Storytellers On Tour: The End Of Dreams By Marcus Lee - Encore

This past week we gave the spotlight to The End of Dreams, the third book in Marcus Lee’s Dark Fantasy series, The Gifted and the Cursed in celebration of its release! Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore.

Shall we?

Writing hasn’t always been a serious hobby for me … but it has always been there, lurking in the shadows, serving me well when called upon.

As I look back over the years, I realise I was guilty of writing many short stories, as well as poetry, and I’d like to think, that even if they were never intended to be published, they were nonetheless warmly received by the intended recipients.

Then in 2019, I was inspired to write not just a short story, or poetry, but a book. Then, suddenly, one book turned into a trilogy and a labour of love, and it was a love I wanted to share with the world.

So, here we are. The pandemic that put my career in sport on hold also gave me the opportunity to lavish time on my alternative hobby, or if demand dictates my new career.

However, only you, the reader, will decide whether this trilogy, which is still a work in progress, will be the first of many. I genuinely hope so.

Who knows, now these creatives juices are flowing, I might just keep on writing anyway.

—–

Epic fantasy has been my favourite genre since I first read The Odyssey and The Illiad as a seven-year-old. Now it’s my turn to see if I can bring another world to life in the imagination of others.

As Daleth the Witch-King and his horde ready themselves for the final battle, a small alliance prepares for a desperate last stand.

However, the alliance is weak and fractured, led by a king interested only in retaining his wealth and a lord commander consumed by his thirst for revenge. With a seemingly unbeatable army before them, invisible foes amongst them, and broken hearts between them, the alliance appears destined to fall.

Yet in these dark times, her light almost extinguished, a peasant huntress is soon to be queen. But if she can find what was lost, she might prove to be more powerful than two kings combined.

This war will bring about the end of dreams, but for whom, the gods have yet to decide.

Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!

The End of Dreams by Marcus Lee tour hosts banner

FEBRUARY 28TH–THE WELCOMING

Whispers & Wonder – guest post: The Gifted and the Cursed Final Tour Summary + IG spotlight

MARCH 1ST

The Sword Smith – review

“The End of Dreams is a wonderful book, it’s an amazing end to a brilliant trilogy and ties up a story in an incredibly satisfying way. I loved how this book developed, and before I forget something else that Marcus does so well is treat the enemy. The Witch King emerges as an enigmatic and interesting villain, and how could I not mention Jared and his POV sections of the book, again a hallmark from this series is how well the enemy is treated. This book has everything, epic battles, realising your destiny, amazing action sequences and even more development of an epic world! I did not want it to end, but it did and how satisfying an end it was. This easily gets my seal of approval to read, in fact the whole trilogy does, but this was something special and easily one of the reasons why I love the fantasy genre!”

Kats Reading Room – review

“This was a great finale to a very enjoyable series, the characters are lovable and I found myself rooting for them for the entire journey! Marcus has a great writing style that works really well for me and I can’ wait to see what he comes up with next!”

Westveil Publishing – review + IG spotlight

“I highly recommend that all high fantasy fans, particularly those who enjoy epic world-changing war storylines, check out this trilogy! Marcus Lee is definitely an author to watch.”

MARCH 2ND

Beneath A Thousand Skies – review

“The End of Dreams was everything I wanted and more and is a wonderful ending to a fantastic series. I am sad that this adventure is over, and yet if it has to end this is the way to do it. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves high fantasy, character-driven stories, and a trilogy that takes the best of fantasy and has turned it into something truly memorable.”

Out of This World SFF Reviews – review

“When the last page was turned in this one I was left a bit breathless, shattered, and ultimately fulfilled at the exceptional story that Marcus Lee has brought us. Too many times the last book in a series doesn’t live up to the promise of the preceding books, but THE END OF DREAMS crushed it and then some. This is a series and a final book that will take you through numerous highs and lows before the dust settles. But in the end I am happy to say that The Gifted and the Cursed is a series that should make people stand up and take notice. If you enjoy epic fantasies that hearken back to the classic tales that made you want to read fantasy in the first place, then pick these books up. They truly are wonderful stories filled with magic, epic battles, and a tinge of the dark. I’m sad to see it all end but I relish the thought of what is to come from the talented mind of fantasy author Marcus Lee.”

