Introducing Bringer of the Scourge
“…only by the oblation of the shepherd in shadow can the crown of the world unbound tame the bringer of the scourge..."
As part of the Inkfort Press Derby, I collaborated with a few other fantasy authors and we’re helping promote one another before the publishing date on 25 Sept. As such, here’s the first one!
The prophecy that has governed Vierrelyne's entire life is about to be proven true.
The fall of the castle Talorr is imminent. Peasants and enemy forces alike aim for the throne. In that same castle, the last living daughter of the tyrant king waits, locked in a tower cell, for the prophesied apocalypse that only she can prevent.
Vierrelyne du Talorr doesn't believe she is the Crown of the World Unbound. To escape the castle with the aid of her closest counsel, she takes a formidable ancient weapon from her family crypt: a holy suit of armor and a diadem infused with the soul of a demon prince. With this power, Vierrelyne is unstoppable, but its presence is corrosive. She amasses a swarm of true believers in a fate she finds ever harder to deny.
Vierrelyne is haunted by what it means for her to tame the power she has been given, and by what means she might conquer the Bringer of the Scourge. For, if the prophecy she dreads is true, the weapons she wields might destroy everything she holds dear.
My thoughts?
I want to start this off by saying that I’ve not read the full book yet! The author has been kind enough to share the first 7 chapters on Substack, but the rest of the book will have to wait until after publishing, so I am looking forward to that.
Now, onto the actual book! The prose is absolutely beautiful. There is a feeling or quality of it that makes me think of those old fantasy stories that got me to fall in love with the genre to begin with. Add on top of that a warrior princess as the main character, a mysterious magician, and a fiercely protective mentor - and we have a perfect trio of a main cast that makes me want to keep going to see what happens.
All of the characters are so real and there are tiny bits thrown in here and there that make it easy to understand their wants and desires. One of my favourite things so far is that all of the characters have their main wants, but there are also side ones that give them an extra dimension. It is very common for stories with royalty as the main character to have the supporting characters be just that - support the royal. Here, we have that support and love, but we also get the wistfulness of old memories and better times and other options.
The story starts with a truly epic scene that only grows more and more, keeping you flipping the pages and wanting to know what happens next. Personally, I am really looking forward to finding out how the diadem and our resident magician are connected. They have to be!! Somehow!! Riiight?
Anyway, thank you for this read M Daniel McDowell and I will be looking forward to the rest of the book once it goes live on the 25th!
(PS. I got insider knowledge that there will be a map in this one! Who doesn’t love a good fantasy with a nice map?)
Quick interview with M Daniel McDowell
Q. What inspired this story?
A. When I saw this cover, I knew I wanted to write Bringer of the Scourge immediately. I got lucky on the cover assignment and have been immersed in this horrible little fantasy world for three months straight since. I wanted to know what could have happened to this person to get her into this place: she has elegant details like beaded cauls and a high lace ruff, but she’s also got a knowing gaze and you get the sense you shouldn’t mess with her.
Q. Who was your favourite character to write and why?
A. This is something of an impossible question: I was drawn to this book by the very intense character on the cover, so clearly it is Vierrelyne du Talorr, right? But honestly I think I have slightly more affection for her close companions, Kharise gen Valuur and Mehren Tevaht, both of whom get some time in point of view for this book and very important roles in the story and the world that unfurls in the aftermath of the opening action of the book.
Q. Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
A. At the end of the day, this is a fantasy adventure book with swords and demons and a princess who rescues herself, and I don’t know that I entered into it with a high-minded takeaway. I would like to say there’s a message here, but I wanted to write about a beautiful monster, and maybe: what it means to be one; what you sacrifice about yourself along the way; and what you can claw back for yourself from the void; and I certainly hope I succeeded in that.
Q. What is your favourite line from your book?
A. “There’s no tournament for suffering, it’s not a joust to be won.”
Q. And, lastly, what is one book your would recommend for your readers? Is it something similar or something completely different?
A. Oh, what an interesting question! This book is inspired by classic works of sword & sorcery and vintage grimdark; I’ve said in passing that this book is a love letter to vintage Glen Cook, but I would say it owes a debt to CL Moore’s _Jirel of Joiry_, and that if you like what I’m doing here, I am sure you would love Jirel, too.
Don’t miss out on this amazing book by M Daniel McDowell coming out 25 Sept and available for pre-order now!
Want to know more about the Derby? Check out my old post here:
And don’t forget to take a look at my own derby book Soultaming the Serpent, coming out 25 Sept and available for pre-order now.