Shatterwing by Canberra-resident Donna Maree Hanson (
ISFDB) is the 1st novel in her Dragon Wine duology of epic wine-making fantasy with strong draconic elements, set in a somewhat post-apocalyptic oppressive dystopic realm in need of a revolution, as these post-apocalyptic oppressive dystopic realms so often are, free courtesy of publisher Pan Macmillan Australia's Momentum imprint.
The bio-blurb in the back of this says that Hanson won a Varuna Long Lines Fellowship to support the writing of this novel while it was still a work in progress (prior to being split into two parts for publication). Also, the 2nd and concluding portion,
Skywatcher, was just released this past week, which accounts for this one being promo-freebied.
Currently free @
Kobo &
iTunes (both available to Canadians, and DRM-free via Kobo), and also
directly from the publisher's webstore (DRM-free ePub/Mobi bundle available worldwide).
And this has been the (belated) selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day.
Because dragons. And also, when publishers split up what's apparently meant to be a single story into two parts for length and/or marketing reasons, it's nice to get at least one of them free, even for a limited time.
Although the entire "dragon wine" thing makes one think of broad-soled peasants crushing little baby hatchlings underfoot using their best grape-stomping vat technique.
Enjoy!
Description
Dragon wine could save them. Or bring about their destruction.
Since the moon shattered, the once peaceful and plentiful world has become a desolate wasteland. Factions fight for ownership of the remaining resources as pieces of the broken moon rain down, bringing chaos, destruction and death.
The most precious of these resources is dragon wine a life-giving drink made from the essence of dragons. But the making of the wine is perilous and so is undertaken by prisoners. Perhaps even more dangerous than the wine production is the Inspector, the sadistic ruler of the prison vineyard who plans to use the precious drink to rule the world.
There are only two people that stand in his way. Brill, a young royal rebel who seeks to bring about revolution, and Salinda, the prison’s best vintner and possessor of a powerful and ancient gift that she is only beginning to understand. To stop the Inspector, Salinda must learn to harness her power so that she and Brill can escape, and stop the dragon wine from falling into the wrong hands.