Husk Trilogy 2: Dark Heart
by Russell Kirkpatrick

Harper Collins $35

Publication 1 March

Internationally acclaimed, bestselling author

Published in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand,
Korea, Czech Republic and Greece

And he lives in Hamilton!

Russell Kirkpatrick’s first bestselling trilogy, Fire of Heaven, was the result of fifteen years of careful fantasy world building, and with the titles Across the Face of the World, In the Earth Abides the Flame and Right Hand of God, Russell developed a loyal fan base. Now Russell brings us the Husk Trilogy: Book one, Path of Revenge and the eagerly anticipated sequel, Dark Heart.

Kirkpatrick said, ‘The idea for Husk came from watching a TV programme about an Aspergers savant — someone who performs prodigious mathematical feats while struggling with simple social skills.’ He spent a year researching this syndrome and came up with the character of Lenares. The story grew from there. ‘I found just enough links to my previous trilogy to set it in the same universe, though in a much darker, grimmer part of it.’

Russell Kirkpatrick has been involved in a number of innovative atlas projects. These include the multiple award-winning New Zealand Historical Atlas (1997), Contemporary Atlas New Zealand (1999), Degrees of Deprivation (2000) and Land Environments of New Zealand (2003). His work has twice been short-listed for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

He is married and has two teenage boys, and lectures in Geography at the University of Waikato.

Husk Trilogy 2: Dark Heart
When the gods want to kill you, where can you hide?
Noetos has an artefact that everyone wants. Now reunited with his children, he escapes, chased by other powerful forces who are intent on his destruction at any cost.
Lenares, new leader of the Cosmographers, senses something very wrong in the world. Trained to read the presence of the Gods, she can find no evidence of the Father … but how is it even possible that he could be dead?

What if the world, and what is wrong with it, proves to be far more complex than any of them imagine. .

Reviews for Husk Trilogy 1: Path of Revenge
‘Kirkpatrick’s characters might not be loveable but they are well drawn, and Husk is full of lovely gruesome detail.’ — Dominion Post
‘Kirkpatrick casts the world of Path of Revenge through lavishly detailed maps (evidence of his passion for mapmaking) and populates his novel with warriors, gods magicians, and — rather poignantly — a slave race bred to obedience.’ — Critic magazine
‘This fast-paced book constructs a world of depth, detailing in history, religion and local flavour, with characters which engage the reader, as we learn of their fears, hopes and passions. I look forward to the next instalment.’ — Dunedin Star

FOOTNOTE:

We often talk of the small NZ books/literary community and even though I do not read fantasy/science fiction as a rule I am still amazed that someone like Russell Kirkpatrick, whom one can see by the Harper Collins release above has a very high ranking and serious reputation internationally, can live here in NZ and be virtually unknown?