About the Book:
Publisher: NR Bates (January 30, 2015)
Category: Epic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Literary Fiction, Celtic Mythology, History
Tour Date: May/June, 2015
Available in: Print & ebook, 239 Pages
AT THE SHARP END OF LIGHTNING is the tale of family, of loss and sacrifice, of unexpected gifts and coping with disability and new abilities set against the backdrop of climate change occurring across parallel worlds.
The intertwined worlds of Oceanlight and Earth are no longer hidden from view of each other. In one realm, Yalara Narika, a winged Sea Sprite, searches for her family and she encounters a deadly blue haze at sea. Escaping the poison makes her realize that her world, Oceanlight, is experiencing sudden and catastrophic environmental change.
Meanwhile, in the safe suburban normality of North Wales, Einion Morgan Alban, a restless youth with haemophilia, is nearly murdered by a man in a white suit who intentionally shoves him off a cliff. If Yalara and Einion don’t uncover the connections between their worlds and near-deaths, it will have dire consequences for the worlds they live in. Book one of the OCEANLIGHT series.
Praise for ‘At The Sharp End of Lightning’ by NR Bates:
“What a fantastic book, the author takes you into another realm. I couldn’t put the book down, a real page turner. Seeing as this is book 1 I can’t wait for the next one to be written.”-Scotialassie, Amazon.UK Reviewer
Ambitious and enchanting, At The Sharp End Of Lightning by author N R Bates proves a rich and original foray into the realms of fantasy fiction. Compelled by a commanding narrative that readily enthrals the imagination, the magical intrigue simmers throughout as Bates renders his fantasy world in rich hues. A world parallel to our own yet retaining a time worn familiarity that makes it feel immediately authentic. It’s an intricate, intrigue-laden telling, which plays to the best in this popular genre and it’s clear from the start that Bates is in his element.
“There’s certainly much to enjoy here. From cleverly contrived and vibrant scenes to a captivating blend of magical mysticism, he ably manages to avoid prescriptive tropes whilst a certain descriptive economy and a tight word count brings a penetrating levity to his dialogue. Both timely and well observed, he notably avoids the trite mutterings of mediocre characterisation to create genuine depth and emotive resonance, which in turn ensures the reader becomes fully invested in the trials and tribulations of his characters.
Beautifully written and undoubtedly the start of an exciting new series, At The Sharp End Of Lightning proves a fine example of fantasy fiction. Definitely deserving of a place on your bookshelf, it is recommended without reservation!”-Book Viral
Review:
The boundary between the realms of Oceanlight and Earth has dropped. In Oceanlight, the Sea Sprites are experiencing catastrophe as a blue haze changes their climate and wipes out their population. On Earth, a teen in North Wales, Einion Alban faces challenges with his diagnosis of hemophilia. Einion has enough struggles in his life, but one day while visiting his favorite spot he is given a mysterious gift and a cryptic message. Right after receiving the strange gift, Einion is attacked and almost killed. After a long hospital stay, Einion discovers a “Thinness” between worlds that he can pass through and begins to explore. Now the Sprites and Einion must discover the connection between their two worlds.
This story weaves together environmental change, fantasy and Celtic lore. There is a lot going on in this book and it took me a while to get into the story. Two distinct story lines are introduces with the Sea Sprites in Oceanlight and Einion in North Wales. I definitely connected with Eionion’s story a little easier as he was a fairly normal boy living in the world as I know it. The Sea Sprite world was a little more difficult to get into and is introduced with a lot of explanation of their culture and customs. Once the two story lines were combined a bit, I felt better connected. It probably would have helped me if Einion’s story was introduced first. I was really intrigued by the” Thinness” and the other world that Einion was transported to and I wanted Einion to explore there more. I also empathized with the Sea Sprites as their world was destroyed. The book ended a bit abruptly for, but this is a first book in a series.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Publisher: NR Bates (January 30, 2015)
Category: Epic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Literary Fiction, Celtic Mythology, History
Tour Date: May/June, 2015
Available in: Print & ebook, 239 Pages
AT THE SHARP END OF LIGHTNING is the tale of family, of loss and sacrifice, of unexpected gifts and coping with disability and new abilities set against the backdrop of climate change occurring across parallel worlds.
