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Kingmakers #2
Arrows of Promise
It takes more than wizards and kings to mold a kingdom….
“Da. I think it be time we press matters.”
“About getting more wizards here? Aye. That be a sound notion.”
Lately, Estole has more problems than solutions, and not enough resources to implement the ones they do have. When Ash collapses from magical exhaustion, the group decides the only course is to bring in more wizarding help. Riana can only pray that they get the help they need before Iysh strikes again. For if they don’t, food shortages will be the least of their worries.
“Da. I think it be time we press matters.”
“About getting more wizards here? Aye. That be a sound notion.”
Lately, Estole has more problems than solutions, and not enough resources to implement the ones they do have. When Ash collapses from magical exhaustion, the group decides the only course is to bring in more wizarding help. Riana can only pray that they get the help they need before Iysh strikes again. For if they don’t, food shortages will be the least of their worries.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2016
75 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Honor Raconteur
63 books842 followersEver since I was a toddler, I have been making up stories. I’d entertain anyone willing to listen to my wild fantasies about unicorns and gargoyles and amazing people. At 13, I started writing the stories down. At 23, I finished the first book that was, in my opinion, good enough to publish.
I spent three years trying to publish my book, Jaunten, the old fashioned way. The problem was my story was outside of the norm for young adult fantasy – it didn’t have vampires or the supernatural in it, it was clean enough to earn a PG rating, and there wasn’t any dark overlord to defeat. No literary agent would pick it up because it didn’t fit the “fantasy formula” that all of the popular books did.
I put the idea of having my book published off to the side for a while as I finished a Bachelors in English at Middle Tennessee State University. But as I worked on my third degree, the idea of being published came back to me. This time, while working as a paralegal, I had a better grasp of the laws involved of doing self-publishing. For six months, I did a great deal of research in how to do self-publishing the debt-free way.
It was hard. I was working full time, going to school full time, and living on my own. I never really had a break. I was always working on something. At times I felt like my brain would just go into meltdown from having to learn so many different things to make my idea work.
After six months, I thought I knew enough to publish myself. I put Jaunten out as an ebook, created a website and forum so that fans could communicate with me, and spread the word as best I could. Within three months, I was selling internationally. Within six months, I was making enough to quit my day job and sit at home, writing full time.
After six months of writing, publishing, and building up a reputation, I started to be approached by other people wanting to emulate what I did. I soon realized that there was a niche out there waiting for me to fill it—a place where original fiction could be published and released into the world. As of February 2012, I started my own publishing house, called Raconteur House. Since that point I have signed on four additional authors (not including yours truly) and am attracting more in a steady stream.
I have continued to write and publish the rest of the series through my House. When I’m not writing or editing, I like to go out into the community and give presentations of how to be an author. It’s actually really fun to talk to all of these people who want to be authors. Most people think that you can’t make any money being an author—actually, you can. And you can do quite well. It’s just a matter of working really hard, having a little talent, and knowing how to market your books. All I’m doing with these presentations is giving people the know-how to make their dreams come true.
While it’s true that you don’t need a college education to be an author, I encourage everyone to be as educated as possible. I have a lot of experience and education that most people don’t, and that’s what gives me an edge in writing. I’ve lived in places as obscure as Tehachapi, California and other places as large as Salt Lake City, Utah. I hold three different college degrees. I practice two different martial arts. I think I’ve tried every life experience that came my direction. All of that is incorporated into my books, and that’s what gives reality to my worlds and characters.
Even if I abruptly stop selling books tomorrow—which I don’t see happening—I would still continue to write. Creating characters and worlds is that much fun. Once you start, you become quickly addicted.
I spent three years trying to publish my book, Jaunten, the old fashioned way. The problem was my story was outside of the norm for young adult fantasy – it didn’t have vampires or the supernatural in it, it was clean enough to earn a PG rating, and there wasn’t any dark overlord to defeat. No literary agent would pick it up because it didn’t fit the “fantasy formula” that all of the popular books did.
I put the idea of having my book published off to the side for a while as I finished a Bachelors in English at Middle Tennessee State University. But as I worked on my third degree, the idea of being published came back to me. This time, while working as a paralegal, I had a better grasp of the laws involved of doing self-publishing. For six months, I did a great deal of research in how to do self-publishing the debt-free way.
