This is my stop during the blog tour for The Incarn Saga by Katharine E. Wibell. The Incarn Saga is a four book young adult/ new adult fantasy series inspired by ancient myths and filled with fast-paced action and adventure.
This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 20 January till 2 February. See the tour schedule here.
Issaura’s Claws (The Incan Saga #1)
By Katharine E. Wibell
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult, New Adult
Blurb:
According to legend, when the world was young, the goddess Issaura appeared among men. Those who treated her with kindness received the gift of the gods—the ability to transform into an animal form. This was a great honor but one that separated this race from other humans. Before Issaura departed the mortal realm, she promised to return if her people were ever at the point of destruction.
Now a threat is rising from a land across the mists of the ocean, a threat that will push this race to the brink of extinction. Responding to the call to war, seventeen-year-old Lluava heads off to find her destiny, one that will carve her name in history.
You can find Issaura’s Claws on Goodreads
You can buy Issaura’s Claws here on Amazon
Ullr’s Fangs (The Incarn Saga #2)
By Katharine E. Wibell
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Blurb:
According to legend, when the world was young, two gods of war — one male, one female — were destined for each other. Yet Ullr, forever unfaithful, lost the love of Issaura, his true match, and was forsworn. His violent anger and bitter rage grew and intensified, poisoning all creation and humanity.
Now that the Raiders’ long ships have faded from sight, the kingdom of Elysia is beginning to recover from the summer’s war with the brutal invaders from across the sea. Yet darker forces have taken root, forces that can alter the future of the land and its people in unthinkable ways. Seventeen-year-old Lluava must discover the means to prevent her world from collapsing. But in doing so, will she succumb to that darkness?
You can find Ullr’s Fangs on Goodreads
You can buy Ullr’s Fangs here on Amazon
Crocotta’s Hackles (The Incarn Saga #3)
By Katharine E. Wibell
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Blurb:
According to legend, when the world was young, Crocotta, Queen of the Gods, discovered her mate’s faithlessness. She vowed to prevent future threats to all matrimonial pacts henceforward, but for her it was too late. The child born from the illicit coupling was a warrior goddess—one whom Crocotta would seek to destroy throughout eternity.
Now that the Raiders’ elite army is threatening the kingdom of Elysia’s northern borders, seventeen-year-old Lluava must leave the familiarity and safety of her native land to venture into the wilderness. Her mission is to discover others like her who will come to Elysia’s aid; her hope is to unravel the secrets behind what it means to be Incarn. But what she finds could destroy everything./
You can find Crocotta’s Hackles on Goodreads
You can buy Crocotta’s Hackles here on Amazon
Giahem’s Talons (The Incarn Saga #4)
By Katharine E. Wibell
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Blurb:
According to legend, when the world was young, Giahem, King of the Gods, realized that the pantheon was on the verge of self-destruction due to his own actions. To protect his favorite child, he hid the infant and gave her a false name in the hope that she would survive—a name that would forever be associated with the young goddess: Issaura.
Now, the capital has fallen to the Outlanders, the king has been overthrown, and the Raiders have entered the kingdom of Elysia in full force. Eighteen-year-old Lluava must flee in order to survive. After all the losses she has endured, the battles she has fought and won to no avail, she must face the worst fact of all: that she alone is responsible for the kingdom’s demise. Will she ever be able to rectify her wrongs?
You can find Giahem’s Talons on Goodreads
You can buy Giahem’s Talons here on Amazon
Awards for the Incarn Saga book series to date:
Issaura’s Claws:
2018 New Apple Book Awards Solo Medalist Winner for Children’s/Young Adult eBook
2018 Fantasy/Paranormal Fiction Fist Place Winner by Epic eBook Awards
2018 Young Adult Fiction Gold Winner for Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards
2018 2nd place winner for the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction eBook
Ullr’s Fangs:
2019 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist for New Adult
2019 November Gold Metal Award by Literary Titan
Crocotta’s Hackles:
2019 New Adult Fiction Gold Winner by Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Award
About the Author:
Katharine Wibell’s lifelong interest in mythology includes epic poetry like the Odyssey, Ramayana, Beowulf, and the Nibelungenlied. In addition, she is interested in all things animal whether training dogs, apprenticing at a children’s zoo, or caring for injured animals as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After receiving degrees from Mercer University in both art and psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, Wibell moved to New Orleans with her dog, Alli, to kick start her career as an artist and a writer. Her first literary works blend her knowledge of the animal world with the world of high fantasy.
You can find and contact Katharine here:
– Website
– Website blog
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Pinterest
– Goodreads
– Instagram
– Medium
Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Incarn Saga. One winner will win a $25 Amazon gift card. Open international.
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt
Ullr’s Fangs Excerpt 2
Growling, Lluava crouched low and prepared to attack. Her inner heat seared up, then, with her quick realization, was smothered unforgivingly. Lluava could not shift without risk of destroying her braces. Hand-to-hand combat was her only choice.
The Raider held one of their thinner swords from across the sea. The pinprick blade appeared fragile against the man’s girth, yet Lluava knew how lethal it was.
