Guinevere: Bright Shadow by Sarah Provost | $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card | Arthurian Historical Fantasy
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Guinevere: Bright Shadow by Sarah Provost Published by Liminal Books on December 13, 2022
Genres: Arthurian, Fiction, Fantasy
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 371
“You may think you know my story. My name has been bandied in ballads and jests, for good and (mostly) for ill. High Queen, priestess, adulterer… but first and always a woman. Courage and honor shaped me; ecstasy transported me; grief, betrayal and terror tempered me.
“My loyalty to the Goddess was supreme. But as the new religion took hold, the pagan way was threatened with extinction. There were those on both sides who would use me as a pawn in that battle, even if it meant taking my life.
“Yes, I bear my portion of blame. I loved Arthur, and I loved Lancelot, will I or no. But that was only one element in the impending chaos. Britain was divided, my love was divided, and such divisions cannot endure. I did everything in my power – and learned new powers – to prevent an all-out war. But would it be enough?”
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Excerpt from Guinevere: Bright Shadow
We heard footsteps in the corridor. Thinking it was the guard come to take us for sentencing, we stood and faced the door. But it was Edalwurf who stood there.
“What are you doing here?” I asked coldly.
“I have come to save you, Madam,” the bishop replied. “By law, the punishment for a woman who commits treason is death at the stake. But you have many friends, myself included, who do not wish to see you suffer. I have come to tell you that you can be spared.” Catlin tensed, then slumped back. She knew what was coming, and so did I.
“You are to be my savior?” I asked.
“Not I, Madam, but the Savior of all. Accept His mercy, which he offers to even the most loathsome sinner. Repent, vow yourself to the Christ and you shall be saved both in heaven and here on earth.”
“So if I submit myself to your authority, I can live out my life in a convent. If I do not, I am consigned to the flames?” He nodded.
I walked to the door, pounded on it for the guard. “I’d rather burn.”
I admit I was startled by the expression that met my declaration. It was not rage or frustration or even pity, which would have been surprising enough. It was satisfaction. This man had no interest whatever in saving my soul. He would be delighted to see me burn. “As you wish, Madam,” he murmured, and went out.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Guinevere: Bright Shadow
Amazon – OneLink for every country
Guinevere: Bright ShadowShop on Amazon
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Sarah Provost
Sarah Provost is a poet, playwright, screenwriter and novelist, currently living and working in upstate New York.
A collection of poems, Inland, Thinking of Waves, was published by the Cleveland State University Press. Her stage plays have been produced off-Broadway, in London, Los Angeles, and states beginning with K. No screenplays have been produced, but she made a decent living writing for Paramount, Disney, HBO and others until Hollywood broke her heart.
After a period of recuperation and relocation to a place with much worse weather, she began writing Guinevere: Bright Shadow, her first novel. A second novel, The Real Girl, is in progress.
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Purchase Guinevere: Bright Shadow online from a local bookstore.
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Easy Amazon Info Link
Amazon – OneLink for every country
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Amazon – Canada
Amazon – UK
Amazon – France
Amazon – Germany
If your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links, please send me a note. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a very small amount out of their share.
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Giveaway!
The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Guinevere: Bright Shadow
Full Tour Schedule:
December 26: Gina Rae Mitchell
December 27: Fabulous and Brunette
December 28: Kit ‘N Kabookle
December 29: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
December 30: The Key Of Love
January 2: Sandra’s Book Club
January 2: Westveil Publishing
January 3: All the Ups and Downs
January 3: Long and Short Reviews
January 4: Novels Alive review
January 5: Sybrina’s Book Blog
January 6: Joanne Guidoccio
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The book sounds wonderful. Love the cover!
Me too, Piroska. The cover is great.
What a lovely cover – so very pretty.
Thanks again, Gina, for hosting this, and thanks to all who stopped by. Hope you have a happy and book-filled New Year.
interesting book
Thanks! Years of research, but I loved every minute of it.
Great excerpt and giveaway. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by today, Cali!
Thanks, Cali! Glad you like it.
I like the excerpt and cover.
Thanks, Rita. Here’s the prologue:
There comes a time in late winter when the hills lie bare as bone and days follow each other like a steady drip of cold water. All manner of religious folk hold rites then, to coax back the sun or heal the old king or kill him to make way for the new. Though I am a priestess, there is nothing for me in that season but despair. It seems the skies will be slate forever, and the clouds hang heavy as millstones. Yet year by year the new life springs, and I am always astonished when ferns uncurl, and primrose and cowslip and purple thrift emerge from the sodden hills.
I used to think that if I watched carefully enough, I could glimpse them as they arched their way through dirt. There must be a moment when they appear, pale and tentative in the weak sunlight. I wanted to see that moment, but I never did.
What happened to us—the jumble of joy and evil, beauty and pain—happened like that. I thought if I watched closely, took account all the while, I’d know when it began, when it was ended, which of us to comfort, which to blame. I am old now. The story is over, all but the last cold fact, and I still don’t know.
There must be a way to cast the sum, to go back and say ‘This is how it happened. This is why. This is the result.’ There must be a way to tell the story whole, and put it to peace.
Thanks for hosting!
I love forward to reading a Sarah Provost book just written by her.
Thanks, Audrey! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
Hello, friends! Thank you for stopping by, and a huge THANK YOU to Gina for hosting us. I’m eager to hear your questions and comments. Are you a fan of the Arthurian legends in general, or particularly interested in Guinevere? I’ve always thought she got a raw deal, and have wanted all my adult life to tell her story.
You are most welcome, Sarah. I’m happy to have you here today. I’ve always loved Arthurian tales, although I’ve not read many from Guinevere’s POV.
It’s true that there aren’t many. That’s part of the reason why I wanted to write mine. All through history, (mostly male) authors have blamed her for the fall of Britain. I wanted to show her side of the story.
What a great point of view — I love the goddess emphasis! When/how did you get inspired to write her story? Can’t wait to hear more.
Thanks, Lily. I’ve always loved the Arthurian stories, but in my early 20s I began to read more widely, and I hated that the Victorian male authors always blamed Guinevere’s adultery for the fall of Britain and completely gave Arthur, Mordred, Merlin and others who really were to blame a free pass. The more I read, the more interested I became in the conflict between pagans and Christians, which led to the final battle. The story is so much more complex than usually presented.
I was only able to fit in a Spotlight for the tour, but I hope to read the book quite soon and leave you a full review.
Wonderful! Thank you!
I think that Bright Shadow by Sarah Provost would be a fascinating book to read.
Thanks, Nancy! I certainly enjoyed writing it.