Last year, I read Beth Cato’s BREATH OF EARTH, the first book in her Blood of Earth series. Though I have a policy of not reviewing any works of fiction or even commenting about them in public, I must say I loved the read. I was also thoroughly impressed with the level of detail Beth built into her world, as well as the huge, huge fast-paced action.
Now, CALL OF FIRE, book two in the series is out! I am utterly utterly excited to dive into it. (The only reason I haven’t already is that I’m working hard on one of my own novels.)
In the meantime, Beth’s given me an excerpt to share from CALL OF FIRE.
A Brief Description of CALL OF FIRE
At the end of Breath of Earth, Ingrid Carmichael had barely survived the earthquake that devastated San Francisco and almost crippled her with an influx of geomantic energy. With her friends Cy, Lee, and Fenris, she flees north, keenly aware that they are being pursued by Ambassador Blum, a cunning and dangerous woman who wants to use Ingrid’s abilities as the magical means to a devastating end.
Ingrid’s goals are simple: avoid capture that would cause her to be used as a weapon by the combined forces of the United States and Japan in their war against China, and find out more about the god-like powers she inherited from her estranged father. Most of all, she must avoid seismically active places. She doesn’t know what an intake of power will do to her body–or what damage she may unwillingly create.
A brief stopover in Portland turns disastrous when Lee and Fenris are kidnapped. To find and save her friends, Ingrid must ally with one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in the world: Ambassador Theodore Roosevelt.
Their journey together takes them north to Seattle, where Mount Rainier looms over the city. And Ingrid is all too aware that she may prove to be the fuse to alight both the long-dormant volcano … and a war that will sweep the world.
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Now for the Excerpt!
In Chapter 2 of CALL OF FIRE, Ingrid encounters something strange in downtown Portland, Oregon …
Rain thrummed on the sidewalk canopies. Above the increased noise and bustle of street traffic, she heard a beautiful bell-like sound that made her think of the wind chimes that Mama made from scrap and hung in their yard years ago. Ingrid smiled and looked around to find the source of the noise. As she did, she was startled by a flash of gold a block away and across the street. Along with it, she felt a tingle of magic—strange magic. In Mr. Sakaguchi’s backyard, pixies in close proximity had caused a vaguely similar sensation; but this one carried with it a profound sense of coziness, the relief that came with being in sight of home after a long day of work at the auxiliary.
Ingrid shook herself from the reverie and grabbed Lee’s arm. “Did you see that?”
“See what? Ing?”
She dodged pedestrians and paused at the corner. The policeman-operated traffic light almost instantly let them cross.
“What did you see?” Lee kept pace alongside her.
“I don’t know.” She stopped where she had seen the flash. Through the window, a Japanese shopkeeper bowed and spoke with customers. Ingrid whirled around to get her bearings.
The tintinnabulation rang in her ears again, haunting and sweet at the same time. This time, the ensuing rush of magic smelled ever so faintly like the French cologne that Mr. Sakaguchi wore for special occasions. Grief froze her for a moment, and then she took off in pursuit of the sound. She heard Lee’s surprised cry behind her, but she didn’t slow. As she rounded the corner, she saw the glimmer again some distance up the street.
Then the presence of magic was gone, again. Panting for breath, she leaned on a wooden post. A white couple cast her an odd look as they pushed by her and into a shop.
“Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” Lee caught up to her, a scowl on his face. “I thought we weren’t going to come to the burned part of town.”
Ingrid turned on her heel. Sure enough, the full square block beyond them had been reduced to bricks and rubble, while other nearby buildings looked well scorched. Lee moved closer. The rain had quenched the smoke. Chinese men and women wandered through the destruction with long boards or rakes in hand. Curious folks, mostly whites, hovered at the edges of the street. A few policemen in distinct caps stood back as overseers. No Unified Pacific soldiers were present.
“We shouldn’t be here,” Ingrid murmured.
“I know that! You led us straight here. What were you chasing?”
She opened and closed her mouth without any sound escaping. A flash of light? The sound of bells? “I don’t know,” she said finally. “We need to be especially cautious.”
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You can buy CALL OF FIRE now at the following places:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes
If you haven’t read BREATH OF EARTH, the first book in the Blood of Earth trilogy, I highly recommend starting soon. Or check out Beth’s earlier Clockwork Dagger series. Links are below.
 Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo iTunes |
 Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo iTunes |
 Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo iTunes |
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Nebula-nominated Beth Cato is the author of the Clockwork Dagger duology and the new Blood of Earth Trilogy from Harper Voyager. Her newest novel is CALL OF FIRE. She’s a Hanford, California native transplanted to the Arizona desert, where she lives with her husband, son, and requisite cat.
Follow her at BethCato.com and on Twitter at @BethCato.