"I loved this book! It's a great urban fantasy story with flawless world-building and unforgettable characters. [...]
If you're looking for an action-packed read with multifaceted, courageous characters and a little bit of romance, this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to get my hands on the next installment in the series." - Tricia, Goodreads
Description:
Published: November 20th, 2018
Two women. One Prophecy. Zero places to hide.
How the hell does a physicist like Lea Daniels get dragged into a fight to save a magical kingdom? A lousy prophecy, that’s how. To survive, she must entrust her future to jaded warrior Nieve, whose kick-ass powers blatantly defy the laws of nature.
Nieve, for her part, isn’t exactly thrilled either about her new role as a mentor to a “chosen one” who can’t tell a sword from a hairbrush.
Together, the mismatched duo must protect Seattle, the world, and the realm beyond from the conquering ambitions of a cut-throat king. The good news is, they’re not alone. The bad news is that, as former foes assemble to take a stand beside them, it quickly becomes clear everyone has an agenda.
EXCERPT
What was the etiquette when the apocalypse lurked around the corner? Stand on a soapbox and preach? Panic-buy bottled water and canned spaghetti? I placed my palm on my stomach to calm my insides. Despite the confidence I’d projected for Nieve’s benefit, I was so far out of my depth, solid land was a distant memory. If only I could tell my parents to get to safety.
“You all right there, kid?” a gruff voice asked.
“Yeah, thanks.” My reply came automatically.
“Cuz ya looking pale about the gills.”
I glanced to my left and right. What the hell? All around me, people bustled along the sidewalk, chatting, laughing, or avoiding eye contact. Not a soul had stopped to speak to me.
“Down here.”
I lowered my gaze. A dark stone gargoyle in a gray coat and a hat leaned against a cement planter, a cigarette tucked between spiky teeth. Black wings extended on its back.
No way!
“There ya go,” the voice said. “Knew ya could see me, kid. Took me long enough to find ya. Now how’s about we dust outta here?”
The creature would have been carved by hand, with oversized ears that were unnaturally pointed. Over the decades, the weather had pitted its exterior like the surface of the moon. And yet, words seemed to come from its direction.
I blinked, but the image didn’t change. What the heck had I eaten for breakfast? “Excuse me?”
“Scram. Anyone sees ya jawing to one like me, well, they gonna think ya gone loco.”
Maybe I had. Rubbing my eyes, I twirled and checked the area for the real owner of the voice. A ventriloquist with a gargoyle-shaped case, maybe. A telltale wink or a smile somewhere in the crowd. Nothing.
“Look at me, kid. C’mon. I don’t bite.”
I refused to be like one of those drifters who hung out on park benches and talked to themselves. Crouching to pretend-tie my bootlaces, I unzipped my bag and stuffed the gargoyle inside, discarding its cigarette in the process.
“Hey, careful.” The voice sounded muffled through the faux=leather material.
I clutched the heavy bag tight to my chest. “Quiet, I’m taking you home. Whatever you are.”
Plastering on a nothing-to-see-here face, I made my way toward Westlake Station and hailed a cab.
“We there yet?” the creature asked when the car peeled off the curb.
“Shush,” I whispered, which earned me an odd look from the driver. I clawed my hands into the bag’s exterior and didn’t let go until my driveway came into view.
Once I’d paid and exited the cab, I raced inside as if the hounds of hell snapped at my heels. I dropped the bag on my sofa and retreated into a corner of the living room. From there I glared at it. What was I supposed to do with a speaking gargoyle?
Sure, this wasn’t the strangest thing that had happened in my life. It didn’t even top the list of strange things that had happened this month, but it sure qualified as one in a long line of issues for which my future therapist would charge double.
The zipper moved, and the gargoyle peeked its stone head out. His gray fedora hat perched on a grotesque, yet oddly adorable face with bulging eyes, while his pointy ears projected through its wide brim.
“Good, we’re alone,” he said. “Now, where’s the john?”
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About the author:
USA Today bestselling author CARMEN FOX lives in the south of England with her beloved tea maker and a stuffed sheep called Fergus. She writes about smart women with sassitude and guys with an edge, and will chase that plot twist, no matter how elusive.
To celebrate the release of DIVIDE AND CONQUER by Carmen Fox, we're giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to internationally. One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Carmen Fox. Giveaway ends 12/7/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted.
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