Here at The Fantasy Review, we are very happy to present a book excerpt of Soultaming the Serpent by P.M. Hammond. The excerpt is from chapter 3. This book was just released today and is available to buy right now!
A book description and links can be found at the end of the article. Let us know what you think of this excerpt in the comments!
Book Excerpt: Soultaming the Serpent by P.M. Hammond
From Chapter 3:
Jun was more than halfway to her village and about to turn off for the well when the sky changed. The sun had already turned it pink, but it all faded back to black. A glance up revealed large, dark clouds. She hadn’t seen clouds like that since the day the dragon died. It felt so long ago that she could have dreamed it.
The sky broke. A bright flash blinded Jun only for a moment and then everything shook. There was a rumble so loud that Jun felt it rush down her throat, into her stomach, and rattle her bones.
When it started raining, it came down in sheets. In seconds, Jun was soaked. While the first drops of rain felt amazing, it soon became so cold. There was no shelter, nothing at all on the deserted road, and with her age a sickness from the cold could kill her easily.
Shelter. The well with its tiny roof was too far but the dried husks of the forest appeared like black skeletal bones on the horizon every time the lightning flashed. With her luck, lightning would strike and become that spark that scared the village head into wanting to burn the forest. However, the rain was so strong that she wasn’t worried.
Jun opened the cask to fill with rainwater and left her cart behind as she ran for the forest. The ground was slippery and muddy, and she fell too many times to count, but then she made it. The forest trees were all long dead, not a single purple flower on them and many of them broken. It was not enough to keep her hidden from the rain.
It was dark, other than the occasional flash from when lightning struck, and Jun quickly found herself deep in the barren woodland. She hadn’t been in it in such a long time, but she remembered a cave, not that far in, where she could hide until the rain stopped.
Unfortunately, she never made it that far because she tripped over something soft and fell face-first on the ground. The something soft behind her grunted. Jun was able to ignore the pain from her fall only due to the fear that froze her. It was too dark to see anything at all, but she still turned slowly to see what she would have to run from.
Lightning flashed and instead of a mound of mud or even a nest of rattlesnakes, she was staring at an unconscious man.
Soultaming the Serpent: Description
The last dragon died half a century ago and Jun Weaver still dreams of the rain that hasn’t fallen since. Her mundane life takes a turn when she encounters Aurel, who she suspects may be the one that holds the key to restoring balance and is destined to find the elusive serpent from the prophecy.
Joined by Casey, Jun’s closest friend and the village brewer, the three embark on a journey to unravel the prophecy’s intricacies, figure out what the serpent’s role truly is, and why the dragon has to die, not knowing they are being watched.
Follow our trio as Jun discovers a love of adventure, Casey’s devotion takes an unexpected turn, Aurel spills his secrets like dust in the sand, and the three of them discover the true power of their bond.
