Category: Fantasy Publisher: Smashwords
Type: Fiction
Pages: 52
Copyright: 23 August 2014
ISBN-13: 9781311337412
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Slight of stature and lacking magic, old Ebe must destroy a nest of frogtroll demons who killed a long-time friend to regain his self-respect.
Ebe loved the peaceful live of his isolated mountain community until abrasive newcomers started raising vicious guard dogs. The newcomers terrorize the locals, and Ebe finds himself in their sights along with an old family friend because they oppose their abusive ways. When the 'dog-farmers' murder a local healer/magic-worker, Ebe can only find his self-respect if he discovers a way to destroy the nest of demons.
A suspenseful, geezer lit dark fantasy.
Excerpt
At first, Ebe hadn’t thought much about the men camping down in the valley after the land sold again. Soon the newcomers were building a cluster of homes and doghouses on the hillsides well above the flood plain of Lazy Man Creek. No dog runs. Just poles stuck in the ground to keep the dogs contained. Ebe thought it funny they built on the north-facing hill where the sun didn’t shine, but he refrained from calling them stupid like some locals did.
Ignoring the bustle, Ebe kept to his placid pattern. His morning chores put food on his table. In the afternoons, he napped, whittled fancy canes for a friend’s tourist trap while listening to the breeze in the oaks and sugar pines at the back of his cabin, and visited his friends. He spent evenings reading. Ebe lived each day much like the last, except for the fall mistletoe harvest that boosted his cash income.
Then, Dipper, his mixed-breed, long-legged hound, disappeared.
Professional Reviews
A Suspenseful otherworldly tale!
5.0 out of 5 stars A Suspenseful otherworldly tale! September 3, 2014
By Howard Lipman
Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Ebe Brown is our hero in this otherworldly tale of the Sierra foothills being taken over by 'neighbors' who are breeding vicious dogs. The mention of a King tells us that it may not be our world or time. Ebe is a loner...elderly and without magic...who lived surrounded by nature and relative peace until the dog-men came with their vicious dogs. He goes into town to find out why Nance and The Dissenters aren't doing anything about the new neighbors. The characters are well-defined and the plot is carefully carried out with suspenseful twists and turns. The writer has created a world where animals form an integral part of the plot. Ebe's self-respect is placed on the line in this dog friendly action-packed 'otherworldly' tale.The writer keeps the reader's attention and the suspense rolling with a well-crafted solid plot! (Review by PanOrpheus, pen name for Howard Lipman, author of the 'Delphic Oracle' and 'Tesla's Tower' books).
Short, sweet, and totally worth it
5.0 out of 5 stars Short, sweet, and totally worth it September 1, 2014
By JB Lazarte
Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
A story essentially about struggle and fighting for what is right, Crossings by M.K. Theodoratus is terse, touching, and magical. The story’s beginning was unassuming, with protagonist Ebe Brown just a typical resident resentful of the newcomers who bully other locals and the dogs they breed.
But there is something about the newcomers that is more sinister than what Ebe and the rest could have imagined. With the help of his headstrong friend Nance, Ebe takes it upon himself to investigate and hopefully put a stop to whatever the “dog-jerks” are up to.
Crossings progresses gradually, the plot developing slowly but surely. While the narrative remains tightly packed throughout the book, it doesn’t lack the thrilling plot points punctuated by mystery in all the right places. The characters of Ebe and Nance are not hard to root for. Well-rounded and complex, the two heroes in the story will make readers sympathizing to the very end.
Theodoratus also displays a knack for restraint in how much detail she needed to give away in order to maintain her readers’ attention while at the same time keep the suspense well and alive. Towards the end, right before the resolution of the story, the heightened anticipation in every scene is palpable. Ebe, accompanied by Nance’s dogs, set out to resolve the conflict with a steady determination he carried with him right from the very beginning.
Overall, Crossings is a well-crafted story with compelling characters and a solid plot. Anyone who loves dogs, fantasy, and suspense is likely to fall in love with this book.
Instantly sucked into this world and these characters,
5.0 out of 5 stars Instantly sucked into this world and these characters, September 1, 2014
By
Amy Vansant
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Crossings: A Tale of Andor (Kindle Edition)
Great action packed story from beginning to end. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened from the moment the characters were introduced. Finding that the storyline was very dog friendly was a huge bonus for me. This is the best kind of fantasy - where the writing and character development are so good you don't find yourself distracted by things "otherworldly."
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