Thank you for joining us on our first Super Middle Grade Monday feature for The Three Thorns, a Middle Grade by Michael Gibney (24 February 2015, Month9Books, LLC, 300 pages). This is the first book in the The Brotherhood and the Shield series.
PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below, as well as the audio excerpts from chapters nine, eighteen, twenty and twentythree. Read several chapters with Amazon Look Inside.
Tantrum Books and Month9Books will be awarding one digital copy of The Three Thorns (The Brotherhood and the Shield #1) by Michael Gibney to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Synopsis | Audio Excerpts | Teaser | The Series | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway
Synopsis
Three brothers born to a once powerful King were abandoned at birth and cast out into the old world as orphans - alone and unaware of the other's existence or their royal heritage.In the new world, by order of the false King, three of the most lethal assassins are sent to kill the children before they come of age and avenge their father’s throne.
But when the brothers find one another, Benjamin, Tommy and Sebastian must resist the temptation of magic and power if they are to defeat the unspeakable evil that has threatened them since birth.
The Three Thorns is book one in an exciting children’s fantasy series called The Brotherhood and the Shield from début author Michael Gibney.
Teaser: Excerpt
The transition for Tommy hadn’t been anywhere near as hellish as what Jennings encountered. It was comfortably quick, and before he knew it, he stepped out of the same rugged oak tree doorway the very way he had entered it. The only difference was he was now covered in soil and plant roots from head to toe, which clung to his clothes even when he tried to brush them off.
The roots were alive and made Tommy squeamish, as he plucked each one off him. The large gateway door closed over, changing into solid oak again. Once his vision cleared, Tommy gazed in wonder at the most beautiful skies one could ever have dreamed of. Clear purple heavens lit up a beautiful white stone that lay ahead of him.
The thought of discovering this new world excited him. Trees surrounded him, but these were not like the withered and mossy trees that surrounded Jacob O’Malley’s farmland. These trees appeared to ignite their surroundings like candlelight, reflecting the golden brown leaves that covered their roots. Spectacular colors enhanced the main pathway that lay behind the white rock. Strong, pleasant smells of rosemary and incense rose around him and cleared the remaining residue of stench the horrid assassins had left.
Tommy was exhilarated. The smells grew stronger with every breath he took. His body began adjusting to the atmosphere, when he fell onto his hands and knees, vomiting what little he had eaten earlier in the old world.
“Your body is just adapting to the new air,” a tiny high-pitched voice called out.
Tommy slowly got to his feet when he heard the strange voice.
“Who’s there?” he asked. There was a short silence, and Tommy found himself wondering what had happened to the rest of the group. Feeling isolated in a strange looking place gripped him with an unsettling feeling.
Rustling came from the gorgeous woodlands to the right of him along with the sounds of small feet puttering close by.
“Show yourself,” he demanded.
The creature seemed to defy gravity the moment it appeared on top of the white rock, leaping gracefully. “Don’t be alarmed, we are safe for now,” it said, scouting around for any sign of unwanted trouble.
It took a little while for Tommy to recognize his friend. “Peter?” Tommy gasped.
Peter’s ears stretched into a straight point like the east and west points of a compass, revealing white fluffy hair all over them with the exception of a black lined streak. His hair was whiter than ever, reflecting the forest lights in the background. Tommy noticed that even Peter’s attire was different. Sticks, leaves and branches, all finely stripped, made up his clothes, with ripped leggings and brown boots. But the most peculiar characteristic about Peter was in his face. The face now appeared too feminine to belong to a boy.
“What happened to your ears?” Tommy asked.
The creature kicked its feet high into the air and laughed as it rolled upon its back.
“What are you?” Tommy asked, with a light hesitance.
“I’m a nymph. My real name is Ariel,” came her soft reply. “I was sent to the old world disguised as one of you, to guide you back to Abasin.”
“What is this all about?” he asked.
“It is not for my lips to tell, little Master … we don’t know who could be listening,” she whispered. “But you will know everything soon.”
“Shouldn’t we go back through the tree?” Tommy suggested, pointing at the great oak, only to discover that it had shrunk and changed to a shrub.
“Why would we want to do that?” She laughed. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to things here,” she said, leading the way onto the colorful leafy road. “We must get moving, I’m taking you to the Stained Castle. All will be revealed to you then.”
She knelt to the ground and rummaged through several leaves to pull out a living vegetable from its root.
“Where are we?” Tommy asked.
“We’re in the new world,” she announced, showing Tommy lands as far as he could see from the top of the white rock. “This is Abasin.”
“It’s so big,” Tommy gasped.
“You’ve no idea,” Ariel replied excitably. “Take this, it will build up your strength,” she added, handing Tommy the vegetable plant creature. Its legs moved, but the body of the vegetable seemed unresponsive.
“Yuck! What is this?” Tommy gasped in disgust, holding one of the squirming tentacles up by the tips of his fingers.
The nymph sighed. “It’s food. You have to eat,” she ordered.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Just eat, Thomas. The sooner you eat, the sooner you will feel better, and the sooner we can get moving on to the castle,” she called back, impatiently.
Tommy closed his eyes tight and braced himself to take his first bite of the vegetable. The tentacles flopped lifelessly to one side. It had a sweet texture mixed with an incredible savoury taste that took the nausea away from him almost instantly.
“What about Benjamin and Sebastian?” he asked, sounding a little more alert.
“We had to separate you. It’s safer that way until we meet at the castle,” came her quick reply.
“But we all went through the same way,” Tommy insisted, sounding doubtful. The nymph took another look at the messy boy who had food stains on his chin.
“Like I said, you’ll get used to how things work here,” she tittered. “Don’t worry. There will be other protectors at their gateways to guide them to the Stained Castle.”
“What’s the Stained Castle?”
“It’s a safe fortress that once belonged to a great king, long before these dark ages consumed it,” she explained.
Tommy couldn’t help but pose more questions to the nymph, his mind growing evermore interested in the fascinating new world of Abasin. But out of the numerous questions he had buzzing around his head, Tommy Joel knew which one concerned him most.
“How far is it to this castle then?”
The roots were alive and made Tommy squeamish, as he plucked each one off him. The large gateway door closed over, changing into solid oak again. Once his vision cleared, Tommy gazed in wonder at the most beautiful skies one could ever have dreamed of. Clear purple heavens lit up a beautiful white stone that lay ahead of him.
The thought of discovering this new world excited him. Trees surrounded him, but these were not like the withered and mossy trees that surrounded Jacob O’Malley’s farmland. These trees appeared to ignite their surroundings like candlelight, reflecting the golden brown leaves that covered their roots. Spectacular colors enhanced the main pathway that lay behind the white rock. Strong, pleasant smells of rosemary and incense rose around him and cleared the remaining residue of stench the horrid assassins had left.
Tommy was exhilarated. The smells grew stronger with every breath he took. His body began adjusting to the atmosphere, when he fell onto his hands and knees, vomiting what little he had eaten earlier in the old world.
“Your body is just adapting to the new air,” a tiny high-pitched voice called out.
Tommy slowly got to his feet when he heard the strange voice.
“Who’s there?” he asked. There was a short silence, and Tommy found himself wondering what had happened to the rest of the group. Feeling isolated in a strange looking place gripped him with an unsettling feeling.
Rustling came from the gorgeous woodlands to the right of him along with the sounds of small feet puttering close by.
“Show yourself,” he demanded.
The creature seemed to defy gravity the moment it appeared on top of the white rock, leaping gracefully. “Don’t be alarmed, we are safe for now,” it said, scouting around for any sign of unwanted trouble.
It took a little while for Tommy to recognize his friend. “Peter?” Tommy gasped.
Peter’s ears stretched into a straight point like the east and west points of a compass, revealing white fluffy hair all over them with the exception of a black lined streak. His hair was whiter than ever, reflecting the forest lights in the background. Tommy noticed that even Peter’s attire was different. Sticks, leaves and branches, all finely stripped, made up his clothes, with ripped leggings and brown boots. But the most peculiar characteristic about Peter was in his face. The face now appeared too feminine to belong to a boy.
“What happened to your ears?” Tommy asked.
The creature kicked its feet high into the air and laughed as it rolled upon its back.
“What are you?” Tommy asked, with a light hesitance.
“I’m a nymph. My real name is Ariel,” came her soft reply. “I was sent to the old world disguised as one of you, to guide you back to Abasin.”
“What is this all about?” he asked.
“It is not for my lips to tell, little Master … we don’t know who could be listening,” she whispered. “But you will know everything soon.”
“Shouldn’t we go back through the tree?” Tommy suggested, pointing at the great oak, only to discover that it had shrunk and changed to a shrub.
“Why would we want to do that?” She laughed. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to things here,” she said, leading the way onto the colorful leafy road. “We must get moving, I’m taking you to the Stained Castle. All will be revealed to you then.”
She knelt to the ground and rummaged through several leaves to pull out a living vegetable from its root.
“Where are we?” Tommy asked.
“We’re in the new world,” she announced, showing Tommy lands as far as he could see from the top of the white rock. “This is Abasin.”
“It’s so big,” Tommy gasped.
“You’ve no idea,” Ariel replied excitably. “Take this, it will build up your strength,” she added, handing Tommy the vegetable plant creature. Its legs moved, but the body of the vegetable seemed unresponsive.
“Yuck! What is this?” Tommy gasped in disgust, holding one of the squirming tentacles up by the tips of his fingers.
The nymph sighed. “It’s food. You have to eat,” she ordered.
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Just eat, Thomas. The sooner you eat, the sooner you will feel better, and the sooner we can get moving on to the castle,” she called back, impatiently.
Tommy closed his eyes tight and braced himself to take his first bite of the vegetable. The tentacles flopped lifelessly to one side. It had a sweet texture mixed with an incredible savoury taste that took the nausea away from him almost instantly.
“What about Benjamin and Sebastian?” he asked, sounding a little more alert.
“We had to separate you. It’s safer that way until we meet at the castle,” came her quick reply.
“But we all went through the same way,” Tommy insisted, sounding doubtful. The nymph took another look at the messy boy who had food stains on his chin.
“Like I said, you’ll get used to how things work here,” she tittered. “Don’t worry. There will be other protectors at their gateways to guide them to the Stained Castle.”
“What’s the Stained Castle?”
“It’s a safe fortress that once belonged to a great king, long before these dark ages consumed it,” she explained.
Tommy couldn’t help but pose more questions to the nymph, his mind growing evermore interested in the fascinating new world of Abasin. But out of the numerous questions he had buzzing around his head, Tommy Joel knew which one concerned him most.
“How far is it to this castle then?”
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Author Q&A
Describe your book in three words."Exciting. Dark. Original."Which writers inspire you?
"Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, John Grisham, C.S. Lewis, Charles Dickens, Peter Benchley, William Peter Blatty, J.M. Barrie & James Herbert. Oh, of course, Shakespeare."What is your writing process like?
"I see visual images in my mind’s eye very vividly. It’s like I mentally walk into a dark movie theatre in my mind, an old 1920’s movie theatre and sit alone in the middle of a gigantic room amidst hundreds of empty seats. The cinema screen is blank (white) until the projector begins to play a movie. It is the movie that would entertain, thrill and touch me emotionally and I simply write down what I see."
About the Author
Michael Gibney began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen and assumed his first sous chef position at twenty-two. He ascended to executive sous chef at Tavern on the Green, where he managed an eighty-person staff. He has worked in the kitchens of Morgans Hotel Group, 10 Downing in Manhattan, and Governor in Brooklyn’s DUMBO, among many others. Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to work alongside cooks and chefs from many of the nation’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Bouley, Ducasse, Corton, wd~50, and Momofuku.
In addition to his experience in the food service industry, Gibney also holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Giveaway
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