Ray Strong's Blog

Wednesday through Friday thisweek, Aug 27 to 29, Impulse Fiction is discounting The Wounded Sky from $4.99 to $0.99.

Reviewers are saying this about The Wounded Sky:

 “a fantastically beautiful, brilliantly written story grounded in the most human aspects of Astria: bodily exhaustion, sharp emotion, and quiet acts of courage. I love that Astria’s endurance is as present as her sword, and Strong lets us see her as a character shaped not only by power but also by her limits. ” 5*/5 Reader’s Favorite

  If you are a fan of fantasy, then this book is for you.  5*/5 OnlineBookCLub

 “a heroine worthy of the name . . . an engaging and entertaining fantasy with fine worldbuilding and a cast of delightful, well-developed characters.”  IR Approved IndieReader

  “an inspirational depiction of a strong yet wounded heroine who perseveres despite tragedy and fights to stay true to her values . . . a rich tapestry of plots and subplots with a colorful cast of characters and a compelling sense of mystery”  US Review of Books

A cursed bond. A dyingdragon. And a choice that could doom the world.

Astria’s bond with herdragon, Zephyr, is unraveling—poisoned by a curse that is draining theirstrength and killing them slowly. Desperate for a cure, Astria infiltrates thelegendary College of Singers, where ancient songs shape reality itself. But no magiccomes without a price.

Disguised as both performerand spy, she travels from shadowed taverns to gilded courts, aided by anunlikely trio: a secretive giant, a sharp-tongued dwarf, and the hauntingmemory of the warrior-prince who cursed her. Their only lead lies with the barbarianHordes—enemies she once swore to fight—and the cure is a bargain only her enemycan grant. As war brews and time runs out, Astria must decide: betrayeverything she’s fought for to save Zephyr—and herself—or let the curse consumethem both while civilization falls to Darkness.

Book Two of The Dragons’War series, The Wounded Sky is a soaring tale of sacrifice,survival, and the fierce magic of love.

 Wow! Zephyr's Flight is a Best Seller in not 1, not 2, but 3 categories. We're going to celebrate!

My ebook Zephyr’sFlight is available on BookBub for $0.99 for a limited time! Subscribeto BookBub for free to access amazing ebook deals from your favorite authors.Go to the link below to snag Zephyr’s Flight before the saleis over! Get it HERE.

TheBook of Chaos, Book 3 of the Dragon’s War series, is available for Preorder

Asher mother dies in her arms, she tells Diana of a dark artifact wieldedby the Emperor of Suleria to spread corruption and conquer nations. To avengeher mother and protect her homeland, Diana sets out to find its only rumoredcounterforce—a rival book of magic lost to legend—The Book of Chaos.

Hi,

Thisis the third book in The Dragons' War series, that begins with Zephyr's Flight.Though it is part of the series, Diana's adventures can be enjoyed withoutrelying on the first two in the series. It's the same world (Juro) and the sametime as Astrid, so of course ... I can say no more or risk spoiling the story.

Thelaunch date is August 11, 2025. I posted Chapter 1 of The Book of Chaosat BookFunnel.

Ifyou can’t wait, and want to leave a review, you can download an advanced reviewcopy (ARC) at NetGalley or Edelweiss.

Or,if you’re willing to wait, you can preorder The Book of Chaos at Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Vivlio, Gardners, Fable, Baker & Taylor, OverDrive, Thalia, or Tolino. (Amazon will come inAugust.)

Andif you’ve read Zephyr’s Flight or The Wounded Sky, don’t forget to leave arating on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Happyreading,

Ray

Andif you’re interested in other fantasy reading, check these out.

Fun Fantasy and SciFi Tales

Fantasticrealms

July Fantasy SciFi

SciFiFantasy

The Wounded Sky is live now at Amazon and other major retailers:

Amazon,Apple Books Barnes & Noble, Kobo,  Vivlio, and Fable.

Don't wait. Enjoy it now!

In case you haven't picked up an excerpt at BookFunnel or the ARC at NetGalley or Edelweiss, I cut out a section of chapter 1 for you.

...

Livoik had settled into its early-afternoon rhythm with therap of hammers and calls of craftworkers when Astria found its dusty mainstreet. The town was small, with only the Inne of Three Bastards exceeding asingle floor. Adorned with baubles and surrounded by gifts of food stood ashrine with a three-headed goddess in an alcove between buildings. Past theshops and dry-goods store, she followed the smell of burning dirt to theblacksmith where the traveling doctor had set up his temporary practice.

The smith’s fire was hot but the anvil quiet as Astriajoined the line outside the door and listened hard to the chatter of others tounderstand. A spindly young woman in a tunic came to each, spoke to them, andchanged their place in line. From their actions, Astria decoded the words untilthe girl stood in front of her.

“Your ailment?” the girl asked.

“A curse,” Astria said, to which the girl rolled her eyesand tapped her foot until she offered an alternative. “A poison.”

The girl raised her eyebrows, took Astria’s arm, and hurriedher to the front of the line. “How long ago?”

