The Final Decree by Shami Stovall | $25 Giveaway-Excerpt-Review
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
The Final Decree by Shami Stovall
Published by Capital Station Books on 10/12/2021
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Myths & Legends
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 429
The Kingdom of Luka is controlled by the decrees of God-King Eliezer. Break one and become a twisted monster or serve forever, loyal to the crown. From the author of Frith Chronicles and Star Marque Rising, comes a new fantasy epic.
Luka is a kingdom ruled by rigid magic. When God-King Eliezer utters a decree, it’s the law of the land, no matter how subtle or outrageous. Those who break the decrees suffer the god-king’s curse—their bodies twist into nightmarish monsters of devastation and hunger, forever a blight upon humanity.
The magic knows when a decree is violated, the moment it happens.
There are no exceptions. No loopholes. No escape.
Artemisia, a mysterious girl on the run from God-King Eliezer’s Holy Guard, is cursed and doesn’t know why. Fortunately, she has yet to change into a fell beast, but that isn't a comfort. She could transform at any moment, and the resulting monster would destroy everything she cares for.
Desperate and fearful, Artemisia finds herself captured by a group of monster hunters led by Rylion Nasos, a man of superhuman strength and skill. When Artemisia displays magic of her own—magic that threatens God-King Eliezer’s rule—an agreement is made to confront the crown, despite the horrors it could unleash.
Cursed be the man who disobeys the god-king’s direct command.
Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Kindle Unlimited
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Excerpt from The Final Decree
When I awoke, it was to the glorious crackle of fire.
I loved the brilliant glow brought about by the flames. Fire had a special meaning to me. No force compared to the heat and radiance, and while fire could be a tool, no man could conquer it. Sure, it could be snuffed, but the blaze of the sun reminded us that it would never be beaten.
I stared at the stone hearth. The small flames licked at the black logs, a gentle glow brought about by their dance. The sofa I rested on creaked with my movements as I turned to get a better look. I sat up and examined my new blanket—a woven cloth of moons and stars, perhaps a child’s aid to learning the night sky.
“You’re awake.”
I flinched and held the blanket close. I hadn’t bothered to examine the rest of the room, and I cursed myself for such folly.
“It’s all right. You’re safe here.”
Shaken and confused, I stared at the man standing by the far wall. He was tall and gaunt, but wiry. He had curly chestnut hair, but the curls were so small and tight, they clung close to his head. I would have guessed his age at eighteen, maybe nineteen, and he offered a smile. I pressed myself against the armrest of the sofa. He wasn’t the man who had carried me off the streets. He sounded different.
“My name is Wulfric,” he said, his voice boisterous.
He walked over to the sofa with excited energy in each step. My grip tightened on the blanket, my nails indenting my palms through the fabric. I offered him a glower and nothing more, my heart beating hard against my ribs.
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Purchase Links for The Final Decree
Bookshop/IndieBound AppleBooks/iTunes
The Book Depository Waterstones
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My thoughts on The Final Decree
It’s the first week of January, and I’m ready to declare The Final Decree in the running for one of the best books of the year!
The Final Decree isn’t the first book I have read from Shami Stovall, and it won’t be the last. This one lives up to her high standards of world-building, character development, and engaging plots. I also want to mention the great editing. Nothing takes me out of a story faster than typos and misspellings. You won’t find these in a Stovall book.
As for reading the book, the pace is naturally slow in the beginning while the world develops and the character introductions take place. It takes time to get these aspects right. Even with the slower pace, I could not put it down. Once the storyline is set and the pacing picks up, the book is genuinely gripping.
Artemisia is an intriguing main character, and for the most part, the story is told from her point of view. I sometimes wanted to yell at her, but I never stopped rooting for her. Rylion’s strength and compassion complement Artemisia’s heart quite well. He’s a hero of epic proportions. The many other characters range from minor players to mid-levels that I would love to learn more about in future books.
Do not miss this book if you are a fan of well-told epic fantasy novels. The Final Decree is worth every penny in price and every minute you spend reading.
I read the book through the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program.
I also received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Shami Stovall
Shami Stovall grew up in California’s central valley with a single mother and little brother. Despite no one in her family having a degree higher than a GED, she put herself through college (earning a BA in History), and then continued on to law school where she obtained her Juris Doctorate. As a child,
Stovall enjoyed every portal fantasy, space opera, and magic series she could get her hands on, but the first novel to spark her imagination was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. The adventure on a deserted island opened her mind to ideas and realities she had never given thought before—and it was the moment Stovall realized that story telling (specifically fiction) became her passion. Anything that told a story, especially fantasy series and military science fiction, be it a movie, book, video game or comic, she had to experience.
Now, as a professor and author, Stovall wants to add her voice to the myriad of stories in the world. Everything from sorcerers, to robots, to fantasy wars--she just hopes you enjoy.
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Giveaway!
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Full Tour Schedule:
December 8: Bibliomaniac Aza
December 15: White Sky Project
December 29: Novels Alive
December 29: The Faerie Review
January 5: Gina Rae Mitchell
January 5: Kit ‘N Kabookle
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Purchase The Final Decree online from a local book store.
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Easy Amazon Links
The Final DecreeShop on Amazon Kindle 
The Final DecreeShop on Amazon Audiobook
The Final DecreeShop on Amazon Paperback 
The Final DecreeShop on Amazon Hardcover
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I like the cover and excerpt. Thanks for sharing!
Congrats on your recent release of The Final Decree, Shami, I enjoyed the excerpt and following the tour and learning about your book, which sounds like an exciting read fantasy for me! Good luck with your book and I hope the tour was a success! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks Gina, for sharing your thoughts! Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for stopping by Eva!
This sounds great
I really enjoyed it! Good luck on the giveaway.
Thanks for hosting!
I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!
Thanks, Jenny. Maybe it’s just what I needed to distract myself? But I always like books by Shami.