The Joined Realm
by Robert Vane
GENRE: Fantasy
"Control the water, control the world"
From inside the lush expanse of the Inner Realm, the Ghosbane family and their fellow waterlords rule the Joined Realm through their mastery of the ancient aqueducts that feed the vast Drylands beyond their domain. After being accused of a terrible crime, Arlon Ghosbane, the inheritor of a secret legacy of the vanquished overlords of the Joined Realm, is forced to flee from his family and the only life he has ever known. Guided by a renegade howler intent on freeing his race, Arlon discovers that a world far different than one he had been taught about lies beyond his water-rich homeland. The fate of humanity will be determined by the decisions of a young fugitive and a former slave as they fight for the future of the Joined Realm.
From inside the lush expanse of the Inner Realm, the Ghosbane family and their fellow waterlords rule the Joined Realm through their mastery of the ancient aqueducts that feed the vast Drylands beyond their domain. After being accused of a terrible crime, Arlon Ghosbane, the inheritor of a secret legacy of the vanquished overlords of the Joined Realm, is forced to flee from his family and the only life he has ever known. Guided by a renegade howler intent on freeing his race, Arlon discovers that a world far different than one he had been taught about lies beyond his water-rich homeland. The fate of humanity will be determined by the decisions of a young fugitive and a former slave as they fight for the future of the Joined Realm.
Tattered banners displaying the sunflower sigil of this dusty frontier holding hung behind the lord and his men, all of them pressed together like a clutch of hens. The chamber’s walls looked like they could crumble at any moment, but at least they kept Raz’s pounding light at bay. Sand infested the rough-cut limestone of the floor, but Bellamy supposed that was inevitable in such a water-starved place. He busied himself trying to dislodge the bits of filth ensconced beneath his fingernails as Lord Lowen droned on. When Bellamy finished his manicure and looked up, he noted with annoyance that Lowen and his meager retainers did not have sand strewn in their hair or stuck in the crevasses of their fingernails.
“That’s quite enough, Lowen,” Bellamy declared, his tone as dismissive as that of a disappointed tutor. “Scribble your excuses on some parchment to send to our Lord Idris. I’ve heard enough of them. You are responsible for every drop of water that flows out from this portion of the aqueduct. That is your oath. You retain your holdings, and your life, only so long as you uphold that oath. You have failed.”
“That’s quite enough, Lowen,” Bellamy declared, his tone as dismissive as that of a disappointed tutor. “Scribble your excuses on some parchment to send to our Lord Idris. I’ve heard enough of them. You are responsible for every drop of water that flows out from this portion of the aqueduct. That is your oath. You retain your holdings, and your life, only so long as you uphold that oath. You have failed.”
Robert Vane has been writing stories since he was eight. It’s been his full time job for two decades – but not the stories he wanted to write.
Inspired by a lifetime of reading, beginning with “classics” like Privateers, the Amtrak Wars, Darkover, and the Belgariad to name a few (yeah, he’s old), Rob has been pecking away in his spare time. The Joined Realm isn’t the first full length novel Rob has written, but it’s the first that he felt ready to share. Big thanks to Amazon!
Keep reading and writing.
The Joined Realm is available on Amazon.com and will be $0.99 during the tour.
https://www.amazon.com/Joined-Realm-Robert-Vane-ebook/dp/B01H80KDTM/
Inspired by a lifetime of reading, beginning with “classics” like Privateers, the Amtrak Wars, Darkover, and the Belgariad to name a few (yeah, he’s old), Rob has been pecking away in his spare time. The Joined Realm isn’t the first full length novel Rob has written, but it’s the first that he felt ready to share. Big thanks to Amazon!
Keep reading and writing.
The Joined Realm is available on Amazon.com and will be $0.99 during the tour.
https://www.amazon.com/Joined-Realm-Robert-Vane-ebook/dp/B01H80KDTM/
