Release Blitz, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway:
Daybreak by Iris Foxglove
Immortals Descending, Book 3
Cillian Aislinn is elated when he receives an invitation to dance for a renowned patron of the arts, Lady Thora, in a beautiful lakeside manor in the hills of Kallistos. But all is not as it seems at Cladach Manor. By the time Cillian discovers the horrifying truth hiding behind a glamor of luxury, it will be too late; Cillian makes an enemy of Lady Thora. Cursed to suffer an immortal existence where even the comfort of sleep is taken from him, Cillian becomes the leader of a nomadic troupe of dancers, seeking what joy he can in the art that he once loved. Following a series of prophetic dreams, Cillian is desperate to find something that will banish his curse for good. What he finds is Astra, the god of dreams, who reveals who Lady Thora really is…the corrupted former goddess of art, now a spirit of decay whose influence is beginning to spread into Astra’s realm.
Astra was a child when he was summoned to the Dreamer’s Throne, and has chosen to spend more and more time asleep, weaving dreams in the dark. But when Pallas’ ire threatens his dreamers, Astra follows her influence to Cillian, a cursed mortal who may be the key to defeating her. In exchange for the restful sleep he’s been denied for so long, Cillian agrees to be Astra’s guide. Together, they might find a way to defeat Pallas before her influence smothers all inspiration and art from the world.
As they travel across Iperios, they also must navigate the growing attraction between them. Astra is a god who lived mostly in the realm of dreams, and Cillian’s curse has kept him in a state of numb exhaustion for centuries. As they awaken to their mutual desire, the truth of who Cillian is and why Pallas is so determined to destroy him becomes clear…and so is what is at stake if they fail.
Featuring a very tired immortal without a natural alignment, a brat of a dominant dream god who has forgotten how to be human, an evil spirit with a grudge and a wild dash across Iperios to restore the balance between art, inspiration, and dreams.
Universal Link
Amazon
Add on Goodreads
You’ve never flown in a dream?” Astra hovered a few inches above the grass, and Cillian stood up, looking as skeptical as he had when Astra first introduced himself as a god. “Just be aware of yourself. Acknowledge that you’re dreaming, and that you have control, and you’ll be able to do it.”
“Right, yeah, sounds simple.” Cillian looked down at his feet.
“You aren’t even trying.” Astra moved his hand, and Cillian yelped as he was lifted a few feet into the air, limbs flailing for balance. Astra grinned and drifted over to him. “Very elegant, dancer.” He twirled his finger, and Cillian started to slowly rotate, head over heels. “Take over if you don’t want me to keep you upside down all night.”
“You’re doing this because I called you clumsy, aren’t you?” Cillian asked, but he was smiling as he tried to right himself. It was almost adorable.
“Yes. Also no. Just move like you would when you’re swimming.”
“You don’t know how to swim.”
Astra narrowed his eyes. “I can summon a shark right now, you know. Twenty sharks.”
“I’m terrified,” Cillian said, still moving at Astra’s command.
“Sharks with knives.”
“Knives where? Tied to their heads with rope?” Cillian snorted. “On their fins? Sharks with little knives on their flippers?”
“You aren’t taking me seriously.”
“Sharks made of knives?” Cillian laughed. “Knife sharks. Gods. The horror. The sea will never be safe again. Please make a knife shark. That’s all I want in the world right now.”
“Why are you like this?” Astra asked, then drew back in surprise as Cillian finally did start to influence his bland, unchanging dreamscape. A mass of blades appeared in the sky, floating in the vague shape of a fish, and Cillian burst out laughing so hard Astra could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks in their physical bodies, dampening his fingers.
“It’s so beautiful,” Cillian wheezed, and Astra sullenly had a cloud swallow the shark whole. “Oh my gods. Oh gods. Do that again.”
“This is supposed to be instructional,” Astra said, but he couldn’t help smiling. He turned Cillian right side up again. “Do something else. What do you want to dream about?”
“I don’t know,” Cillian said, still chuckling. “I can dream anything?”
“So long as it isn’t a knife shark,” Astra said, and Cillian snorted again.
“A knife whale,” he whispered.
“No.” Astra squinted at him. “You aren’t like this when you’re awake, most of the time.”
“I’m not exhausted at the moment.” Cillian took a shaky step across the air. “Interesting. I think … Yes, I know what I want.” He smiled at Astra, who narrowed his eyes. A laughing, joking Cillian was unsettling. But when Astra took a wary step back, his foot landed on a hard surface, and he looked down to find himself in a blue chiton and laced-up boots with heels that clicked on a marble floor.
Which was impossible.
Mortals had power over their own dreams. Some of them didn’t know that or couldn’t properly harness it, but it was true. However, they couldn’t control Astra. They couldn’t change his appearance or make him appear or disappear. They couldn’t alter one of his dream creations if he put his power into it. Astra tried to shift his outfit back, and Cillian frowned—and that odd feeling from earlier returned, heat building low in Astra’s belly, pulling him toward Cillian.
“Maybe black is better,” Cillian said, clearly misreading Astra’s alarm, and the chiton became the color of the night sky, dotted with glittering spots like stars. Astra stared at Cillian, who just took his hand while amorphous shapes appeared around them. Music played where Cillian stepped, and when he pulled Astra after him, Astra stumbled.
“What are you doing?”
“This isn’t right?” Cillian tilted his head. “You said I could control my dreams.”
“Yes, but—”
“And I did say I would teach you to dance,” Cillian said. Astra felt that tug again and took a step back.
Check out the Immortals Descending Series
Universal Series Link
Add the Series on Goodreads
To celebrate the release of Daybreak, the authors are giving you a chance to win the book of your choice from their backlist!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
About the Author(s)
Iris Foxglove is the shared pen name of Avon Gale (she/her) and Fae Loxley (he/him). Avon and Fae met in fandom in 2019, and began writing fanfiction together in 2020 during lockdown. They eventually decided to collaborate on original fantasy fiction, and haven’t looked back since.
They write queer fantasy with an emphasis on biological imperative, natural power exchange dynamics, complex worldbuilding, and unforgettable characters.
You can follow Iris on Twitter @irisfoxglove, or sign up for Iris’ newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrhA6z
Iris also has a brand-new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/irisfoxglove
Iris’ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?
Instagram: Irisfoxglovewrites
tik-tok: irisfoxgloveauthor
Twitter: irisfoxglove
