BLOG TOUR: A Beast So Beautiful by Carlyle Labuschagne

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A BEAST SO BEAUTIFUL by Carlyle Labuschagne Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: A BEAST SO BEAUTIFUL
Author: Carlyle Labuschagne
Pub. Date: April 4, 2021
Publisher: CHBB Publishing
Pages: 231
Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, TBD, Bookshop.org

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

A darkness falls over the land when the Queen of Rurith dies.

Consumed with grief, King Ivar blames their son, Prince Leif, for her demise, and locks him away in the castle.

The Prince is left in total despair, until a girl, with hair the colour of a red sunset and green eyes shows him mercy.

For six years she visits him in secret, giving him hope where none existed before.

But Ruith hides many treacherous things that threaten to bring the Kingdom to its knees.

Until the Prince and his beastly curse are released. 

 

Excerpt

ONE

The Dark Hunt

Europe 900 AD

Leaves touch down on the forest floor in stark hues of red, orange, and yellow against the dark earth. The wind emits a slow whistle as it swirls around thick stumps of towering oak trees, kicking up a fine layer of silt that dances in the rays of the rising sun. From this day on, autumn will always be Prince Leif’s favorite season. It’s the season the young prince is now associating with hope and renewal after being buried in the dark, stifling tomb of grief, betrayal, and regret for what felt like an eternity. Autumn is also the color of Avelyn’s hair, the spirited heroine responsible for saving him from his devouring demons. Avelyn, the girl who knows his deepest, darkest secret and guards it as if it were her own.

When the temperature drops suddenly, Leif is pulled from his musings. Around the four Rurith warriors, the trees hunker in as if shielding themselves against the outside world; or shielding the outside world from something within. Ahead of Prince Leif and the three other riders, including his father, King Ivar, the soft haze of blue light dissipates in the shadows of the narrowing woods as they head in on horseback, their pure silver chest plates glinting in the last of the light.

The drastic change in the environment marks the border into uncharted woodlands. Beyond the Finmar Fields lies the dark Huntmar Woodlands— feared by peasants and warriors alike for its clawing branches that have been said to devour any man entering. But fear is a merciful luxury the high rank of his most deadly kingsmen need not indulge in. The king, his high guards, and the young price cross the threshold out of desperation to track, hunt, and exterminate their enemy. 

A big, black beast has been glimpsed near the border of Rurith Kingdom a few times. Its existence has threatened the safety of their scouts, their livestock, and the villagers for far too long. No man or woman has survived an attack yet. It is now up to these four warriors to hunt and bring back the menace’s decaying body that has plagued their people for the last few years.

The melodic trot of the horses’ hooves reverberates off the dense bark of pine trees, the light fading by their clumping. The bigger birds and forest animals have been pushed out by the mesh of ivy and cutting holly. The forest becomes even darker as gigantic trees spike to the heavens strangling any light that may come through. The path thins until they have run out of a clear trail entirely. The tang of rich soil and a strange sent from yellow flowers circling tree stumps set the scene for what seems like a beautiful journey. For the first time in his existence, Prince Leif feels hope and pride swell his chest. Has his father finally forgiven him? He wonders why today of all days would he take him on a quest.

They zigzag through the thick of the forest, caved in by branches, brush, and thick, blanketing fog. Prince Leif takes in the lush surroundings, his eyes accustomed to the dark. His heighted sense of smell breathes in the pines, dark soil, and something else. He can appreciate the beauty of the outside world in any form. It has been nearly six years since he’s been inside a gloomy tower with little to no sunlight, and ashamedly, as a coming-of-age prince, he has to ride pillion with his guardian Eric due to lack of skill.

There is break in the darkness as the awakening day steals through the canopy of trees, the soft hoot of an owl makes its presence known, and King Ivar takes this as a warning sign to leave the horses behind. He’s always been a superstitious man, and no one can blame him after the strange circumstances to the death of his true love, the last queen of Rurith.

About Carlyle Labuschagne:

Carlyle is a South African USA Today Bestselling,  award-winning, and international bestselling author with a flair for mixing genres and adding loads of drama to every story she creates. she has traveled the world with her books in hopes of connecting with all kinds of book-loving people, to learn as much as she can from other book cultures with the hopes of bringing the knowledge back to her home country.
For now, she is happy to take over the world and convert non-Sci-fi believers.

Her goal as an author is to touch people’s lives and help others love their differences and one another by delivering strong messages of faith, love, and hope within every outrageous world she writes about.

“I love to swim, fight for the trees, and am a food lover who is driven by my passion for life. I dream that one day my stories will change the lives of countless teenagers and have them obsess over the world literacy can offer them instead of worrying about fitting in. Never sacrifice who you are, its in the dark times that the light comes to life.”

Carlyle uses writing as a healing tool and that is why she has started her very own writers to support the event – SAIR book festival.
To be a helping hand for those who strive to become full times writers, editors, bloggers, readers, and cover artists – it’s a crazy world out there you don’t have to go it alone!
Follow @CarlyleL for all the crazy updates on all things me.

Founder of SAIR Book Festival
Co-Founder of Fire Quill Publishing.
Founder of Help build a library in South Africa. 

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a paperback copy of A BEAST SO BEAUTIFUL, with a digitally signed bookmark and a custom digital mobile screensaver – A Beast so Beautiful themed mobile screen saver with the winner’s name on it, International.
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