Fantasy Book Nerd – review

“One last thing that I have to mention, is that surprisingly, amongst all the plot and the characters, Marcus Lee manages to squeeze in some pretty awesome world building with the introduction of the Horse lords, which to me, reminded me of a mix between the Rohirrim, the Mongol Hoardes and the Knights of Solamnia and I thought were a welcome addition to the book.”

MARCH 3RD

Jorie Loves A Story – review

“However, what I appreciated the most about my journey into this series is that my instinct for knowing the whole series was rooted in the story of Maya and Taran proved to be true and for that I applaud the story Lee revealled to us all – as this is very much a story about two people who fell in love and how their love transformed their world.”

FanFiAddict – review + IG spotlight

“This series has been accelerating towards this explosive finale and it did not disappoint. Grab a glass of whisky and be prepared to nurse a bruised heart. Lee does not care about your feelings; trust me when I say nobody is safe. The action quite literally never stops and The End of Dreams will leave you astonished. Refreshing and extremely fast-paced, it won’t take you long to devour. I love that throughout all of this commotion, Lee finds ways to show tenderness in his characters.”

Lili’s Blissful Pages – review

“I also love the ending that the author gave to each of his characters. Of course not all of them had an amazing ending but duh, that’s expected. But I think it’s the ending that they deserve (goodbye Tristan and Daleth). In book 2, I said the characters, the main ones and the new ones were all fleshed out. I wasn’t expecting that the characters have still more to give in book 3.Book 3 is usually about the plot while the characters act according to their well-established characterization. But no, even in their last moments on the page, the characters showed so much more than they already did. Most of the characters still gone through developments in this book.”

Susan Hancock – review

“A truly epic finale to a truly epic trilogy…”

MARCH 4TH

The Book in Hand – review

“The characters that have filled the pages of this series are all great, some you love, some you hate and some you just can’t decide! But regardless of that I’m sad to see an end to their stories and happy because this was just such a satisfying ending!

It gives you everything!

It wraps up the tory brilliantly, it makes you sad, then happy, then sad again, then smug and so much more. It is simply one of those ending that is truly satisfying.”

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub – review

“The pacing was fantastic, with moments of character interactions liberally interspersed with fight scenes. And the fight scenes! They were raw and gritty, exactly what I love to see in a fantasy book. The tension built up to a crescendo, exploding at exactly the right moment. The ending came rushing up and I was left astounded and incredibly impressed. It finished perfectly. I am left feeling a little sad that it has ended, but that’s the mark of a great book: that it can leave a reader a little bereft when the adventure ends. I hope to see much more from author Marcus Lee in the future.”

Lecari’s Livejournal v2.0 – review

“This whole series has been a delight to read. While there are some very dark scenes, there’s lots of fun and romance too. I have really enjoyed following Taran, Maya and Rakan’s story and it’s bittersweet to now be at the end. It was great to see how the different threads were tied up, and this is an incredibly satisfying conclusion to The Gifted and The Cursed series. I can’t wait to read more from Marcus in the future!”

MARCH 5TH

Gnoflet Reads – review

“Overall, this was hands-down my favorite book of the trilogy. The expansion of Rakan’s character gave me someone to root for, outside of the love story, and change to an almost spy-like narrative at times was a good change of pace. The End of Dreams served as a great conclusion to this trilogy.”

Gwendalyn’s Books – review

“Lee is able to tie all the loose ends together, to make a solid conclusion. As a reader you won’t be disappointed, I have to say that that even though it is the last book of this series, it is by far my favorite. There is a thread that loops around that was started in the first book that continues through the second book all the way through leading and connecting the characters as the storyline unfolds. The battle scenes are perfectly orchestrated and you will find yourself front and center as the this action packed tale will have hooked.”

Bookends & Bagends – review

“Rest assured, though, that the ending is fitting for characters, readers, and the overall journey.

Marcus Lee has led this series with all the skill and passion of an orchestral conductor, balancing so perfectly the highs and low, building and building to a triumphant conclusion.

As I sat there, the final page turned, heart full, pulse pounding, all I could say was – encore.”