My self-published, indie fantasy book called Sand and Smoke, is getting a new cover! In addition, the cover for its sequel is going to be revealed here. Both books are part of the Dragon Destiny trilogy, a magical dragon rider epic fantasy adventure.
Right now, only the first book in the Dragon Destiny trilogy is out. Sand and Smoke is on Kindle Unlimited, can be purchased on Amazon Kindle, and is available as a paperback through various websites. It was published in 2019. It’s a YA (young adult) epic fantasy novel; it’s suitable for children as young as 12, and I’ve had adult readers who enjoyed it as well. I like to think of it as a hidden gem, underrated book in the fantasy genre. Through 2020 and now in 2021 it’s a great book to pick up and start reading if you like dragon rider epic fantasy books. In my opinion, it’s one of the best self-published, indie, or epic fantasy books out there, but admittedly I’m kind of biased.
Here’s the new cover:
Sand and Smoke has two storylines that run simultaneously, and everything comes together at the end. The first storyline is centered around Al Hardin, a nomad and vigilante with magic powers that allow him to control the wind. The second storyline follows Maya Samoralt, a dragon rider hopeful who has to compete with 18 other students for six dragon rider spots. The book takes the best of fantasy genre tropes and puts new spins on them. There’s two different kinds of dragons and magic powers that work in mysterious ways. It’s a kindle unlimited fantasy book and indie fantasy book that’s unique in many ways.
I did a lot of work on the world building in this series. The books also feature a deep cast of well rounded characters. A lot of my readers have commented on the characters. Each main character has a backstory, at least one thing that they struggle with, and all of the main characters have their own strengths too.
Since it’s a young adult fantasy adventure book, the main characters are mostly teens.
Here is the summary from Amazon:
Dragons soar, hopeful riders compete, and from across the desert comes news of a devastating weapon.
Al Hardin is a nomad with a secret. He has a second identity, and a second personality to boot. He calls that other side of him the Silver Bandana. He lives to save others from the gangs of cowboys who wouldn’t think twice before putting a bullet in a person’s head.
In his world, dragons are not an uncommon sight. They’re called the Wesech dragons, and another breed, the magical Sun dragons, live far across the desert. The Sun dragons have bonded themselves to riders. They protect, in exchange for influencing the dragon riders, and their people, with peace.
But when a powerful weapon is built in the desert, disparate characters come together.
A hero made by the death of his mother. A bounty hunter with a sharpshooter kid. A retired legend who feels like a failure. A privileged young man who turns on his father.
And a stubborn girl, fighting for a dragon at dragon rider school, to make her legacy a reality.
If they don’t stop the weapon, it’ll annihilate the riders and their kingdom.
“The world Cota-Robles has created is a fascinating and incredible place full of dragons and magic, secrets and danger. The story contains intermissions throughout that follow the perspectives of dragons as they face their own struggles through scenes that provide a key role in how the action unfolds. Sand and Smoke is a delightful fantasy adventure that has action-packed moments, danger and suspense, humor, and two interwoven coming of age journeys.” – Reader’s Favorite, 5-Stars.
Discover more about the world of Sand and Smoke by reading the book, click here then buy it or read it free on Kindle Unlimited.
If you’ve already read Sand and Smoke, you might be most interested to know when the new cover is coming. I don’t have a release date for it right now; it’ll likely drop without advance warning. If you’re interested in it, keep checking Amazon and/or my website periodically. At the latest, it’ll be coming in August, but there’s a good chance that I might drop it sooner, like June or even May.
As I work on getting the new edition of the book ready, I’m also doing work on the sequel. Battle and Burning is hopefully going to be one of the best Kindle Unlimited fantasy books in 2021. It picks up where the first book leaves off, and I won’t say any more about it than that. Check out the awesome cover:
Some clarification on the covers:
The Sand and Smoke cover features Al Hardin. You can see him with his signature silver bandana, and in the background is a Wesech dragon. They’re both in the middle of the desert. Meanwhile, book two’s cover shows off Maya. Cuicao, the dragon that she’s bonded to, is right on top of her head. Maya’s dressed for battle, and you might be able to tell, by the title, that this book is going to have at least one battle.
The Dragon Destiny trilogy has been my big project for the last few months. It’s perhaps the biggest thing I’ve been working on over the last year. I do of course have many other indie fantasy books that I’m working on. I intend to publish them all on Kindle Unlimited, but it takes quite a long time for me to get them revised and edited. Most of the time that I’ve spent over the last year has been devoted to just getting book two of the series out into the world. I have a whole process I go through, and it takes me a good amount of time, even after I’ve finished writing, to get the story ready for publication.
All that said, if you’re looking for a new Kindle Unlimited epic fantasy book, maybe something with dragons, magic powers, and high stakes action, check out Sand and Smoke. You can find it on Amazon here, or you can click on it in the books menu to find it on other websites. It’s also a great book to buy as a present for a teen or tween in your life.
If you’ve already read Sand and Smoke, make sure you join my mailing list! Hit subscribe to stay up to date on the latest stuff I’m working on. You’ll get updates before anyone else, and sometimes you’ll get exclusive content too.
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