A Merchant’s Tale: The Second Tale in the Matter of Manred
by
Michael E. Dellert
Available for Pre-Order TODAY!
Corentin, a young foreign trader of the House Pelan arrives in the uncertain lands of Droma, tasked to deliver a mysterious chest to a far-away sage in a remote corner of the kingdom. Accompanied by his mercenary bodyguard, a young local priest, and their native scout, Corentin sets out on a journey that will change his life forever.
A Merchant's Tale is the second installment in The Matter of Manred Saga, a new cycle of medieval romances, action adventures, heroic fantasies, mysterious priests, and their dark and forgetful gods, brought to you from the fiction workshop of Michael E. Dellert.
This is no shiny happy fantasy of noble knights
on noble steeds
acting nobly.
on noble steeds
acting nobly.
“The land and every man who steps foot onto it are in a fight for existence; no efforts will be spared to ensure survival. But, of course, not all can survive. Brutal and realistic, Dellert writes with uncompromising elegance.” – Astacia C.
From the Prologue:
"Now," said their host, "Merchant, as the Gods may you bless, since you know so much of that land of Iathrann, full heartily I pray you tell us part."
"Gladly," said he.
"Eowain son of Findtan, Chief of the Donnghaile, King of the Droma, reigned over those lands. His armies raged across the High-King’s Road, annihilating every holdout in their path.
"Except one.
"His cousin had raised a legal challenge to the right of King Eowain to succeed to the throne of Droma, and was sharking up an army of lawless, dispossessed resolutes from the hinterlands of the kingdom to decide the matter by force of arms and terror.
"On the fifteenth day of the month of Fearn, Teilmon being the day of the week, under the dark of the moon, the caravan of House Pelan, honest merchants from Aukriath, ventured into the heart of the great Eowain’s war-torn kingdom."
What People Are Saying about A Merchant’s Tale
“There is no sense of creation behind A Merchant’s Tale; it is a document of pure reality, capturing the subtle beauty of a world that I am only beginning to understand and can’t wait to return to. Even the most casual moments in this second entry in the Matter of Manred resonate with a deep and cryptic history; whatever Michael Dellert is hiding behind this tapestry of shadows, his patience in revealing it sets a mood quite unlike other fantasy tales.”
— Christopher Schlerf, Lead Writer, Halo 4
— Christopher Schlerf, Lead Writer, Halo 4
“Dellert deftly uses an outsider's narrative to add yet another facet to an already all-encompassing tale, giving the readers a more comprehensive understanding of the world he has created. I loved the originality of using a merchant's perspective in the second tale as opposed to the much more personal narrative of Eowain in Hedge King in Winter, idealism and superstition vs. cold pragmatism and profit. Made for a great read!”
– Jenn M.
– Jenn M.
“This novella is so different than Hedge King in Winter, but complements it so well with its narrative style. The reader is able to see the heroic and stalwart Hedge King with an outsider’s eye, something I appreciated after suffering through his battles with him. The merchant's son, while not easy to like himself, tells his story unapologetically with laughable brashness and high-handedness—I loved to hate him!”
– Stacey C.
– Stacey C.
“I love the detail in this series! From each clan tartan, to the unforgiving landscape, Dellert paints the picture beautifully, with no detail left unattended. Can't wait to see what happens next!”
– Jennifer D.
– Jennifer D.
“I was sorry to part ways with the unexpected heroes of this tale and was reminded of the power, fury and tenacity of a girl and her dog. Michael Dellert has once again captured every ounce of my attention with his magical and harrowing depictions of every day life in Droma and I am beating my fists on the table in anticipation of the next tale!”
– Astacia C.
– Astacia C.
Join the Merchant’s Tale Goodreads Giveaway
Sign up for the Goodreads Giveaway of A Merchant's Tale by 5 March and you'll be eligible to win one of just 20 signed author's copies of A Merchant's Tale as well as a free signed author's copy of Hedge King in Winter. Winners to be announced by 11 March 2016.
Enter TODAY for your chance to win!
About the Author
Michael Dellert is an award-winning writer, editor, publishing consultant, and writing coach with a publishing career spanning 18 years. His poetry and short fiction have appeared in literary journals such as The Backporch Review, The Harbinger, Idiom, and Venture. His poetry has also appeared in the anthologies The Golden Treasury of Great Poems and Dance on the Horizon, and he is a two-time winner of the Golden Poet Award from World of Poetry Press.
He is the owner, writer, and publisher of the creative writing and self-publishing blog, MDellertDotCom: Adventures in Indie Publishing.
He is the author of Hedge King in Winter: First Tale in the Matter of Manred and his soon-to-be-released A Merchant’s Tale: The Second Tale in the Matter of Manred.
He currently lives and works in the Greater New York City area as a freelance writer, editor, and publishing consultant.
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Great blog and good reviews. I must take a look.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon, and thanks for stopping by! :-)
DeleteHey, good morning! (mumblemumble-coffee-mumblemumble) Hi Sharon! Thanks for taking a moment to have a look! Let me know if you have any questions, now that I'm caffeinated. :)
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