It was hard. I was working full time, going to school full time, and living on my own. I never really had a break. I was always working on something. At times I felt like my brain would just go into meltdown from having to learn so many different things to make my idea work.
After six months, I thought I knew enough to publish myself. I put Jaunten out as an ebook, created a website and forum so that fans could communicate with me, and spread the word as best I could. Within three months, I was selling internationally. Within six months, I was making enough to quit my day job and sit at home, writing full time.
After six months of writing, publishing, and building up a reputation, I started to be approached by other people wanting to emulate what I did. I soon realized that there was a niche out there waiting for me to fill it—a place where original fiction could be published and released into the world. As of February 2012, I started my own publishing house, called Raconteur House. Since that point I have signed on four additional authors (not including yours truly) and am attracting more in a steady stream.
I have continued to write and publish the rest of the series through my House. When I’m not writing or editing, I like to go out into the community and give presentations of how to be an author. It’s actually really fun to talk to all of these people who want to be authors. Most people think that you can’t make any money being an author—actually, you can. And you can do quite well. It’s just a matter of working really hard, having a little talent, and knowing how to market your books. All I’m doing with these presentations is giving people the know-how to make their dreams come true.
While it’s true that you don’t need a college education to be an author, I encourage everyone to be as educated as possible. I have a lot of experience and education that most people don’t, and that’s what gives me an edge in writing. I’ve lived in places as obscure as Tehachapi, California and other places as large as Salt Lake City, Utah. I hold three different college degrees. I practice two different martial arts. I think I’ve tried every life experience that came my direction. All of that is incorporated into my books, and that’s what gives reality to my worlds and characters.
Even if I abruptly stop selling books tomorrow—which I don’t see happening—I would still continue to write. Creating characters and worlds is that much fun. Once you start, you become quickly addicted.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 31, 2018
The kingdom of Estole is still growing by leaps and bounds., and with that comes a lot of problems.
What I find interesting about this series (but it also frustrates me) is that it is really about a handful of people setting up a new society from the ground up and the challenges they face in doing so. In book one, they tackled making the laws, structured the government and started building infrastructure. In this one, they have to issue their own money and figure out how to feed everyone through the winter. These problems and their solutions are interesting; however, they tend to overshadow the personal lives of the characters. I was so hopeful when this book spent a lot of time with Riana and Ash. They seem to like each other, but other than a few hands being held and a couple chaste kisses on foreheads, NOTHING has happened between the two. I just thought with the amount of time we spent in Riana's head, that something exciting would happen in there. Nope! Now maybe this isn't supposed to be a romance, and that's fine. But we really didn't spend much time in Broden's head either in this book, other than a few casual observations about the other characters. To me, a second book is an opportunity to build on the character development and in this one it was minimal.
What I find interesting about this series (but it also frustrates me) is that it is really about a handful of people setting up a new society from the ground up and the challenges they face in doing so. In book one, they tackled making the laws, structured the government and started building infrastructure. In this one, they have to issue their own money and figure out how to feed everyone through the winter. These problems and their solutions are interesting; however, they tend to overshadow the personal lives of the characters. I was so hopeful when this book spent a lot of time with Riana and Ash. They seem to like each other, but other than a few hands being held and a couple chaste kisses on foreheads, NOTHING has happened between the two. I just thought with the amount of time we spent in Riana's head, that something exciting would happen in there. Nope! Now maybe this isn't supposed to be a romance, and that's fine. But we really didn't spend much time in Broden's head either in this book, other than a few casual observations about the other characters. To me, a second book is an opportunity to build on the character development and in this one it was minimal.
February 21, 2024
Escapism at its best.
This second book of the series was just as enjoyable as the first. The newly seceded country is still having problems. It seems everyone else who didn’t like Iysh’s bindings (laws) has moved to Estole. The former Duchy is bulging at the seams. Food and housing are in short supply. Spies abound. A trade embargo has been enforced by Iysh and money is becoming short. Their two wizards are run off their feet and there is a constant threat of a third army being sent against them.