The intertwined worlds of Oceanlight and Earth are no longer hidden from view of each other. In one realm, Yalara Narika, a winged Sea Sprite, searches for her family and she encounters a deadly blue haze at sea. Escaping the poison makes her realize that her world, Oceanlight, is experiencing sudden and catastrophic environmental change.
Meanwhile, in the safe suburban normality of North Wales, Einion Morgan Alban, a restless youth with haemophilia, is nearly murdered by a man in a white suit who intentionally shoves him off a cliff. If Yalara and Einion don’t uncover the connections between their worlds and near-deaths, it will have dire consequences for the worlds they live in. Book one of the OCEANLIGHT series.
Praise for ‘At The Sharp End of Lightning’ by NR Bates:
“What a fantastic book, the author takes you into another realm. I couldn’t put the book down, a real page turner. Seeing as this is book 1 I can’t wait for the next one to be written.”-Scotialassie, Amazon.UK Reviewer
Ambitious and enchanting, At The Sharp End Of Lightning by author N R Bates proves a rich and original foray into the realms of fantasy fiction. Compelled by a commanding narrative that readily enthrals the imagination, the magical intrigue simmers throughout as Bates renders his fantasy world in rich hues. A world parallel to our own yet retaining a time worn familiarity that makes it feel immediately authentic. It’s an intricate, intrigue-laden telling, which plays to the best in this popular genre and it’s clear from the start that Bates is in his element.
“There’s certainly much to enjoy here. From cleverly contrived and vibrant scenes to a captivating blend of magical mysticism, he ably manages to avoid prescriptive tropes whilst a certain descriptive economy and a tight word count brings a penetrating levity to his dialogue. Both timely and well observed, he notably avoids the trite mutterings of mediocre characterisation to create genuine depth and emotive resonance, which in turn ensures the reader becomes fully invested in the trials and tribulations of his characters.
Beautifully written and undoubtedly the start of an exciting new series, At The Sharp End Of Lightning proves a fine example of fantasy fiction. Definitely deserving of a place on your bookshelf, it is recommended without reservation!”-Book Viral
Review:
The boundary between the realms of Oceanlight and Earth has dropped. In Oceanlight, the Sea Sprites are experiencing catastrophe as a blue haze changes their climate and wipes out their population. On Earth, a teen in North Wales, Einion Alban faces challenges with his diagnosis of hemophilia. Einion has enough struggles in his life, but one day while visiting his favorite spot he is given a mysterious gift and a cryptic message. Right after receiving the strange gift, Einion is attacked and almost killed. After a long hospital stay, Einion discovers a “Thinness” between worlds that he can pass through and begins to explore. Now the Sprites and Einion must discover the connection between their two worlds.
This story weaves together environmental change, fantasy and Celtic lore. There is a lot going on in this book and it took me a while to get into the story. Two distinct story lines are introduces with the Sea Sprites in Oceanlight and Einion in North Wales. I definitely connected with Eionion’s story a little easier as he was a fairly normal boy living in the world as I know it. The Sea Sprite world was a little more difficult to get into and is introduced with a lot of explanation of their culture and customs. Once the two story lines were combined a bit, I felt better connected. It probably would have helped me if Einion’s story was introduced first. I was really intrigued by the” Thinness” and the other world that Einion was transported to and I wanted Einion to explore there more. I also empathized with the Sea Sprites as their world was destroyed. The book ended a bit abruptly for, but this is a first book in a series.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author:
NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife,seven cats, one dog and the tropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors. He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and twenty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification.
He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences.
Website: nrbates.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NR-Bates/1536689869946441
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRBatesAuthor
Buy At the Sharp End of Lightning by NR Bates:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife,seven cats, one dog and the tropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors. He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and twenty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification.
He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences.
Website: nrbates.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NR-Bates/1536689869946441
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NRBatesAuthor
Buy At the Sharp End of Lightning by NR Bates:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
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