Snarling, Lluava lashed out. Claws missed their target. Before she could strike again, she was deterred by the sword’s hot temper. As Lluava countered, she spied a second attacker approaching. This one carried a thick mace. Bits of flesh and hair were entangled in its spikes.
Switching to defensive maneuvers, Lluava stood ready to receive a blow from either direction. When the first man grunted, they both went into action simultaneously. There was no way she would be able to protect herself.
At least I will take one out, Lluava thought stoically. Choosing the sword-bearer, she ducked under his swinging blade and tore into his torso, her Claws freeing the man’s imprisoned intestines.
Spinning round, she saw two arrow-like projections protruding from the second Raider’s throat. The red of his grisly beard mixed with the blood he spat out. Leaving her would-be offender in his death rattle, Lluava turned to nod thanks to Yamir. His throwing quills had done their job.
As the fight wore on, Lluava realized that although the braces were indeed preventing her injury from flaring up, the need to shift was much more important. Moving to the edge of the main clearing, Lluava took advantage of an atypical rock formation. Squatting low, she unstrapped the bindings around her arms. Lacking the time to figure out how to detach the braces from Issaura’s Claws, Lluava hid both the weapons and the braces deep in a crevice in the rocks.
In the blink of an eye she had shifted, bolting from her hiding place. Like a striped fiend from hell, Lluava tore through opponent after opponent. The stink of blood and death intermingled with a smoky odor that she could not identify.
A war horn blew twice.
She sensed a shift in the enemy’s mood. The men began backing away from her, the ring of Raiders reminding her of the judgmental high councilmen she had so happily left behind. The circle of men separated her from Yamir. Then the crowd split.
A man like none other strode forth. A head taller than the rest, his helmet sported an uncut set of adult steer horns. Stopping in front of her, he let the head of his maul slam into the ground. The face of the weapon was as big as her own. The strong smoky odor wafting about made her eyes water. As she blinked back tears, the man’s bloodshot gaze caught hold of hers. Then the hulk cried out—a sound far from human.
The man-thing before her charged, swinging his weapon wildly. Lluava turned tail and ran, clawing her way through the onlookers. Breaking through the circle, she charged across the battlefield. There was no way she could defend herself against a creature like that. Behind her, the massive shape swept past the warriors, laying low everyone in his path, Elysians and Raiders alike.
In her mind’s eye, Lluava carried the image of the Raider’s bloodied mouth, the slivers of flesh stuck in his teeth.
Skirting a trio of marauders, Lluava listened to their cries as they were tossed out of the way by the behemoth. The heavy tread of his feet did not diminish. He would not be shaken off her trail.
Lluava was nearing the Elysian side of the field. The soldiers moved forward to give her aid. Nothing could prepare them for the unstoppable force that would send them to the afterworld.
I can’t lead him to our camp, though Lluava in a panic. Veering to the left, she began to lead her pursuer away from her comrades. A sharp catch in her side caused her to stumble. She tried to run through it, but to no avail. She could not continue this pace much longer.
A thick spear hurtled over her shoulder. Lluava recognized it as Yamir’s. With a thunk, the weapon sank into its mark. Lluava looked over her shoulder and saw the giant Raider still moving toward her, despite the shaft of the spear that skewered his left shoulder. Oblivious to his injury, the man raised his maul above his head.
A second serrated spear severed the man’s wrist.
“Watch out!” Yamir cried. Lluava quickly skidded to a halt to prevent herself from colliding with a small marauder. Slicing through the man with tooth and claw, Lluava glanced back once again. As impossible as it seemed, the massive Raider had vanished.
Yamir ran up to her. “What was that?”
“I don’t know.” Looking at the pools of blood soaking into the earth, Lluava said, “He won’t last much longer.”
Yamir cautiously circled the massive maul, to which the hand was still attached. Its shaft was as long as he was tall. Turning to the carnage in their wake, Lluava was stunned. “If there are more like him, we are in trouble.”
Guest Post
The Incarn Saga is a new-adult fantasy series. Each of the four books in the series features shapeshifters known as Theriomorphs, prophecies and magic, a pantheon of gods, horrifying villains, and the clamor of war. Full of twists, heroic endeavors, and tragic loss, this was a great series to write. Yet, I always tip my proverbial hat to the inspirations behind the story.
The first book, Issaura’s Claws, was the result of a dream that took place among shapeshifting animals training in what appeared to be a military camp. I was transformed into a white tigress which became the animal form for the main character in this series. Upon waking, I could not let go of that vivid dream. It had become part of me. Soon, the characters and the plot began to take form as well.
I also drew upon several of my passions when developing The Incarn Saga. Having a background in psychology with an emphasis in animal behavior, wildlife rehabilitation, and dog training, I was able to combine not only the physiological traits of animals but also their physical behaviors when developing the Theriomorph (shapeshifting) race. In addition, my love of all things Viking allowed me to delve into that knowledge when creating the nightmarish Raiders and their superior warrior legions. Finally, my deeply rooted interest in world mythologies aided me when creating the twelve unique gods and goddesses in the Theriomorphs’ pantheon.
Although this series was inspired by multiple interests of my own, I hope that my experience will inspire young fantasy enthusiasts and future authors not only to follow their passions but also to utilize them in crafting their own narratives.