“A year,” Astria said, after which the girl frowned andreturned her to the end of the line. There, even as new patients arrived andwere sorted, Astria remained.

As she waited, men carrying a stretcher rushed past with anunconscious man with one leg bandaged at the knee. Another arrived with a wristat an unnatural angle, and later, a child groaned with one hand on a swollencheek and his other gripping his mother’s pocket. None carried weapons or toolsthat might be used in defense.

Short cries of pain and muffled screams echoed from insidethe blacksmith’s shop, and patients walked out with splints, bandages, orlimping on a new crutch, none of them smiling. Men carried the stretcher outwith the man on it one leg short, and the child left with his mother and abloody rag in his mouth. Not wanting any of those outcomes, but with noalternative, Astria waited.

As sundown approached, the line of patients decreased, andthe girl led the last patient out the door. “The doctor will come to examineyour horse tomorrow,” she said to the man.

With the glow from the fire tinting her tunic red orange,the girl turned to Astria, her palm open. Into it, Astria placed Tor’s note.

“So the college will pay our fee, then?” the girl asked witha raised eyebrow. When Astria did not reply, the girl stuffed the note in herpocket with a pile of others. “So be it.”

Inside, on a stool by the fire, sat a gray-haired man in awhite tunic stained with splotches of red and greenish yellow, and Astriaturned away to curb her imagination. A box behind him opened to a portablecabinet with many tiny drawers, each labeled with unfamiliar runes. On theanvil lay a bronze saw next to needles, probes, and blades in a tray of bloodywater and, near the fire, a pile of stained rags. Next to them sat the girl whopointed to a chair opposite the doctor for Astria to sit.

“My daughter tells me you were poisoned,” the doctor said.“Your symptoms?”

“Numbness at the wound. Sporadic delirium and a spreadingstain.”

“Spider bites often cause confusion, but only for a day. Therock korkimon or the winsover scorpion can leave a lasting stain near thewound. When did this occur?”

“A year past,” the girl said.

The doctor frowned. “Our aim is to remove poisons and venomsbefore they get into your system. Once they’re systemic, we have limitedoptions. Rarely does the event occur when I am near, and most victims die orrecover on their own.”

“Do you have treatments?” Astria asked.

“Some. But antivenoms are hard to make. They require timeand a sample of the venom. Do you know what bit you?”

Astria nodded. “A crossbow bolt.”

“Ah. Delivery by a weapon implies manufacture and might be amix of venoms and poisons working in concert. Do you know what was in it?”

“No.”

“Well, if it’s taken a year, it’s slow, so it’s travelingthrough your flesh, not your blood. Bleeding you won’t help. May I see thewound?”

Astria frowned with a deep furrow between her eyes. Showhim the thing most likely to betray me?

He glanced at his daughter, smirked, and opened his handspalms up. “Come, come. You can’t expect me to treat you without seeing yourwound.”

The dinner bell tolled at the college, but Astria would notbe put off. “In confidence?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said, and beside him, the girl nodded.

Astria pulled up her jumper to expose the purple wound whichglimmered in the firelight. Using a wooden probe, the doctor prodded and pokedher thigh and pelvis around the purple corona but did not touch it. Frowning,he pulled on his ear.

“I’ve not seen anything like this.” He pointed back to hisportable cabinet. “I have antidotes for most poisons. But treatment requiresknowledge of the specific one. The wrong antidote might kill you.” He pokedaround the purple stain again. “Perhaps we could cut it out, but it’s not clearhow deep it goes.”

“Find out,” Astria said.

He looked to his daughter, who nodded, reached into a clothbag for a leather strap, and handed the strap to Astria. At the same time, thegirl removed a knife from the tray and sharpened it with slow, circular motionson a whetstone.

“This may hurt,” he said. “Do I need to put you to sleep?”

What might happen to me at the mercy of strangers with somany blades? “No.”

“Bite on the strap,” he instructed as he took the knife.

The knife was razor sharp, and Astria did not feel theincision. As he began, his eyes were bright with interest, and the girl leanedcloser.

But as he cut, their faces changed to wide eyes and openmouths. The girl stood and her stool fell behind her, and the doctor pushed hisstool back. Astria followed his eyes, which went to the knife in his hand,where the purple stain seemed to crawl toward his fingers. He dropped the knifein the dirt and stepped back while examining his hands. Without a word, hegrabbed the knife with the blacksmith’s tongs and threw it into the fire. Thegirl handed Astria a bandage, and the pair immediately doused their hands withbrandy and washed them with the smith’s gritty soap.

Astria looked at the cut, which quickly sealed withcongealed purple rather than blood. Over the cut, she applied the bandage andcovered her thigh. After inspecting the area, the doctor and the girl satagain. But this time, his face was drawn.

“Why do you shy from continuing?” Astria asked.

“Your wound is more extensive under your skin,” he said.“And I suspect it surrounds your blood vessels.”

“Can you cut it out?”

He pursed his lips. “Only if we amputate your leg and pelvisfrom the waist, and that would kill you.”

