The Cursed Knight (Godshard Chronicles Book 1) Book Tour
Cover Blurb
The gods are dead. Long live their children...
In a world where elves, dwarves and humans live in peace and harmony, there remains a warrior race steeped in violence and war, where honour is based on strength of arm and steel. They are the Einar.
Facing a catastrophic blight, the Einar army crosses the sea in search of a new world. When their longships are attacked, fifteen year old Kairos Azel is the only survivor, cast into a strange land called Ordonia. Here people weave magical spells of power and wonder, ruled by the almighty gods of the past. His life at risk from the dark elves, Kairos must join the revered order of Mana Knights to fight for justice.
The problem is, the Einar cannot use magic. How does Kairos become a spell-wielding knight with no magic? How can he save himself and his dying homeland when he is stranded across the sea?
Then Kairos learns that not all of the ruling gods are dead ... And one of them is after the Einar.
Other Titles By the Author
Elmon Dean Todd
Author Bio
Elmon Dean Todd is the creator of the Godshard Chronicles series of novels and comics along with the Magical Constabulary series. He attended the University of West Florida and University College Cork in Ireland, and graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Literature. He has taught English in Switzerland and Japan, and has worked in law enforcement for a decade. He is currently developing the Godshard Chronicles video game for PC and consoles.
The Book Tour
Day 1 - Favourite Quotes
Day 2 - Character Summaries
Kairos (of course), although Althea came a close second. I enjoyed the hero’s humble beginnings. The fact that he was not a warrior, was not tall/strong/a natural fighter - yet he grew in both maturity and courage as his story progressed - was compelling. Kairos’ ‘under-dog’ personality made him extremely relatable. From the very first chapter I found myself invested in his adventures. I wanted him to succeed and achieve. The author never allowed Kairos to become a cliched warrior. Instead, the character was flawed yet heroic. The outcome of any action sequence was never a foregone conclusion, making all Kairos’ fights and battles all the more exciting. (Deborah Barwick)
Kairos: The main character of the book, Kairos starts off as a fifteen-year-old boy and is very much the underdog. He feels inferior to his tough, warrior like father and brother, and is full of fear and dread at the idea of matching up to their fighting prowess. When circumstances intervene to change the course of his life, he is forced to step up and survive. He's a likeable lad and despite his tough upbringing, he is not beyond feeling strong emotions, even if he isn’t always comfortable expressing them. Having rarely experienced kindness and compassion in his own land, as his horizons expand, the boy blossoms when these are shown to him by strangers. He must endure great torment and tragedy throughout the course of the novel, but never gives up, despite wanting to on many occasions. I grew increasingly fond of Kairos as the plot progressed and would welcome spending more time with him in the sequel. (Michelle Marshall)
My favourite character was Kairos, although the supporting cast is so well developed and integral to his journey that many of them are also my favorite character.Kairos is easy to like; he is the runt of his family and is treated badly by his father and fellow clanspeople. When an opportunity comes for him to step out of his comfort zone, he does so. And ends up in a world of horror, with him having no idea why or who is after him. The trials forge him into a stronger character, but the author does a good job of keeping it realistic, and thus Kairos is not without his flaws: bloodlust, revenge-driven. But they are fueled by his trauma and he constantly has to juggle that with his noble soul; it is an interesting conflict all throughout the book. He is a knight at heart, with good values, but there are seeds of darkness within, and with just the right push can become more. It is frustrating to watch, but understandable to see him struggle so with his vulnerability and desire for revenge. Kairos has a wonderful character progression, but we know his struggles aren’t over. He has good moral compasses like Althea, Flain and Dubose, but will their influence help heal him? (Sophie Jupillat Posey)
Mister DuBose: While I thought that the central protagonist in Kairos was a strong character, I personally got a lot of enjoyment out of the character of Mister DuBose. He provides a great foil for Kairos at the moment in his journey where he comes in. Kairos has a prejudice against dwarves, understandably, and DuBose has just as strong of a prejudice against Kairos. Rather than changing Kairos’ views by being a paragon of his people or friendliness, the two characters clash constantly, and over time Kairos learns more of himself from what he can see of himself in DuBose. (Tim Marshall)
The main character of Kairos is helped by Gulliver initially when he washes ashore on Ordonia, close to death. The Mana Knight’s friendly and helpful attitude is exactly what the boy Kairos needs - their enemy is a shared one, and without Gulliver’s help, Kairos wouldn’t have survived to face another battle. He not only has Gulliver nurse him back to health, but also escape when their enemy attacks, looking for them. On the way to their safe place, he teaches Kairos about the way of the Mana Knights, the magic they use and godshards, and those who are hunting them. Gulliver’s character is very much like Kairos’s - he has a tendency to not want to run straight into trouble, thinks badly of himself and lacks self importance. His promotion after seeing Kairos not only to safety (for some reason the boy is considered very important!) and having Kairos enrol to become a Mana Knight himself, is well deserved. It is of course a complete shock to Gulliver! Such a great character that lots of people will identify with, one with a good heart and a strong determination to do things by the book. (Yvonne Marrs)
