Moth and Spark

This excerpt is from an advance uncorrected proof.

Copyright © 2014 by Anne Leonard

PROLOGUE

Riding, riding, he had been riding when the dragon appeared overhead and came slowly, inevitably, down. It was a cloudy day and he was in the Fells. The air still had plenty of winter in it here, high up. There were two men with him from the garrison. There had been no purpose to the ride besides itself; he had been sick of the dirt and smells and noise and press of soldiers in the hold and needed to clear his head with exercise and open air. Then the dragon's cry, sharp and compelling as a hunting hawk's, but longer, fiercer, more dreadful. He had heard it a hundred times and it still made the hair on the back of his neck rise and his skin prickle. He was prey, and his body knew it.

The horses knew it too and reared and neighed in terror. Corin was nearly thrown, and one of the soldiers was. The dragon descended. It folded its shimmering blue wings with a rush of hot air that smelled like sulfur. Long ivory claws gouged the earth. It was huge, its snout at least the length of a tall man's arm. Silver scales on its sides glistened even under the grey sky. It crouched, tail switching back and forth, nostrils steaming.

By the time Corin had his own horse under control, the second soldier was kneeling beside the first, whose leg was clearly broken. One horse had not gone far, but the other one was out of sight. "Go back for help," Corin said. "There's nothing you can do about a dragon." He did not even touch the hilt of his sword. It was useless.

The dragonrider came off the dragon in a smooth and graceful slide. Corin's horse trembled and sweated but did not move. He would stay mounted as long as he could. When he glanced over his shoulder he saw that the soldier was obeying him and returning.

The dragonrider had dark skin and black hair, and when he spoke it was a different accent from the Mycenean Corin was used to. "Lord Prince." The tone was hard,

"Fun and beautifully crafted. The novel is something like a Russian nesting doll: it's a Jane Austen novel inside a Princess Bride type fantasy romp inside a much darker Tolkein-esque story of politics, war, magic, and dragons. An impressive debut." - Charlie Lovett, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookman's Tale

"In a genre where it's typical for hapless adolescents to stumble, dazzled and awkward, into great power and great responsibility, it's refreshing to read a fantasy novel where the leads are a pair of mature, competent adults. With her protagonists, Tam and Corin, who fall in love amid impending war and resurgent magic, author Anne Leonard brings a sense of literary sophistication to her debut novel Moth and Spark ." - Kansas City Star

"Moth and Spark is a standalone, a rare gem, especially in the fantasy genre. A fantastic read all around." -The Book Swarm

"Anne Leonard's Moth and Spark combines action, adventure, and romance flawlessly.... Readers will love the magic and secrets that are laced throughout.... From mysterious deaths to dragons, there is something here for everyone. Moth and Spark is beautifully written... Austen-esque and elegant."-My Dear Biblophage

"Immensely readable, hard to put down... a debut that shows so much potential."-Fantasy Review Barn

"[An] intriguing fresh fantasy debut."-Genrefluent

"Moth and Spark was a magnificent blend of traditional fantasy, adventure and romance. It just might be what many a fantasy fan has been aching for."-My Shelf Confessions

"Moth and Spark [is] for anyone looking for a standalone fantasy romance. It's light but not too fluffy, and is perfectly suited for bouts of escapism and flights of fancy."-Books Without Any Pictures

"...Astounding writing... a story that you can really sink into. This is one of those powerful debut novels that is unlike anything you've ever read before, while being exactly what you expect."-Book Worm Blues

"Anne Leonard had me at dragons.