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Reckoning Day: A Gorias La Gaul Novel
Is there something worse than dying? Though legendary mercenary Gorias La Gaul has toppled the king of Albion, knives are at his back as he serves as regent over the boy king of neighboring Transalpina. Gorias, who is content that the dire Queen of the Prytens has fallen along with the pervert Albion king, falls for a horse trainer from the displaced lands. As this unlikely relationship grows, forces rise against him on either side of the channel. While selfish usurpers plot, a more stygian enemy lurks, using the wizards of each land. A figure who has wanted Gorias since his birth. Gorias must balance against these powers and preserve the life of the heir to the throne. Other threats soon manifest as a wizardess prepares to unleash a dire act of revenge; and even a dragon made of water. A tale of action, adventure, love, sacrifice, and war, Gorias staggers through a bloody trail that will tear his heart loose. Can Gorias combat these deadly forces and stand tall against an arch-demon on what will truly be his RECKONING DAY?
Reckoning Day is a Gorias La Gaul Novel!
Reckoning Day is a Gorias La Gaul Novel!
502 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2023
2 people want to read
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January 12, 2024
The gritty, fantasy, barbarian story of 600-year-old legendary Gorias La Gaul battling bad guys and keeping an eye out for double-crossing "family" who want to usurp a throne that rightfully belongs to a 10-year-old boy under Gorias' protection, is one of blood and guts.
Plus some romance.
From the opening scene where the Pryten queen sacrifices herself on a gory altar (along with some poor sap who thinks he's getting his rocks off), we're off on a non-stop story of a warrior who is always in danger. Someone is always hiding in the shadows (or coming right out with a weapon) to challenge Gorias. The dude's been around for 600 years. Bards sing of his exploits (and those of his horse, Traveller). That kind of reputation comes with angry people wanting revenge for one thing or another.
Near the beginning of the story, Gorias nurses some wounds and rides a wagon across an iced-over river from the latest battle; the ice begins to give way, baddies assemble, and he whisks his general (General Thynnes) to safety on the far side of the cracking ice...where a lovely horse trainer named Cerian assists. It takes time for Gorias and Cerian to figure out they're attracted to more than the physical "look" of one another but it doesn't take much time at all for assassins and bad guys to endanger them at Cerian's ranch. With the good guys headed back to the castle where Gorias' boy-king is stationed, other plots and devious characters surface.
Shrewsbury has woven together a story of multiple motivated, power-hungry, would-be leaders. An evil, lunatic wizardess rises in Albion seeking vengeance against a list of enemies. And everyone's calling on the demon-god Asmodeous, who would love to sink his teeth into Gorias. It comes to a head when someone summons a water dragon and "interrupts" a peace conference.
Peace. Conference.
Amid all the war and battle and jostling for power, kings and castellans gather for a peace conference as if they have a chance at such a lofty goal. Shrewsbury masterfully juxtaposes their conference with tension and a dragon thirsting for deaths.
Great story. Great tension. Great dragon with harsh reality of such times...
This is a novel meant for adult readers who aren't turned off by blood and battle and barbarian angst.
Plus some romance.
From the opening scene where the Pryten queen sacrifices herself on a gory altar (along with some poor sap who thinks he's getting his rocks off), we're off on a non-stop story of a warrior who is always in danger. Someone is always hiding in the shadows (or coming right out with a weapon) to challenge Gorias. The dude's been around for 600 years. Bards sing of his exploits (and those of his horse, Traveller). That kind of reputation comes with angry people wanting revenge for one thing or another.
Near the beginning of the story, Gorias nurses some wounds and rides a wagon across an iced-over river from the latest battle; the ice begins to give way, baddies assemble, and he whisks his general (General Thynnes) to safety on the far side of the cracking ice...where a lovely horse trainer named Cerian assists. It takes time for Gorias and Cerian to figure out they're attracted to more than the physical "look" of one another but it doesn't take much time at all for assassins and bad guys to endanger them at Cerian's ranch. With the good guys headed back to the castle where Gorias' boy-king is stationed, other plots and devious characters surface.
Shrewsbury has woven together a story of multiple motivated, power-hungry, would-be leaders. An evil, lunatic wizardess rises in Albion seeking vengeance against a list of enemies. And everyone's calling on the demon-god Asmodeous, who would love to sink his teeth into Gorias. It comes to a head when someone summons a water dragon and "interrupts" a peace conference.
Peace. Conference.
Amid all the war and battle and jostling for power, kings and castellans gather for a peace conference as if they have a chance at such a lofty goal. Shrewsbury masterfully juxtaposes their conference with tension and a dragon thirsting for deaths.
Great story. Great tension. Great dragon with harsh reality of such times...
This is a novel meant for adult readers who aren't turned off by blood and battle and barbarian angst.
Displaying 1 of 1 review