FREYA PICKARD. – The Kaerling isn’t actually a hamster, guys.
The Kaerling is a dark fantasy series set in the mysterious world of Nirunen. It tells the tale of 4 companions who are drawn together on a quest that none of them signed up for.
Volume 14 of The Kaerling is called Ghost Wolf
and concentrates on two of the companions, Erl and Tari, as well as including threads from some of the secondary characters
FREYA — While there aren’t any hamsters in Ghost Wolf. There is, however, a pale wolf that appears to be a ghost. It glows in the dark and when you attack it, it doesn’t bleed! It disappears into mist and reappears without warning. Sometimes it makes no sound, yet at other times, Tari feels its hot breath on her hand. It can also climb sheer slopes and appears intent on chasing Tari and Erl to their deaths.
FREYA –I suppose a hamster could be mistaken for a miniature Ghost Wolf, if a hamster had luminous fur and yellow, baleful eyes. But I think that any such hamster would likely be stepped on by accident, because the main characters wouldn’t be able to see it clearly.
And I’m not sure the fear thing would work either. The horses are terrified of the Ghost Wolf, screaming and rearing, foaming at the mouth,
bolting in a panic etc. I don’t really think that a hamster would have that kind of effect on the horses. And the horses have to be freaking out, because Tari’s mare bolts down the wrong path, leading them away from the place they’re trying to reach. What is a Ghost Wolf if not a hamsster I hear you say. Well, it is a wolf that is a ghost, or appears to be a ghost. Whether or not this is actually a ghost, remains to be seen. But even when Tari and Erl manage to escape from their supernatural pursuer, they are still haunted by the spectral beast, as is revealed at the end of the tale.
The Ghost Wolf also kills a horse at one point. Have you guys ever killed a horse? Or eaten one? I imagine your teeth are sharp enough to bite through the skin to get to the nice, juicy innards, but I think you may take a bit longer to get to the nice bits than a lupine predator.
FREYA PICKARD – This story tells of Erl and Tari’s flight through a thick, dense pine forest, with the Ghost Wolf on their trail. Quite why it is hunting them, they don’t know. They’re worried about being hunted by bandits. The spectral lupine pursues them through forest, plain and mountain, to the edges of the famous Chandarin desert. Meanwhile, Tari’s friend, the abducted acolyte Lally, experiences life as a slave in Orosturbe, the kaerling city. Ashlar, Stio and Rue find Tari’s trail and follow it, thinking they’re on the right road to finding the scrip the King’s Assassin insists on getting hold of. And, we’re also introduced to High Priest Kenril, a nasty chap who probably eats hamsters for breakfast, and who is set upon releasing the dark god currently bound in Shambana, a fire mountain. As you can see you should read it because Ghost Wolf will take you to places you never imagined existed and because Tari and Erl are two of the loveliest characters I’ve ever written about!
FREYA PICKARD – – Yes, some of my characters are able to communicate through mind-speak. Tari can’t, she has no magic ability, being a water diviner. Erl also has no ability or power, but, because his twin sister, Otta, is a power user, he can communicate with her mind to mind across the miles. But in this tale, he discovers that something like a dark, slippery wall of ice is preventing him from contacting his sister. So, for the first time in his life, he feels alone. Without Otta’s guidance, he feels a bit lost and finds the responsibility of looking after Tari and finding the right path for them to travel, a bit overwhelming.
FREYA PICKARD ––Yes, I write humorous fantasy (Dragon Slayer) as well as romantic fantasy (Isu Magan) but neither of these series contain hamsters
.
BUT This is something I will seriously consider when I get back to writing about the Dragon Slayer, as I think you guys would fit in very well with that kind of humour!
FREYA PICKARD— Finishing The Kaerling series! I’m currently working on volumes 16-18 which I hope to release in 2025. After that I’ve only got another 9 volumes to write! And then … Who knows? I’ve got a lot information about the First Age of Nirunen, particularly about the legendary Eran Silver Hand, that I’d love to shape into a novel, probably without hamsters, but there maybe a few hedgehogs in it as well as supernatural Stags and a plethora of eerie monsters!
Blurb for Ghost Wolf
They’re running from a ghost and have no idea where they’re running to …
“This is the type of work that should be taken seriously by fantasy fans.” Chris S
When Tari and Erl take refuge in a pine forest in order to escape from bandits, they hadn’t expected to be hunted by a pale wolf.
Trying to return to Port Haru no Hana, the two young companions are constantly chased in the opposite direction by the hungry-eyed lupine predator.
If they can’t find Lored and Otta again, how will they ever be able to find Orosturbe by themselves?
If you enjoy dark fantasy tales that keep you guessing and bring you genuine, changeable, real characters, you’ll love this! Readers of Robert Holdstock, Frank Herbert and Ursula Le Guin will enjoy this tale.
Biography
Pushcart Prize nominee (2022), Freya Pickard, is the author of both Vampirical Verse and The Kaerling series. Vampirical Verse is her expression of life after cancer and chemotherapy using vampires and other dark monsters to speak her dark thoughts. The Kaerling is an epic fantasy set in the strange, uncompromising world of Nirunen. Her aim in life is to enchant, entertain and engage with readers through her writing. She finds her inspiration in the ocean, the moors, beautifully written books and vinyl music (particularly heavy metal and rock). She enjoys Hatha Yoga, Bhangra and Yogalates, and in her spare time creates water colours and pastel drawings of the worlds in her head.
Social Media Links
Blog: https://dragonscaleclippings.wordpress.com
Twitter: @FreyaPickard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreyaPickardAuthor/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freyapickard1096
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/170054797-freya-pickard
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FreyaPickard
Purchase links for Ghost Wolf
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1518432
iBooks https://books.apple.com/gb/book/ghost-wolf/id6477492777
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghost-wolf-10
Videos for Ghost Wolf
Official Book Trailer:
Narrated Sample: