The Bloodbaths is “a Kick in the Tunic” for the Sword and Sandal Genre
Book One of Steve Libbey’s Aqua Pura Trilogy released
Portland, OR, September 29, 2007 --(PR.com)-- “Steve Libbey gives the ‘sword-and-sandal’ epic a kick in the tunic and propels it into the gestalt of the 21st century, with an everyman hero whose brains triumph over brawn,” says author Mercedes Lackey. She should know; Lackey and Libbey have been co-writing the upcoming The Secret World Chronicle novel series. Libbey’s first solo foray into novels has all the marks of a landmark debut: a fresh perspective, an evocative-yet-familiar world, and a protagonist to whom readers can relate.
Crixus Oraan is an ambitious plumber in Rond, a Romanesque world of spoiled nobility and thriving trade. In the hopes of financing the dreams of him and his fiancée, he wagers his guild’s money on a sure win—and loses. Crixus escapes as a fugitive to the ancient and mysterious continent of Minq, where he hopes to regain his status and return to his beloved.
In the first book, The Bloodbaths, Crixus hires out to the Lamiae of Nistru, a literally bloodthirsty aristocracy. Though desperate, he is a man of conscience who cannot long tolerate their parasitic reign of terror. But what can one plumber do?
“The Citizen Kane of medieval plumber novels.”
—Mykle Hansen, author of Help! A Bear Is Eating Me!
A different kind of fantasy epic, the Aqua Pura Trilogy—which will include The Quartz Odalisque and The Good King’s Tomb—forsakes magic, evil supernatural overlords, and talking animals. The world of Rond is imaginary, but the denizens are not; they are plumbers and printers, farmers and mercenaries, courtesans and crooks. “I had become disenchanted, so to speak, with the fantasy genre,” says the author. “So much of it seemed to be concerned with earth-shaking dilemmas—the ‘shadow across the land’ books, as it were. When I realized I was subconsciously hunting for stories that presented human-sized conflicts, I knew I had found a niche to write in.”
Libbey draws from a variety of sources to bring the world of Rond and Minq to life. “European, medieval fantasy in the vein of Tolkien has become so common it’s nearly transparent. I wanted Rond to be lush and vital, so I looked to ancient Rome for inspiration. Minq is what the Romans would have considered ‘barbaric’—wild city-states vying for the resources abandoned by a long-lost civilization. As Crixus and his friends journey across Minq, they will encounter legendary cannibals and advanced cities populated with steam-driven automatons.”
“The Bloodbaths is a journey to a place where both blood and water run sacred. Libbey’s writing is startling, inviting the reader to a world rife with brigands, pirates and civil engineers—a book destined to find a place in the common mythology.”
—Sou MacMillan, author of Chrysanthemum and Shallow Empire
Thousands of fans of The Secret World Chronicle who have thrilled to Libbey’s skewed, sleek and gritty approach to action literature have been eagerly awaiting this book. Now the rest of the world can discover what his readers already know about this rising star.
About the Author
Although he always knew he would end up a writer, Steve Libbey did not become serious about writing until after he had spent over a decade getting rock and roll guitar out of his system. By this time he had moved from his native Cincinnati to Atlanta and quit a band on the verge of signing to a major label. His next stop was Portland, Oregon, where he has settled into novel writing and collaborating with famed author Mercedes Lackey on The Secret World Chronicle novel series. He is currently at work on yet another novel series as well as the sequel to The Bloodbaths.
The Bloodbaths by Steve Libbey
Subatomic Books, October 6, 2007, trade paperback/$16.95
ISBN: 978-0-9793915-0-7
www.subatomicbooks.com
Contact: Charity Heller Hogge, 503.201.7782
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Crixus Oraan is an ambitious plumber in Rond, a Romanesque world of spoiled nobility and thriving trade. In the hopes of financing the dreams of him and his fiancée, he wagers his guild’s money on a sure win—and loses. Crixus escapes as a fugitive to the ancient and mysterious continent of Minq, where he hopes to regain his status and return to his beloved.
In the first book, The Bloodbaths, Crixus hires out to the Lamiae of Nistru, a literally bloodthirsty aristocracy. Though desperate, he is a man of conscience who cannot long tolerate their parasitic reign of terror. But what can one plumber do?
“The Citizen Kane of medieval plumber novels.”
—Mykle Hansen, author of Help! A Bear Is Eating Me!
A different kind of fantasy epic, the Aqua Pura Trilogy—which will include The Quartz Odalisque and The Good King’s Tomb—forsakes magic, evil supernatural overlords, and talking animals. The world of Rond is imaginary, but the denizens are not; they are plumbers and printers, farmers and mercenaries, courtesans and crooks. “I had become disenchanted, so to speak, with the fantasy genre,” says the author. “So much of it seemed to be concerned with earth-shaking dilemmas—the ‘shadow across the land’ books, as it were. When I realized I was subconsciously hunting for stories that presented human-sized conflicts, I knew I had found a niche to write in.”
Libbey draws from a variety of sources to bring the world of Rond and Minq to life. “European, medieval fantasy in the vein of Tolkien has become so common it’s nearly transparent. I wanted Rond to be lush and vital, so I looked to ancient Rome for inspiration. Minq is what the Romans would have considered ‘barbaric’—wild city-states vying for the resources abandoned by a long-lost civilization. As Crixus and his friends journey across Minq, they will encounter legendary cannibals and advanced cities populated with steam-driven automatons.”
“The Bloodbaths is a journey to a place where both blood and water run sacred. Libbey’s writing is startling, inviting the reader to a world rife with brigands, pirates and civil engineers—a book destined to find a place in the common mythology.”
—Sou MacMillan, author of Chrysanthemum and Shallow Empire
Thousands of fans of The Secret World Chronicle who have thrilled to Libbey’s skewed, sleek and gritty approach to action literature have been eagerly awaiting this book. Now the rest of the world can discover what his readers already know about this rising star.
About the Author
Although he always knew he would end up a writer, Steve Libbey did not become serious about writing until after he had spent over a decade getting rock and roll guitar out of his system. By this time he had moved from his native Cincinnati to Atlanta and quit a band on the verge of signing to a major label. His next stop was Portland, Oregon, where he has settled into novel writing and collaborating with famed author Mercedes Lackey on The Secret World Chronicle novel series. He is currently at work on yet another novel series as well as the sequel to The Bloodbaths.
The Bloodbaths by Steve Libbey
Subatomic Books, October 6, 2007, trade paperback/$16.95
ISBN: 978-0-9793915-0-7
www.subatomicbooks.com
Contact: Charity Heller Hogge, 503.201.7782
###
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Subatomic Enterprises, LLC
Charity Heller Hogge
503.201.7782
www.subatomicbooks.com
Charity Heller Hogge
503.201.7782
www.subatomicbooks.com
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