Author Anthony D. Butler

The Raven Chronicles: Magic Reborn

Book Trailer

Follow Raven on her journey as she discovers she is more than just a bounty hunter. Her solitary life is shattered by a sequence of events that will find her world spiraling out of control.

Sneak peek of Magic Reborn:

CHAPTER ONE:

Raven stood at the edge of the Farlow cliffs surveying the canyon, waiting for her target to appear. The sun had just risen over the eastern horizon, drenching the landscape with the first light of day. A mist covered the gentle flowing Crystal River and spread out across the canyon. Raven felt the cool morning breeze brush across her face. Her long, red hair was braided behind her and her piercing green eyes watched the trail in the distance where the mist was slowly receding. She knew her target, an Elven spy, would surface here. Raven had tracked him to this location and there was no other path up the cliff face for miles in either direction and the morning mist provided excellent cover for the elf to slip through.

Raven was no ordinary bounty hunter, however. Her tracking skills were better than anyone she had come across and to this point, had never missed a bounty. She was so successful at bringing in her targets that she had been hunted herself by those with a bounty on their heads. Each time she was able to turn the tables on them. For the ones who made her life especially difficult, she would just accept a lesser payment to bring them in dead rather than alive. She was ruthless at her job and had no time for nonsense like love or friendship. Being alone was her life and she accepted it. In fact, she preferred it. No one to care for meant no one to grieve later. This way she could live her life on her own terms and focus on her profession without any distractions.

She watched intently for signs of the elf emerging from the mist and after about an hour later, Raven saw him approach. Here she would surprise him as he emerged onto the flatland. From that point, it was a direct route to the Elven kingdom Paelea with no real cover until the forest several miles outside of the castle gates. She knew not to get too close as elves had superior instincts and it seemed like they could sense danger around them.

Raven had a plan to catch the elf off-guard. She had tracked his movements for a couple of weeks as he made regular trips from Paelea to Cerig, an outlier settlement that lay at the base of the Black Pine Mountains. While the land sloped gently on the south side of the canyon, the Farlow cliffs to the north were almost vertical. The trail up the cliff face had been created centuries before that included switchbacks and steep grades. Caravans would go miles to either side to avoid the treacherous climb of the narrow trail. This, she assumed, was why the elf chose this trail. Less traffic meant less chances to be noticed.

As swift and cunning as he was, his senses might be somewhat dampened by his trek up the north side of the trail. Plus, the extra time she used to track his movements might have caused him to relax a bit and think he was no longer hunted by Sacia, the human kingdom from which he was wanted. The warrant in her pouch read that he was sought for the murder of an emissary, who was on his way back from Paelea on a diplomatic mission.

Raven finally spotted the elf as he appeared from the mist north of the river and monitored him as he made his way up the trail. She quietly eased back from the edge and propped herself against the rocky ledge close to where the trail emerged. She knew this was the best place to surprise him and readied her crossbow.

7.14.22 KMVT Interview

My KMVT interview was on 7/14/22 regarding my recently published novel. Not used to being in front of the camera, but all in all, it was decent and actually fun to do!

08.07.22 WOR 710 AM, New York, NY

RADIO INTERVIEW

My radio interview with WOR 710 AM in New York, NY. Every weekend they have an author section and this is mine from 08.07.22!

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