Free (Kindle/Kobo/iTunes) The Gift by Alison Croggon [Award-Nom YA Epic Dark Fantasy]

[ATDrake]

The Gift by South Africa-born Australia-resident Alison Croggon (ISFDB, Wikipedia) is the 1st novel in her Pellinor quartet of YA epic high fantasy adventures with apparently horror-ish elements, this installment setting up the hitherto-downtrodden heroine discovering her unsuspected heritage and accompanying powers from the usual sort of grand destiny and questing forth with her new mentor on the obligatory perilous journey against the mysterious dark forces, free courtesy of publisher Walker.

This is the current featured Free Book of the Week in the iTunes UK store, and was a 2002 Aurealis Award finalist in both the Best Fantasy and Best Horror categories.

Currently free, probably just until they rotate these things on Monday @ Amazon UK, iTunes UK (AU has a different item # which is not free), & Kobo (available in the UK and also EU/Oceania/Japan when I spot-check assorted regional stores for Amazon (maybe also Kobo; I don't feel like firing up the VPN IP proxy to check) but doesn't seem to exist in most other countries for iTunes). Probably also free at Google Play for the eligible countries.

There's also a permafreebie prequel short which is available in more countries and meant to introduce readers to the series: The Friendship, and Wikipedia tells me that the 1st novel has been published in North America by Candlewick under the title The Naming, in case interested Gentle Readers with weak georestriction circumvention-fu were looking to try it from their local libraries.

And this has been the (late!) selected 3rd (non-repeat) free ebook thread of the day.

Because it's always a real treat to receive sfnal freebies, and an award-nominated one from an international author is doubleplus good and certainly lives up to its title.

Also, happy holidays to those who celebrate them around this time of the year, or just like consuming chocolate rabbit eggs.

Enjoy!

Description
Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child when her family is destroyed in war. She is unaware that she possesses a powerful Gift, a Gift that makes her a member of the School of Pellinor. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true heritage and extraordinary destiny unfolds. Noe, she and her teacher Cadvan must survive a perilous journey through a time and place where the dark forces they battle with stem from the deepest recesses of other-worldly terror.

This epic fantasy about Maerad and her astonishing yet dangerous Gift is an unforgettable tale. Steeped in the rich and complex landscape of Annar, a legendary world few have yet discovered, it is one of literature's most exciting stories.

[septentrion]

Not free in Kobo France, alas.

[bathos]

Many thanks! I've been looking for a new fantasy series.

[Marrella]

Also free at Amazon.de.

Thanks, I got it.