Serving the Serpent by @DaisyBanks16 #PNRThursday #dragons

Paranormal Romance logo Paranormal author Daisy Banks joins us today to tell us about her upcoming release, Serving the Serpent, part of the Paranormal Thursday tour.

Serving the Serpent coverBlurb:

In Wales, Ceridwyn takes up her inherited duty to care for the dragons in the mountains. Awed by them and the huge book about them, she is determined to prove her worth.

Far away in Norway, Leif has growing concerns for his sick dragon. He discovers only one cure will stop his dragon’s suffering. The mighty Herensuge must journey to find his bonded mate.

When they meet, Ceri and Leif make combined efforts to aid the dragons and discover an astonishing surprise. The great lore book each of them protects tells they have a responsibility to the future. At this rare and magical time, not only the dragon pairing must occur.

Join Ceri and Leif as they work to keep the sworn silence and keep the dragons safe. Friendship is growing between them, but will it be enough? Can love blossom between two chosen to serve the serpent?

Excerpt:

Ceri said a swift, silent prayer and ducked into the cave mouth. Here, she undid the belt at her hips so her robes hung smooth as they should, and she slid off her Wellington boots. From this entrance, she’d tread barefoot over the chilly surface of the compacted pale clay and raw quartz pebbles of the path. Along and down, she searched with her fingers over the cold and damp rock wall, feeling her way down. She descended deeper into the gloom and passed the low-hanging lump of granite Mam always called Lizzie’s Pap. The darkness now complete, her stomach rolling and her breathing rapid, she heard the echo of Mam’s instructions in her mind as she stepped for the first time onto the gravel-edged shore where the dark waters of the Jet Llyn joined her world to that of her new charges. She counted four paces forward. Blind for now, she stretched out her right arm and felt about in the darkness until she found the thick branch of wood holding the torch she needed to light.

Tiny pebbles stuck under her toes. The nip in the air sent a shiver over her as she set her willow wand down, and with her fingers a bit shaky, she struck the match to light the moss wound around the top of the pole wedged into the gravel. The torch flared. The dry stalks, which must be replaced each visit here, took easily and burned up bright. She breathed out in a rush of relief. So far, everything was as it should be. A fresh rash of trembles raised gooseflesh all down her arms and not because of the chill in the cavern.

Ceri picked up her wand and lifted the lit torch. She carried the light in front of her in her left hand until she reached the scrap of gritty beach with its short rock causeway that projected forward like a finger reaching out toward the middle of the deep water. Here, she held the torch shoulder high so the light glittered and reflected as in a mirror off the depths of the Jet Llyn. In her other hand, she held the quartz-crystal-tipped rod, and pointing it, she positioned the clear stone on her wand so it hovered over the still dark surface.

She swallowed, gave a little quiver, forced down her apprehension, and sucked in a breath.

Beneath the quartz point of her rod, illuminated by the bright torchlight, a single fat bubble rose. The water rippled. Stronger circular movements followed until small waves lapped at the shore inches from where she curled her toes so they gripped into the stones. An itch tickled in her palm, but she kept the rod steady.

Just as Mam said, they were coming for her.

The dragons were coming.

Serving the Serpent will be available from Liquid Silver Books on 23rd of November 2015

Daisy Banks writes both sweet and spicy romance in the Historical, Paranormal and Fantasy genres. Her focus is to offer the best tale she can to readers. Daisy is married, with two grown up sons. Antiques and collecting entertain Daisy when she isn’t writing. There are also some rare occasions she makes a meal that doesn’t stick to the pan.

Find Daisy banks here:
Blog http://daisybanks.wordpress.com/
Amazon page: http://amazon.com/author/daisybanks

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Other authors participating in the tour:

Carmen Stefanescu: http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/
Daisy Banks: https://daisybanks.wordpress.com/
Flossie Benton Rogers: http://flossiebentonrogers.com/blog/
M. S. Kaye: http://booksbymsk.com/
Kim Kasch: http://www.kimkasch.blogspot.com
Cassandra Ulrich: http://cassandraulrich.blogspot.com/
Julie Dárcy: http://juliedarcystoryweaver.blogspot.com.au/
Margo Bond Collins: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Adrienne Woods: https://woodsadrienne.wordpress.com/
N. N. Light: http://princessofthelight.wordpress.com
Penny Estelle: http://www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com

Book Review Club: Peony by Pearl S. Buck

This month I’m reviewing Pearl S. Buck’s 1948 novel Peony: A Novel of China for Barry Summie’s Book Review Club.

Peony e-book cover

Peony: A Novel of China
by Pearl Buck
copyright 1948
e-book, Open Road Media, 2012

This is a fascinating look at an unknown piece of Chinese history: the Jews of Kaifeng. Jews first settled in China in the Middle Ages. By the 1850s when the book takes place, the Jewish community in Kaifeng was on the wane. It had started with only 70 families, and by this time many had begun to intermarry with the native Chinese.

old Peony coverWe see the decline of the community through the eyes of Peony, a Chinese bond servant in the House of Ezra. Ezra ben Israel is half-Chinese himself, but his wife Naormi, known as Madame Ezra, is of pure blood and great piety. She makes sure the rituals are observed, and she and the Rabbi’s wife had arranged for their children to wed. But her only son David is not enthused about marrying Leah, the Rabbi’s daughter. She is beautiful, but he has his heart set on a Chinese girl, Kualin, the daughter of Kung Chen his father’s business associate. Peony, who has been David’s bondmaid since the age of eight, is in love with him, but knows she could never aspire to be his wife. In a Chinese household, he could take her as a concubine, but Jewish men do not follow the practice. But she knows a Chinese mistress would be more tolerant of her close relationship with him than a Jewish mistress would, esp. the strong-minded Leah.

The first part of the book is a struggle for the heart, mind and soul of David ben Ezra. On one side are his mother, Leah and the rabbi, who would like to train David as his replacement. His own son, Aaron, is a neer do well who is already stealing from the temple. On the other side are Kualin, Peony, and to a lesser extent, Ezra, who sees the benefit of aligning his house with that of the wealthy Chen Kung. David is caught in the middle, torn between his sorrowful Jewish heritage and the more joyous Chinese way of life. The second half of the book posits a similar dilemma for Peony. What is her place in this household and can she remain indefinitely?

There are many philosophical moments in the book, as when Peony asks an older servant, “Is life happy or sad?” David and Ezra realize that it is easier for the Jews to remain separate and maintain their traditions in countries where they are not accepted than in a nation like China where foreigners are able to assimilate easily. Pearl Buck does a great job of showing this dilemma and how it affects the community.

I really enjoyed the book a lot, and found a great deal to ponder. I also enjoyed the depiction of the two very different cultures. There is an extensive essay at the back of the e-book by Dr. Wendy Abraham detailing the history of the Jews of Kaifeng. She praises Pearl Buck’s depiction of the culture, though notes that Buck took some liberties with the actual history in order to write a more sweeping story that basically encompasses the entire 19th century. The Wikipedia page on Peony notes that more is known today about the Jews of Kaifeng than was available in the time the book was written.

I really loved this book and can’t recommend it to highly. It had been years since I’d read Pearl S. Buck. She was a favorite author when I was in college, but I’d somehow missed this one.

Peonies

Peonies, via DepositPhotos.com

The title and protagonists name reminded me of the peony bushes in our backyard when I was a kid. They bloomed in the summer and were absolutely beautiful.

Click on the graphic below for more great reviews in the Barrie Summy Book Review Club.

Linda

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@Barrie Summy