodie McFadden, for her constant encouragement and optimism; Matt Butterweck, for his eagle eye and his comments on the story; my parents and brother for their support; and everyone on GoodReads and in the BJJ and MMA communities who read my other novels and recommended them to their friends. That is the only way that books like mine have the chance to be successful, and I’m eternally grateful for their support.

I would also like to thank all of the artists who were willing to devote their time and creative energy to designing the characters and places described in this book. Ever since I first saw Ralph McQuarrie’s sketches for the aliens and ships in the original Star Wars trilogy, I’ve wanted to create a world where artists could bring to life the concepts described throughout the adventure. Thank you to Tim, Zaina, Molly, and Grosnez for doing just that.

Want to receive updates on my future books and get some great freebies? Sign up for my newsletter at:
http://chrisdietzel.com/mailing_list/

About the Author

Chris graduated from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). He currently lives in Florida. His dream is to write the same kind of stories that have inspired him over the years.

His others novels have become Amazon Science Fiction Best Sellers, been featured on the Authors on the Air radio network, and been required reading at the university level.

About the Artists

Tim Barton
– Tim is a digital artist known for his stunning and colorful space artwork. He does his work in Adobe Photoshop and creates 3D scenes in Terragen. His full gallery of artwork can be viewed at
http://www.cosmicspark.deviantart.com.

Molly Evans –
Molly is majoring in art history and studio art at the University of Maryland. She specializes in painting and illustration. Her inspirations are the concepts of the female identity as well as the places she has traveled around the world.
 
Her website is:
http://mollyevansart.weebly.com/

Grosnez
– Grosnez is a concept artist from France. He was a traditional painter before becoming a self-taught digital illustrator. His website is:
https://www.artstation.com/artist/grosnez

Zaina.A
– Zaina is a self-taught artist and illustrator who specializes in fantastic and magical characters. She was born on Mauritius Island and is fluent in five languages. Her website is:
http://www.zaina.space