Descent
by C.L. Roman
Cheri
Roman is a writer, editor, teacher, wife, mother, grandmother and
friend, in whatever order works best in the moment. Most days you can
find her on her blog, The Brass Rag, or working on the next novel in
her fantasy series, Rephaim.
Cheri lives with her husband and two Chihuahuas in St. Johns,
Florida.
Genre:
Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Brass Rag Press
Release
Date: July 1, 2013
Synopsis: When
Captain Fomor leads his unit of six angelic warriors to Earth in an
attempt to escape the war in Heaven, not only do they unwittingly set
into motion the age of legends, but they must face an inescapable
evil that threatens to destroy them, the humans they fall in love
with, and the Earth itself.
Creating
a new life on antediluvian Earth is no where near as simple as
Fomor’s team had hoped it would be. A tragedy occurs early in their
sojourn that convinces the seven that they must avoid both humans and
fallen angels. But when they unexpectedly meet with the Nephilim, a
tribe of unusual humans with unknown origins, the results are
unprecedented. However, falling in love with humans is the least of
The Unit’s problems.
Mankind
is busily descending into a maelstrom of violence and profane
religion. The Fallen, angels transformed into demons by their
rebellion, have regrouped and are using the tattered remnants of
their power to prey upon humankind in horrific ways. Not only is a
demon demanding human sacrifice in a nearby village, but the world is
careening towards a global disaster that not even The Unit can stop.
Amazon
“You must choose
now.”
Captain Fomor’s
quiet voice echoed against stone walls. He stood facing Second
Lieutenants Gant and Phaella in the long, stone hall of the unit’s
barracks. Floor to ceiling windows were spaced along the hallway to
admit a pale, wavering light. Dormers at the top of each casement
were open to admit fresh air and the sweet scent of the gardens
outside. Opposite the windows, spaced widely along the wall, were
doors that he knew opened onto meeting rooms and domiciles, and, at
the far end, a set of double doors that led to the dining hall.
Outside, the faint
sounds of battle drew minutely closer through the flickering light.
Gant raked strong fingers through his black curls and turned hazel
eyes to assess Phaella’s reaction. They were a matched pair, even
calling each other “brother” and “sister,” though there was
not, could not be, any such blood tie between them. In truth, their
relationship was more like that of siblings than co-workers or fellow
soldiers. Created at the same time, they might have been cast from
the same mold with similar abilities and talents. Even their thought
patterns matched more often than not.
Both sported a
compact, athletic build and olive skin. Black, curly hair topped
attractive, long nosed faces with strong jaw lines and dark,
expressive eyes. The resemblance didn’t stop with the physical. The
pair possessed a keen intelligence and were as loyal and steadfast as
dogs but with a fierceness in battle that bore greater resemblance to
the wolves Sabaoth had created than to those companion helpers of
human kind. It pained Fomor to require them to make this choice.
“What you ask is
not easy Captain Fomor.” Phaella avoided her captain’s eyes by
keeping her own on the floor as she toyed with her long, black braid.
After a moment she looked at him, “Sabaoth has not even called us
yet.”
“Sister,” Gant
reached out to put a gentle hand on her arm. “Would it be better to
wait until He summons us into battle, and disobey Him?”
Phaella’s breath
sucked in, her dark eyes widening as she shook her head.
Gant turned back to
his captain. “What of Sena?”
“Lieutenant Sena
waits for us below,” Fomor replied. “She, Volot and Jotun have
chosen not to fight in this war.” An explosion, perhaps two hundred
cubits outside the corridor, rocked the trio and sent smoke drifting
into the wide hall. Fomor ignored the interruption, merely brushing a
few strands of black hair out of his eyes before continuing. “Adahna
went ahead to find a sheltered area where we can settle in for…”
he stopped. It was hard to admit, even to himself, that he didn’t
know how long they would need to shelter on Earth. “She asked me to
remind you that we are all children of the same maker. It is not
right for siblings to kill one another.”
Trouble clouded
Phaella’s gaze. “Still, to disobey…”
For the first time
Fomor’s pale skin reddened slightly and his voice held a cold edge.
“We cannot disobey an order that has not been given. This is the
point Phaella. To leave before it is given.”
A trumpet sounded
outside, followed by another detonation, closer this time, and the
air became dense with smoke.
“Decide quickly,
or the call will come, and it will be too late.” Fomor spun on his
heel, the fastenings on his boots glinting in the dim light, and
shifted, disappearing in a flash of green sparks.
Phaella and Gant
stared at one another, misery shared, but not lessened. How did one
choose between abandoning Sabaoth and fighting, perhaps killing,
fellow angels? It was as if a father were asking his children to
fight one another; an impossible choice.