“And there’s nothing more you can do?”

“I’m sorry, no,” he said.

“What about other doctors or healers?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I was trained in the Imperium, andthere’s likely no place other than Capitolia to the south or Branwyn to thesouthwest where you might find someone with more knowledge than me or anapothecary with more cures.”

“Where are these places?”

“Both are many months away by wagon and dangerous journeysalone.”

Then much farther than Vandrare can fly without theberries. “What about alchemists?”

“They promise eternal life, but their elixirs often deliveronly an upset stomach and the runs.”

“Do they visit here?”

He smiled. “You rarely find them along a doctor’s route.”

“Sorcerers?”

He shook his head. “There are shrines nearby to Junera andMadema to offer sacrifices if you are inclined to miracles . . .”

And I should pray to the gods who turned their backs onme. What hope is that?

“Or perhaps a priest,” he said.

Astria rose to leave. “Thank you.”

As she walked out the door, Astria turned back to see thegirl burning everything that had touched Astria, and the doctor hastily packingtheir things.

 Hi

The Wounded Sky will launch tomorrow, 6/16. To celebrate, Impulse Fiction is dropping the price of the eBook from  $4.99 to $2.99 this week. 

The Amazon link to Zehphyr's Flight is here.(It may take a few hours for Amazon to update, so please be patient!)

Retailer links to The Wounded Sky are here 

Amazon, Apple Books Barnes & Noble, Kobo,  Vivlio, and Fable.

Join in the celebration and happy reading.

Ray

The cure lies with her enemy. The cost could doom them all.

Hi,

We’rereally excited! TheWounded Sky, Book 2 in the Dragons’ War series, will launch next Monday,June 16.

Theoriginal title for The Wounded Sky was Zephyr’s Legacy, because inBook 1 … (oops, spoiler deleted by the publisher). You can get a copy of TheWounded Sky at NetGalley or Edelweissnow if you’re willing to leave a review.

Also,just around the bend on August 11 is the launch of the third book in theseries, The Book of Chaos. Thatstory is about Diana who plots vengeance against the strongest empire on Juro becausethey killed her mother. Her weapon: a rumored book of magic called the Book ofChaos that only the empress can use. Diana’s path crosses with Astria’s.  You can read a teaser at Book Funnel.

Warwaits for no one! Read Zephyr’sFlight today, and preorder TheWounded Sky.

Happyreading,

RayStrong

Authorof Zephyr’s Flight

ps: And if you’d like to explore some fantasy reads for the summer, consider these.

Theadventure continues—new praise, new chapter, new dragons.

Hi,

Book2 in the Dragons’ War series, The Wounded Sky, is now available on Amazon preorderhere. The launch date is justa week away on June 16.

 Also,Zephyr’s Flight received a starred review from BlueInk Reviews, their highesthonor. Below are some excerpts.

“Zephyr’s Flight, … is an exciting, immersive story packed with action, dangerand magic. The novel is intricately structured and concisely written, featuringconsistently amazing worldbuilding, with the peoples, culture and traditions ofInvernell and the wider world of Juro beautifully realized throughout.

 “Astria’s courage, resilience and independencein the face of overwhelming prejudice and expectation ensures that readersremain fully engaged and invested as she progresses on her perilous journey ofself-actualization. 

“Anexceptional romantic fantasy, Zephyr’s Flight will appeal to fans of fantasyfiction seeking to commit to a promising new series.”

StarredReview, BlueInk Review  

Back to business: Ifyou’ve already finished reading — or even just started — I’d love it if youcould take a moment to leave a quick review. Reviews help new readersdiscover the book and give this launch the momentum it needs. (Amazon review linkhere)

Andif you have an interest in more fantasy reads for the summer, check these out.

Thankyou for flying with Zephyr.

RayStrong

Authorof Zephyr’s Flight

Link to Zephyr’s Flight.

Link to The Wounded Sky

Justa reminder: If you’ve already finished reading Zephyr’sFlight, please take a moment to leave a quick review at Amazonor Goodreads.

Also,Impulse Fiction announces Book 2 in the Dragons’ War series, The Wounded Sky,is available now at most major retailers. The launch date for TWS is June 16,2025, a few weeks from now.

Apple Books 

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Vivlio

Fable

Also,if you are interested in reviewing The Wounded Sky, ARCs (Advanced ReviewCopies) are available at NetGalley,Edelweiss, and BookSirens.

Amazonpreorder for The Wounded Sky will be available June 8, 2025.

Happy reading! 

It’sfinally here! Zephyr’s Flight  is live on all theretail sites, including Amazon!

I’mbeyond excited to share this story with the world, and I’m so grateful you’vebeen part of the journey.

Ifyou’ve already read an advanced copy — or even just started — I’d love itif you could take a moment to leave a quick review. 

Reviewshelp new readers discover the book and give this launch the momentum it needs.

Evenjust a sentence or two makes a huge impact. The button is below to help youout.

Thankyou again for your support — and for flying with Zephyr.

Withall my gratitude,

RayStrong