This past week we gave the spotlight to The Blood of the Spear, Mark Timmony’s debut Epic Fantasy novel, the first book in The Eye of Eternity series. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with their reviews, interviews and more. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of The Blood of the Spear through our Q&A with Mark! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Shall we?
Mark Timmony was born and bred on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. He’s wanted to write for as long as he can remember and has several notebooks filled with illegible scribblings from childhood to prove it. The desire to write led to work as a bookseller and he spent almost a decade working as a genre specialist in Sydney. The Blood of the Spear is his debut novel.
Two brothers. One prophecy. A world in peril.
When Kaiel loses his chance to become part of the legendary Daemon Hunters, joining the Bronze Guard mercenaries seems like the logical alternative. It is an opportunity to put his training to use and, more importantly, as the company is currently in the employ of Prince Alesandr, it will allow him to keep an eye on his younger brother, Darien, who’s determined to follow his dream of becoming a Ciralys magic-user.
But the broken continent of Athmay still bears the scars of the war between the Summoners some three-thousand years ago, and an unexpected battle with a daemon – a remnant of that ancient war – reveals the brothers’ connection to a forbidden bloodline. Soon they find themselves on the run from the prince, daemonic hordes, and a prophecy that could break the world anew.
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
AUGUST 25TH – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight @whispersandwonder
AUGUST 26TH
Out of This World SFF – review
“…I had a fun time with this book and I’m glad that I got a chance to experience this absorbing world. If you enjoy fantasy with intriguing ancient prophecies, engaging characters, deep world-building, and magical artifacts, then you should pick up THE BLOOD OF THE SPEAR and give it a go. This was an entertaining journey that I’m so grateful that I took and I look forward to seeing where this story goes in future books. Put this one on your TBR, you won’t be sorry!”
@abbeysbooktopia – review + IG spotlight
“The world building was very well done and I really loved the creatures in this world. They were so well written it was easy to picture them, as well as that they had similarities to real life animals.”
@bibliophile.nat – interview + IG spotlight
AUGUST 27TH
Kerri McBookNerd – review
“This start to a new epic fantasy makes me hungry for more! The plot is top notch and the action scenes will leave you absolutely breathless. The magic system can be a bit confusing, but, overall, the world-building makes you feel like you are a part of this story. There’s no info-dumping here and I loved that! The characters are incredible: complex, flawed, and interesting to follow, which is great thing since I imagine we’ll be with most of them for awhile! If you enjoy epic fantasy, if you love a rich and complex world filled with prophecies, daemons, and action, I think you would enjoy The Blood of the Spear!”
@thebookwebb – review + IG spotlight
“There were some real old school monsters in this book that felt like I was back in the days of reading Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. This book took me back to the old style classic fantasy, that I love. Very reminiscent of The Wheel of Time series, this book is destined to become part of an amazing epic fantasy series.”
AUGUST 28TH
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“This is very much a character-driven fantasy, for all that it was the world and action that I have fallen in love with, and the cast of characters are just as well-written, and each one stands out as an individual with their own motivations, fears and arc.”
@apocketfuloftomes – review + IG spotlight
“My favorite in this book is the characters. They are relatable and flawed. So many amazing and competent female characters, too. Everyone’s distinct and has their own motivation. I’M SO INVESTED IN THEM. It’s easy to make a character likable/relatable, but getting your readers invested in them? That takes skill, kudos to the author!”
AUGUST 29TH
Book and Nature Professor – review + IG spotlight @bookandnatureprof
“The Blood of the Spear, Book One of the Eye of eternity is a unique and wonderful debut epic fantasy from Mark Timmony. The characters were well developed, the prose was excellent, and the world building was on par with the best of the genre. As we get to know some of the characters that I did not mention, I felt that some are morally ambiguous and others will surprise you. I liked the twists and turns that the characters took. The action scenes were excellent and also on par with the best of the fantasy genre. The action was well paced throughout the book and keeps the reader on edge and engaged. The world building is excellent, as Mr. Timmony takes us through many worlds and cities. They are vivid and illustrated so well for the reader. The ending is fantastic and will certainly keep you wanting to know more. I highly recommend Blood of the Spear. I highly recommend it and I eagerly await the next book.”