I personally loved all the characters and felt the Author did a great job in bringing them to life. But I wanted to mention one in particular who whilst is not the main protagonist I felt was a great character, and as a reader I really connected with. Althea is a strong, intelligent, and independent young lady, determined not to live in her father's shadow. Despite the teasing and bullying she suffers, she never gives up and shows her true metal amongst the men, and I love that about her. She's definitely not a damsel in distress. She is a realist and knows and accepts her limitations particularly where her magic is concerned. I really enjoyed watching her come to terms with her abilities and the recognition that she is meant to go down a different path, which she fully embraced. She's not afraid to step outside of her comfort zone, bend the rules and do what is necessary. She fights fiercely for those she cares for no matter what the personal cost is. I loved the fact that her preservation of life and the empathy for her friend overrode the rules and regulations of their training establishment and saw her rush in to save him, no matter the danger to herself. A well developed & balanced character that readers will adore. (Kirsty McKay)
Jace Dubose – this dwarf is no nonsense and tells it like it is, but there is a soft side to him as well (just very well hidden). His early reluctance to take on Kairos as an apprentice is replaced with almost a paternal sense of duty. Jace really helps to shape Kairos as the main hero and you do feel that without this support Kairos would not be the same strong character he becomes. (Niall McKay)
Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts
…Farina’s corpse staring at him, blood gushing from the stab wounds in her torso, drenching her dress. Once again, her golden hair was missing, and great strips of skin had been flayed from her scalp; her mouth was open, dried blood caking her face, as though she were voicing the endless horror she had to endure… (Deborah Barwick)
At that moment, lightning flashed in the dark clouds above, illuminating everything like daylight, including the interior of the skull’s face-piece. Kairos could see the cold, dark eyes beneath that fearsome helmet that bore into his soul, filling him with fear. (Michelle Marshall)
“Kairos turned around and looked at Althea. She smiled, her eyes shining with encouragement. For an instant he saw Farina smiling, her hair cascading down her back in golden waves. He thought of Logres, the Blight, and the Einar.” Kairos’s pillars and values are all summed up right here. These are what keep him going. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)
Unlike the laid-back life in Logres, everyone in Vadost seemed to be in a hurry. Kairos was bewildered by the bustle and commotion. He gawked at everything, clumsily bumping into a cart before stumbling ankle-deep in what appeared to be a brown, muddy puddle. Althea tried to take his hand, but he snatched away. His hands were sweating profusely, and he didn’t want her to touch them. ‘I’m okay! It's just mud.’ ‘Um, that's not mud,’ said Althea, looking a little hurt by Kairos’s action. ‘Have you noticed that it hasn’t rained in a while? We'll have to wash those boots later. Ah, this is the marketplace. If you're looking for something, this is the place to be!’ (Tim Marshall)
The Lion Knight bowed and left the room, plunging Gulliver into wild fear - the moment of reckoning had come, and the darkness of the room only added to the effect. Gulliver lowered his head. His litany of apologies and excuses fled his mind. (Yvonne Marrs)
The Einar continued to resist, Karthock being one of them. The large man continued to wreak havoc around him. He did not rely on the shield wall, but charged the dwarves, shield slamming one way, and his sword, bringing death in the other. At one moment, he was overwhelmed by dwarven warriors, but there was a shriek of fury, a clash of metal on metal, and Karthock came out of the mass of men, his blade, red, and swinging, looking for more men to kill. (Niall McKay)
"So that's why you have the flower garden!" Althea said in sudden understanding. "It was for training because you're a paladin and you needed to practise your healing magic! All this time, everyone called you Flower Flain because they thought you were some daft looney who enjoyed flowers too much and-" Althea suddenly stopped, horrified at what she had blurted out. (Kirsty McKay)
Day 4 - Video Interview
Day 5 - Reviews
Overall rating: 5 stars. A competently written and enjoyable fantasy novel, with well-rounded characters and a hero to inspire loyalty in the reader. Editing, grammar, punctuation, and layout are produced to a very high standard, making an easy and entertaining read. Although I found some of the mid-sections a little slow at times, generally the story was pacy and compelling. With a flawed yet intensely likeable hero, and a ‘love to hate’ baddie, I would recommend this book to any who appreciate a good adventure with a great storyline. I look forward to the next in the series. (Deborah Barwick)
Overall rating: 5 stars. A wonderfully written fantasy full of ferocious fights and bloody battles. Though not my first choice of genre, Elmon’s excellent writing drew me in, and I found myself deeply caring about the characters, as well as being intrigued by the imagery and pacy plot.