In the end Gant
reached out his hand, “I cannot leave Sena.”
Phaella’s smile
was dim, but determined. She gripped his fingers with her own, “And
I will not leave you, brother.” A third blast struck the hall,
raining bits of marble and dust down upon the siblings until the dark
blue of their tunics looked gray.
“Well
then, sister, time to move?” Gant forced a grin and the two stepped
together into the fog shrouded corridors of the Shift. Light and
sound from the hall they left behind was cut off as suddenly and
effectively as a slammed door. Cold pressed against their skin
through the fluid dark, while frigid gray fog probed their faces,
pressed against lips and eyes, clinging and trailing behind as they
moved through what seemed to be an endless, black expanse.
Guest Post:
Starting out as a fiction writer: Five things you
should know.
My official writing career started seventeen years ago with
the publication of two short stories in Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines.
When I got the acceptance letter I was ecstatic. I may have squealed a little.
I know I danced.
It’s been a long and interesting ride since then, some of it
uphill, some down, through dark country and sunlit scenery. I regret none of it
because it brought me here. But there are a number of things I’d like to have
known when I first started out.
1)
Trust yourself. If a plot point, character or
editor isn’t working out, be brave enough to step away from them. Worthy characters and plot points may find
homes in future work and a good editor is worth their weight in pages. Don’t
waste your time on less.
2)
Be patient. There are seventeen years and a lot
of lessons learned between my initial success and my most recent publication.
I’m only unusual in that the first story I submitted was accepted. Most authors
have several finished manuscripts that will never see the light of day. It’s
called honing your craft. Make time for it.
3)
You need honest feedback, even if it hurts.
There is a special form of blindness which most of us succumb to in regards to
our writing. A good critique group can heal you of it, if you let them.
4)
Most people view writing as a hobby, not a real
job. That’s fine as long as you understand that they are wrong. Writing well requires
diligent, sweat inducing WORK. Don’t expect writing to be easy, and don’t let
non-writers make you feel like a dilettante.
5)
Guard your writing time with your life, because it
won’t come automatically. Even your most supportive friends and family members
will, often unintentionally, pull you away from your work because they don’t
understand that above every other tool, writing requires time. Don’t be
surprised if your insistence on holding writing time sacrosanct meets with puzzlement,
or even resentment. And try not to be offended. But don’t give in either.
You’ll be miserable if you do, and that isn’t helpful for anyone.
The more I write, the more I need
to write. The less I write, the easier it is to put it off. It’s a simple
lesson, but the price of not learning it is high. The nagging ache of what you
haven’t written only gets worse with time, and can only be cured by setting the
words free. These are some things I wish I’d known seventeen years ago. What do
you wish you’d known, just starting out?
My Review:
The
1st time I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read the book. I have a deep fascination
for angels, when I saw it was about angels, I was sure I was going to like it.
Descent is a deep reading that will
take the reader to the beginning of the time, it is a kind of a re telling of the Bible but
much more enjoyable, and even if you are not a believer you will like it.
The story
has some flaws that make me give it a 4.
The beginning is really confusing, I even thought that the Messenger from the
1st chapter was the main character and when he didn't appear again I was kind
of lost. The characters are presented at the same time and I didn't know who
was who, it took me some time to clear that.
The
chapter where the bad guys appear where a bit boring, I knew they where essential
for the plot but I couldn´t avoid jumping
from line to line to arrive to the chapters of the main characters.
But
the good things super a los the flaws. The main characters are really good
developed, some more than others because they don’t have the same amount of
importance. I really liked Gant and Sena, there was a specific scene of both of
them that melted my heart. They were really cute. The issue of love is
wonderfully developed, I’m sure the author is a romantic because the love
scenes were amazing, I even took note of some of the quotes.
The
writing style is easy to follow though there were some terms that confused me,
I don’t know if they were written in Hebrew or what but I think a glossary of
terms would have been useful.
Descent
is a really enjoyable read about friendship, loyalty, faith and love. It is
well structure and easy to follow even if you haven’t read the Bible because
everything is perfectly explained
“Then I think you need to start at the beginning because if that thing
was your brother,
Fomor, then you cannot possibly be human. I need to know what it is I’ve
given my heart to.”It was his turn to have his mouth drop open and her lips
trembled into a thin, joyless smile.”
Gant shook his head, “Sena, I never thought to be a husband, let alone a
father. It is not what I was made for. But I have loved you for a thousand
years and I will love you for thousand more, and another thousand after that.
What other blessing do I need?”
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