@read3rz_revu – IG spotlight
@ofproseandspells – review + IG spotlight
“Overall, The Blood of the Spear by Mark Timmony is a sharp, gripping fantasy read. Readers should better watch out for this since it is a promising series.”
@fantasybookcraz_mum – review + IG spotlight
“Brilliantly written epic fantasy. I absolutely loved it. Very well developed characters and really loved the bond between the brothers, Kaiel and Darien.”
AUGUST 30TH
FanFiAddict – excerpt
@booktalkwithharshita – review + IG spotlight
“This book was a very well paced, action filled fantasy debut novel with an amazing relationship between two brothers.”
Welcome to the Asylum, Mark! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell me something about yourself!
My favorite beverage? You aren’t going to try and force beer or wine on me like Justine? Lovely! I’ll have an appletini, thank you.
Mmmm, delicious!
Something about myself? I’m Mark Timmony and I live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches – a place I absolutely love, it’s hard to imagine living anywhere else really. When I am not writing I spend a lot of time playing World of Warcraft, I am the Guild Master of an Oceanic Alliance guild on the Khaz’goroth, Dath’remar, Aman’thul servers, though my officers are running the place atm. I also like to read. A lot.
What inspires your writing? Do you listen to music, stare into the fire, listen to the whispering of the wind, make deals with the Devil?
Oh, I can’t listen to music when I write – actually I can but it has to be orchestral, no lyrics, or I get too distracted. And I only listen to music if I have to drown out background noise. I tried staring to the fire, but I just got sore eyes, and the wind? Pfft. The wind is too ephemeral for me. I did try to make a deal with the Devil, but he stopped taking my calls and has taken out a restraining order against me – go figure! I mean I only followed his IG, TW, TikTok, sent him a friend request on FB and turned put at party he was holding… uninvited, but I was sure my invite was just lost in the mail!
However I have found inspiration in fantasy art – I find that artworks can really get my creative juices pumping. Also a really good book, if a novel excites me it really inspires me to get up and go write myself!
Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, The Blood of the Spear!
Well, it would depend on what realm you were in. If we were in, say, Cythis, you could expect it to be a gothic monstrosity, built from blocks of dark stone, damp, lots of drafts, echoing halls and deep dungeons – I mean experiment chambers – I mean isolation cells! Oh, gods. Moving on.
If you were in Kia Norma, then the Horselords would just dump you in the middle of the Kia Mon Steppes. It’s quite pretty there, but if the lions don’t get you the emerald asp probably will…
Maybe you’d be better off with the Evay, they believe in a more holistic approach to all things. Water features, tranquil gardens, dusk lilies that put anyone near them asleep so the vines of the kerkenia trees can wrap themselves around them and then drag the hapless victim up to the thorns of the tree so your blood can feed the tree’s roots and your life still contributes to society…
Maybe this isn’t such a good topic?
Your MC is locked in an asylum. What did he/she do to end up there?
Oh, um, it’s likely Darien, and it’s probably to do with the voice he has in his head. I really hope not though, if Dairen has been locked up for that then he’s also likely scheduled for execution!
Which fictional character (it can be one of yours) and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum and why?
Oh, that’s easy. I would love to be looked up in an asylum with Robert Jordan. He was a natural born storyteller, he just couldn’t help it, he was always making up stories. I used to work for a bookshop in Sydney and every time an author would come to visit, we’d have them sign the author book. When Jordan last visited Sydney (I’m not sure what year that was but I believe it was around the launch of A Crown of Swords) he wrote an entire short story on his page saying he’d been kidnapped by his publicist who was dragging him around the country and please save him!
Yeah, I think he’d be endlessly entertaining.
While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?
One book? Just one? Wow. This asylum sounds rather harsh. I think human rights are being violated here? I need to talk to management…
One book you say? One book… umm, The Neverending Story – that like, never ends, right? It just goes on and on and on… Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘locked in here for eternity’?
Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*
What? What do you mean ‘my stay’? I’m not staying, I have things to do, reviewers to rustle, books to write!
Hello? Timy, this isn’t funny. Hello? Hello? Come back!
Help! Somebody help me!
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