On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Sword of Soter(Sacred Armor Trilogy #2)
By Ralene Burke
YA Fantasy, Christian
Paperback & ebook, 275 Pages
September 25th 2019 by Elk Lake Publishing Inc
NEW KINGDOM. NEW FRIENDS.
NEW DANGERS.
NOT EVERYONE CAN BE TRUSTED …
Karina, Tristian, Rashka, and Sam venture forth into the wilderness of Soter on the next leg of their quest to retrieve the Armor of the Creator. With the ancient evil already affecting the kingdom, nothing in Soter is what it seems—from what skulks beneath the canopies of the woods to what lies within the sleek white and gold of the capitol city to the people Karina and Tristan have known since they were children.
Danger lurks around every corner. Discerning who to trust is paramount to staying alive and discovering the location of the Temple of Soter. Yet, to Karina’s horror, Faramos’s reach finds them time and again. The longer they are forced to dawdle, the more people are affected by the growing panic in Soter, and the closer Faramos is to taking over the Three Kingdoms. Can Karina retrieve the information they need while Tristan keeps his brother at bay? Or will the entire quest disintegrate before they even arrive at the temple?
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Other Books in the Series
Armor of Aletheia
(Sacred Armor Trilogy #1)
By Ralene Burke
YA Fantasy, Christian
Paperback & ebook, 268 Pages
August 29th 2018 by Elk Lake Publishing Inc.
The death of her king changes Karina’s life forever. Fleeing the royal house, she must leave her life behind to seek out the Armor of the Creator—to save the very people who now hunt her.
Faramos, the evil warlock waiting to unleash hell, knows the Creator has already chosen his warrior, so he sends his bounty hunter to retrieve her. After Tristan abducts her, he witnesses Karina’s gentle nature and strong independence, and he finds he can’t complete his assignment.
Together, they set out to retrieve the armor and defeat the hordes of creatures sent to destroy them. But is Tristan’s heart secure as he faces certain death for defending the queen? And will Karina have the courage to become all the Creator intends her to be? Failure will condemn the world to eternal darkness.
(Affiliate link included.)
Also available on KindleUnlimited.
Guest Post
Building a Storybook World
One of the best aspects of being a fantasy writer is the freedom to build our own story worlds. Granted, to an extent, we are still bound by the laws of science. But there is still massive freedom in creating a new world, including geography, creatures, and cultures.
In designing the Three Kingdoms—Aletheia, Soter, and Tzedek—I created my own world from the ground up for the Sacred Armor Trilogy. What a thrill to see this world evolve—too see it come alive—much like a reader experiencing a story for the first time.
Geography
The Three Kingdoms are located on a large island—not quite big enough to be its own continent, but not much smaller than Australia. As such, they have different environments, but not so crazily opposite like Alaska and Hawaii.
Aletheia is a mountain kingdom with snow most of the year, while Soter is a densely forested kingdom with wetlands. Tzedek is mostly a plateau with grassy plains. The fun part was drawing on both the similarities in the kingdom’s environments as well as highlighting the differences, especially since the stories happen in the spring and summer.
Creatures
I am a big fan of traditional fantasy creatures like unicorns and dragons, so they tend to pop up in my stories. But I also love making up my own creatures (which may or may not be based on other animals).
In the Sacred Armor Trilogy, readers find dragons, elves, ogres, and goblins, which are not much different from their classic tropes. They are a nod to the past, a way to ease readers into something they might be a bit familiar with even though they’re in a whole new world.
Then I get to introduce NEW creatures, like aqlaqs. Aqlaqs are basically giant albino ferrets with walrus-like fangs. And then there’s lupens…giant, wiry wolf-like creatures with glowing red eyes. And that’s just a taste of some of the fun I get to have while writing this series!
Cultures
Cultures develop much like a human’s personality does, based on history, personal experience, education, location, etc. And when writers go about creating new people groups, they have to take the same kind of stuff into consideration.
Cultures are noted by things like
- what they wear
- traditions they cherish
- hardships they face and how they overcome them
- local lingo
But we can’t just make something up because it sounds cool…it has to make sense to the culture. A mountain kingdom would not enjoy sunbathing in the summer months quite the same way a coastal southern kingdom would. A poor community would not spring for lavish celebrations every other week like a rich one but may scrimp and save to go all out once a year for a sentimental holiday.
One small tradition that readers have remarked on in the Sacred Armor trilogy is the Blessing of Three Kisses. Often used as a greeting or farewell in emotional situations, one person kisses the other once on each cheek and once on the forehead, for joy, hope, and strength.
With all the imagination and creativity it takes to design a world from scratch, what a joy it is to see that world come to life! As I watch Karina, Tristan, and friends journey through the kingdoms on their quest to retrieve the sacred armor, I marvel at how the world works together. Often, I find myself asking, “Did I really make that up?”
Now, I invite y’all to explore the Three Kingdoms with me in the first 2 books of the Sacred Armor Trilogy!
What do YOU like to see in different story worlds?
About the Author
Whether she’s wielding a fantasy author’s pen, a social media wand, or a freelance editor’s sword, Ralene Burke always has her head in some dreamer’s world. And her goal is to help everyone #SHINEBeyond their circumstances! Her fantasy novels are available on Amazon.
When her head’s not in the publishing world, she is wife to a veteran and homeschooling mama to their three kids. Her Pinterest board would have you believe she is a master chef, excellent seamstress, and all-around crafty diva. If she only had the time . . . You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or at her website.
Tour Schedule
Tour Giveaway
One winner will win a prize pack that will include print copies of Armor of Aletheia and Sword of Soter, a plush blanket, a tumbler with candy, a journal, and a pen all inside a half-bushel basket inlaid with a gorgeous book print material.
Thank you for hosting Sword of Soter last week!
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