May 14, 2009

RAINGUN --- (fourth revision)

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Click here to read the first revision.
Click here to read the second revision.
Click here to read the third revision.

Even while defending neighbors from ruthless musketeers and bloodthirsty pirates, mage Rick Rivoire worries that he’s slipping into evil. His brutish humiliation of an innocent girl, and his private resentment of the credit due her for her own bravery, taints Rick’s apparent heroism. His early life’s disappointments haunt him relentlessly.

Rick resolves to remake himself with a new life. To escape the old, he joins a new cavalry regiment: one just for mages. Fighting with magic astride conjured spectral mounts, these "Rainguns" shine when bad weather disables muskets and cannon. But Rick’s orders go beyond what he expects. He is tasked not only to defend his people from evil forces, but also to support emerging policies of slavery and religious persecution. Will joining the Rainguns further Rick's plans to better himself? Or thwart them?

RAINGUN is an adult fantasy novel of 84,000 words. Thank you for your valuable time!

QUERY --- RAINGUN (third revision)

Click here to read the original query.
Click here to read the first revision.
Click here to read the second revision.
Click here to read the fourth revision.

Even while defending neighbors from ruthless musketeers and bloodthirsty pirates, mage Rick Rivoire wonders if he’s slipping right past permanent bitterness, and straight into evil. His apparent heroism feels tainted by ulterior resentments. His brutish humiliation of an innocent girl earlier that same day, haunts him. His past abuse, the neglect of his childhood, and his romantic disappointments hound his thoughts relentlessly.

Determined not to disappoint the valiant swordswoman who rescued him from torture at age nine, Rick resolves to remake himself with a new life. To escape the old, he joins a new cavalry regiment. One just for mages. They attack with magic, astride their conjured spectral mounts. These "Rainguns" shine when bad weather disables muskets and cannon.

But once signed up, Rick finds his orders to be more than he bargained for. He is tasked to not only defend his nation’s settlements from evil forces, but also to aid the powerful Governors-General’s emerging practices of slavery and religious persecution. Will joining the mysterious ranks of the Rainguns further Rick's plans to become better than he is? Or thwart them?

RAINGUN is an adult fantasy novel of 84,000 words. Thank you for your valuable time!