"What is Fezariu’s Epiphany?" Fezariu’s Epiphany-by David M. Brown {CONTEST}

Today I am welcoming David M. Brown to my blog to talk about his latest book and what is an Epiphany.  David will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly chosen commenter at
the end of the tour.

~~What is Fezariu’s Epiphany?

The word “epiphany” has religious connotations as a Christian feast day on 6 January, which commemorates the baby Jesus as the manifestation of the son of God. “Epiphany” is also used to describe a sudden insight or revelation, something groundbreaking or life changing, such as a scientific discovery. I wanted that element where a character has many experiences in life and only at the end are they able to fully reconcile these conflicting thought and feelings into the epiphany of the title.

Fezariu’s Epiphany began life as a very different story to what it is now. Previously Fezariu was a young man, the son of a farming family, who dreamed of fame and fortune by joining the Merelax Mercenaries – a prestigious force of hired hands and among the most accomplished warriors in Elenchera. Years later, Fezariu has seen many wars, subdued many rebellions and had his hands bloodied and dirtied by his experiences. He is a shadow of his former self and in the end he realises there is nothing heroic or romantic about war and this is his epiphany that he embraced the death that comes with war over the life that comes with farming land. Only by near losing his humanity and having little of himself left does Fezariu eventually achieve this insight.

That was the original concept but it’s completely different now. In the finished novel, Fezariu suffers many tragedies in his childhood, including the abandonment of his mother and the murder of his stepfather. He comes to believe that he is accursed and to blame for all these terrible things that have happened. He chooses to save what little family he has left by running away and taking solace in the arms of the Merelax Mercenaries. This new life is the distance Fezariu needs from his past. He is anonymous and can live his life without having to look back. Though Fezariu excels as a mercenary the past simply will not let go.

In the end Fezariu realises he must go back and face his childhood and the reason his mother abandoned him before he can bury his past for good. What is Fezariu’s epiphany? That I can’t tell you as it will spoil the story! All I can say is that Fezariu endures many ups and downs in his life but only at the end of the novel does he have the epiphany of the title and it is a life changing moment for him. It tears apart all his previous perceptions and shapes a new future, but by the time this happens Fezariu’s life is in danger and whether he survives or not is not for me to say!

Epiphanies are rare occurrences, really key and significant moments in history and in the lives of individuals. I’ve had many insights and revelations in my time, but I don’t think any of these would constitute an epiphany. Through Fezariu’s story I have lived and shared his experiences and sat on his shoulder as he experienced his own epiphany. Whether I have an epiphany of my own in future doesn’t bother me. Sharing Fezariu’s epiphany has been more than enough.
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BLURB:   
12-year-old Fezariu thought his mother died when he was little, but when his beloved stepfather dies the boy discovers she is alive and well - and working at the most famous brothel in all of Elenchera. When she cruelly rejects him it's more than he can bear, and he runs away to join a band of ruthless soldiers for hire. The Merelax Mercenaries will fight for anyone who can pay them, no matter the justice of the cause.
 
Fezariu grows up among the soldiers and becomes one of them. He thinks his time with the mercenaries has hardened him. But a campaign in his old home town pushes him too far, and he discovers what really happened to his mother. Maybe there are some things money
shouldn't buy... and maybe it's time Fezariu took his revenge.

Excerpt:
As the hours passed, Redemption slowly came back to life as families braved the streets and began the painful process of putting this latest display of insurgence to one side. Only when the last of the graves had been erected would the residents of the city be able to focus fully on maintaining the prosperous empire Eligantiar had built through its many colonies in the west. The dawn of a new day brought hope in the form of the Eligantians’ continued resilience. Many rebellions they had faced since first landing in Emeraldon but they still
remained to this day, defiant masters of the continent with the native valkayans the reluctant victims of relentless imperialism.

Only when Vintaro had exhausted his supply of Mizuansi did the trio stand and make their way back into the heart of the city. Their minds and bodies yearned for rest and the warm embrace of the nearest bed to assuage their fatigue. As the trio wandered along the streets they spoke of their first assignment, the adversities that they had faced and how together they had cemented the glowing reputation of the Merelax Mercenaries in completing their task with resounding success.

The trio parted ways when they reached the central square. Fezariu returned to the inn where General Bayard was staying and where Arshea had died. He settled in a vacant bed in General Bayard’s room, convinced he would not rest.

Fezariu thought over the choices he had made in getting to this point in his life, leaving Alycea and Edward, risking everything by pursuing his dream of becoming a mercenary, and now finding that his hopes of having no one to care for or to disappoint had failed to come to fruition. The Merelax Mercenaries, for so long Fezariu’s sanctuary and escape from the haunting memories of Clarendon, had now left him feeling vulnerable. 
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REVIEW SOUND BYTES

There are many plot twists and turns in this masterfully written book chronicling the life of a mercenary named Fezariu. Fezariu's Epiphany is a fantasy work on a grand scale in which you enter an imaginatively drawn world filled with many lands and spanning great periods of time.
Jason Sullivan - Different Outcomes and author of The Dark Yergall 


When a reader that normally does not like fantasy novels set in world with unknown names falls in love with a book from that genre, then you know the author did a spectacular job of bringing their story to life for all to enjoy. 
Talina Perkins - Bookin' It Reviews/Night Owl Reviews Night Owl Reviews "Top
pick" 


You can almost smell the filth and corruption that permeates Clarendon, a true cesspool of a city. This is a story of how a boy grows into being a man and accepting his faults and redeeming his failures. I recommend it.
William Bentrim - Azure Dwarf and author of The Adventures of Hardy Belch

AUTHOR INFORMATION:
David Brown could be considered a fantasy fanatic, especially since he has spent the last 10 years developing a 47,000-year history for his fictional world of Elenchera. When converting his obsession into literary form, David commits himself to a rigorous writing and editing process before his work can meet his approval. Combined with the critical eye of his wife and a BA Honors in History and English, David's dedication leads him to his goal of inspiring readers through heartfelt stories and characters.

Although David is inspired primarily by fantasy fiction, he also finds his muse in the form of anime, world cinema, history, and biographies. His own books, Fezariu's Epiphany and the in-progress A World Apart, combine aspects from worlds both old and new into compelling tales of a world not soon forgotten., David himself certainly does not lack a spirit of adventure; in fact, he left his job in 2007 in order to spend a month traveling. Second only to meeting and marrying his wife, David counts this as one of the most amazing experiences of his life.


LINKS:
The Elencheran Chronicles: http://elenchera.com

The World According to Dave: http://blog.elenchera.com 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/elenchera

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fezariu

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11451305-fezariu-s-epiphany(book page)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/revenge-saga 
 
Don't forget that David will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one randomly chosen commenter at the end of the tour.  You can follow the tour for more chances to win.

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