An evil omen clouds the sky. A song of power returns. Can one man’s quest save the world?
Voran, a young warrior of Vasyllia, lives in a dying world. As blight ravages the countryside and darkness covers the sun, he can’t avoid hearing the rumors of an ancient spirit that devours souls. He feels powerless to fight the oncoming devastation until a mythical creature entrusts him with a long-forgotten song. Legend has it that such a song can heal the masses, overthrow kingdoms, and raise humans to divine beings…
Armed with the power of the song, Voran must hunt down the dark spirit before it achieves its goal of immortality. His quest takes him through doorways to other worlds and puts him on a collision course with seductive nymphs and riddling giants.
With each step of the journey, the strength of the villainous spirit grows, as does Voran’s fear that the only way to save his world… is to let it be destroyed.
The Song of the Sirin is an epic fantasy retelling of the Russian fairy tale Prince Ivan and the Grey Wolf. If you like complex characters, creative twists on mythology, and cinematic world-building, then you’ll love Nicholas Kotar’s sweeping tale. Buy The Song of the Sirin to begin the journey today! Read more Continue reading Read less REVIEW
“Blending European folklore and epic fantasy, Kotar is a brilliant new voice in speculative fiction!”
-Miles Cameron, bestselling author of the Traitor Son Cycle
“A delightful mix of song and myth that keeps the reader spellbound. With all the vivid descriptions, a reader can’t help but wonder what Vasyllia truly looks like.”
-Claire Stibbe, author of The 9th Hour
“For those who enjoy fantasy and the richness of Russian fable, this is a well-written gem. Three cheers for a brilliant debut novel.”
-John Campbell, author of Walk to Paradise Garden
“Nicholas Kotar’s writing has the elegance, lyricism, and attention to detail that all fantasy readers eagerly hope for.”
-Goodreads reader Alexandra Wolkow
“Nicholas Kotar’s debut novel has the enviable quality of becoming increasingly difficult to put down as one reaches all the way to the last page.”
-Goodreads reader Peter Markevich
“Wonderful, mythical story! I think it can be on the same shelve as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings – just as good!”
-Goodreads reader Elsbeth
“Compelling characters. Lovely lyrical style. A story that draws you in page by page, chapter by chapter.”
-Amazon reader Ayesha Harben FROM THE AUTHOR
Vasyllia, the setting for my fantasy novels, is inspired by medieval Russia and the rich, wild, and sometimes crazy world of Slavic epic poetry and fairy tales. All of my stories include elements of popular fairy tales, but retold in an epic fantasy style. It makes for a pretty original world, filled with creatures at once familiar and strange, such as: * Sirins (which are not Sirens)
* shape-shifting dragons
* a disembodied giant head that likes to tell riddles
* storytelling cats
* portals into different worlds
And that’s just scratching the surface! What really makes the Slavic fairy tales great fodder for novels is their complexity and their danger. No hero is completely good or completely bad. Everyone’s heart is up for grabs. And not everyone will survive.To find out more about Vasyllia, its mythical creatures, and the inspiration for my novels, I invite you visit my blog, where I talk about all the cool stuff I find while researching my books. Stuff like: * Volcanoes that belch black fire (for real!)
* The monk who was also a powerful warrior
* Things you’ve never heard about Russian weddings
* Why there are seven specific obstacles that every hero must overcome in Russian fairy tales
I’ll love to see you at nicholaskotar.com/blogThanks! ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’ve been fascinated by fairy tales and fantasy since before I could read. My earliest memories involve riding the backs of wolves and running away from hags riding pestles. My mother has repeatedly tried to explain to me that these things never actually happened, but I still don’t believe her.
When I was old enough to write, my friends and I created an alternate version of Narnia, called Wreathlea (I don’t know? It had a lot of wreaths maybe?), with a Stone Witch instead of a White Witch, and an enchanted princess who had been turned into a Golden Evergreen. Instead of playing with toys, we would go outside and look for cloud formations in the shape of lions (Aslan, you know). Except in our version, he was called Seaze. You can imagine what a silly picture we made, standing outside, staring at the sky, screaming “Seaze! Where are you?” with all our might…
Other derivative masterpieces of childhood included “Duels of Space” which started as a standard Star Wars ripoff but eventually included ninjas riding the backs of warrior bears…
Come to think of it, not much has changed. I still have warriors riding bears in my books! Read more Continue reading Read less