A particular highlight for me were the descriptions of Valdost. They are so vivid and vibrant, and I felt like a perfect picture was painted of the place. I almost felt like I was walking amongst the people and experiencing the buzzing and bustling marketplace. Its city square containing the Lazio Fountain sounds particularly spectacular and evoked memories of European cities I’ve visited. (Michelle Marshall)
Overall rating: 5 stars. Kairos of the Azel clan is the runt of his family and the laughing stock of his people; except for his brother Thylar. In an effort to save their homeland from the Blight, Kairos’s people, the Einar, depart across the sea, taking Kairos with them. Little do they know it spells their death sentence. Kairos is the only survivor after a surprise massacre from Malus’s army. The plot is tense, as all these malevolent forces work together to kill and/or capture Kairos. He is a major threat to them, but he has no idea why. The foes are evil, yet not cartoonishly so and have fleshed out motives for their cruel deeds. For all the horribleness of the villains, the supporting good characters are delightful and authentic. From brave Gulliver, to Galen, to his daughter Althea, to cranky yet loving Mr. Dubose, to disapproving Stella, they all shine on their own. The scenes move efficiently, at just the right pace. Developments make sense, and very rarely did plot points feel forced to push the story forward. The dialogue is poignant and every character sounds unique. The stakes start off high and escalate more and more, making this a nail biting read. The fantasy world feels well grounded and has just enough details to it without being overwhelming. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)
Overall rating: 5 stars. This was another book that I was looking forward to reviewing, and I wasn't disappointed. Cursed Knight is a substantive book, and an epic journey for its central protagonist, Kairos. We follow him from a bleak existence in a somewhat familiar Nordic fantasy realm into a greater world of magic and monsters, discovering it alongside him. The action of the book is visceral and often brutal, but the scenes of everyday life as Kairos tries to find his place in a world where he feels he doesn't belong are also poignant. There is a recurring theme of loss and desperation that drives Kairos, but even then, the story feels hopeful. I recommend it for fans of fantasy and especially fans of Japanese role-playing video games, as the tropes here, while not alien otherwise, will likely resonate with them as they did for me. (Tim Marshall)
Overall rating: 5 stars. As an Einar, life is all about battling, fighting, killing, looting, raiding. The Azel clan leader’s son, Kairos, joins the month’s voyage undertaken by 300 Einar men to find new lands to ensure the survival of their starving people back home. Alas, he is the sole survivor of the shipwrecked crew as they are attacked and all killed. But one Einar is enough to cause trouble for the people of Ordonia! Without a ship, he has no way of getting back to his people and taking over his family’s plan to move to plentiful Ordonia as the clan has done for many generations. Vowing to avenge the death of his father and brother, and the other clansmen, Kairos has no option but to undergo a dangerous plan to become a Mana Knight. With many enemies after him, Kairos finds his battle-ready hardened background coming to the fore. His brother’s last words to him were that he must survive…(Yvonne Marrs)
Overall rating: 5 stars. The Cursed Knight is a great introduction to the Godshard Chronicles with a fantastic cast of characters. All are well developed, highly credible and very easy for the reader to form an emotional connection with. The plot is engaging, fast paced with plenty of action, drama, twist and turns, humour and brilliant world building and imagination. There wasn't one element of the story that I disliked or did not enjoy. This is a series that I look forward to continuing with and I can't wait to see where the Author takes the characters next. I'd certainly love to see more of Althea in future books. A must have read for your personal library collections of favourite authors. Highly recommend! (Kirsty McKay)
Overall rating: 5 stars. Cursed Knight is a "no holds barred" feast of adventure, action, chivalry and romance. Set in a unique world, Kairos hails from the Eithar clan, a group of brutish and hard-faced people who thrive off fighting and taking by force, not too dissimilar to vikings. However their home to the north across the seas are poisoned by the Blight and so they travel south to save it. Kairos conitinues his journey towards Voldas which is a land far different from his own. A land of magic and mana knights sworn to protect the people from the Dark Elves threatening their existence. Kairos is far removed from magic but this doesn't stop him from training as a knight looking to overcome his shortcomings and set about saving his homeland. This story is a real page-turner with so many colourful and vivid characters. It really is difficult to choose a favourite. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Kairos develop throughout the story whilst realising how perceived initial limitations can actually be strengths. Dialogue is believable and really enhances each character. Even secondary characters have important roles to play and the author carries the pace of action throughout the book to a memorable climax. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the Godshard series. (Niall McKay)
Book Tour Reviewers