That of course says nothing about bandits, assassins, on a sister who is in love with a possible enemy. How do you fix those sort of problems?
Read the book to at least find solutions to some of them. It’s full of high adventure, humour, suspense, romance and escapism at its best.
This second book of the series was just as enjoyable as the first. The newly seceded country is still having problems. It seems everyone else who didn’t like Iysh’s bindings (laws) has moved to Estole. The former Duchy is bulging at the seams. Food and housing are in short supply. Spies abound. A trade embargo has been enforced by Iysh and money is becoming short. Their two wizards are run off their feet and there is a constant threat of a third army being sent against them.
That of course says nothing about bandits, assassins, on a sister who is in love with a possible enemy. How do you fix those sort of problems?
Read the book to at least find solutions to some of them. It’s full of high adventure, humour, suspense, romance and escapism at its best.
August 14, 2024
Lovely
I have never been disappointed by this author. This is a great 2nd book in the Arrows series. Lots of hard work by the characters and some good surprises made it interesting and enjoyable! Also, NO annoying cliffhanger! I am looking forward to book 3 to see how it all turns out
I have never been disappointed by this author. This is a great 2nd book in the Arrows series. Lots of hard work by the characters and some good surprises made it interesting and enjoyable! Also, NO annoying cliffhanger! I am looking forward to book 3 to see how it all turns out
January 15, 2021
Very good!
Sometimes second books aren't as good. I'm happy to say that is not the case herd, book two seas every bit as good if not better!!!
Sometimes second books aren't as good. I'm happy to say that is not the case herd, book two seas every bit as good if not better!!!
January 22, 2021
4.5. Awesome as usual.
July 11, 2022
Danger both magical and physical.
March 9, 2023
A fun read.
January 23, 2024
A fantastic addition to the series.
The characters are wonderful, quirky, and evolving. The plot is interesting. The world building is superb. I can't wait to read the next book!
The characters are wonderful, quirky, and evolving. The plot is interesting. The world building is superb. I can't wait to read the next book!
March 30, 2016
A good story, but..
there is something missing here.
Understand me clearly here. This is a great world and the story was nice.
I liked the first book and I liked the second one. And you can be sure I'll read the third one. When that one comes.
While I loved the setting and the general idea of the story, I noticed the refinement or the missing of it. True the story is nice but on different locations there was general feeling about the story being slightly off. Perhaps a second proof reading or another wording in some cases.
While not really negative it nevertheless brought thoughts about the story having a potential to become a bit better.
But I will still read a third book if there will be one. In the future.
there is something missing here.
Understand me clearly here. This is a great world and the story was nice.
I liked the first book and I liked the second one. And you can be sure I'll read the third one. When that one comes.
While I loved the setting and the general idea of the story, I noticed the refinement or the missing of it. True the story is nice but on different locations there was general feeling about the story being slightly off. Perhaps a second proof reading or another wording in some cases.
While not really negative it nevertheless brought thoughts about the story having a potential to become a bit better.
But I will still read a third book if there will be one. In the future.
February 28, 2016
Archer and wizard partners series
Well written series with likable characters, many handle at once problems, and realistic worries. One of the worries was wizard Ash working himself to exhaustion. Also bandits, enemy invasion possibility, food and building needs. Very oddly enjoyable. Recommend all this author's work.
An adventure is someone else in trouble.
Well written series with likable characters, many handle at once problems, and realistic worries. One of the worries was wizard Ash working himself to exhaustion. Also bandits, enemy invasion possibility, food and building needs. Very oddly enjoyable. Recommend all this author's work.
An adventure is someone else in trouble.
January 4, 2017
A Bit Simplistic
There were quite a few parts that seemed geared towards a younger audience, glossing over battle clean up (which means we never find out how the vaunted archers always had enough arrows, since they emptied their quivers every fight), not truly addressing how the new currency would be backed, etc. That said, I like the premise.
There were quite a few parts that seemed geared towards a younger audience, glossing over battle clean up (which means we never find out how the vaunted archers always had enough arrows, since they emptied their quivers every fight), not truly addressing how the new currency would be backed, etc. That said, I like the premise.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews