It’s been a while since I’ve had a giveaway here at A Bitter Draft. This time around I’ve got Mark Smylie’s debut novel, The Barrow, thanks to the wonderful people at Pyr.

Action, horror, politics, and sensuality combine in this stand-alone fantasy novel with series potential. Set in the world of the Eisner-nominated Artesia comic books.

The BarrowTo find the Sword, unearth the Barrow. To unearth the Barrow, follow the Map.

When a small crew of scoundrels, would-be heroes, deviants, and ruffians discover a map that they believe will lead them to a fabled sword buried in the barrow of a long-dead wizard, they think they’ve struck it rich. But their hopes are dashed when the map turns out to be cursed and then is destroyed in a magical ritual. The loss of the map leaves them dreaming of what might have been, until they rediscover the map in a most unusual and unexpected place.

Stjepan Black-Heart, suspected murderer and renegade royal cartographer; Erim, a young woman masquerading as a man; Gilgwyr, brothel owner extraordinaire; Leigh, an exiled magus under an ignominious cloud; Godewyn Red-Hand, mercenary and troublemaker; Arduin Orwain, scion of a noble family brought low by scandal; and Arduin’s sister Annwyn, the beautiful cause of that scandal: together they form a cross-section of the Middle Kingdoms of the Known World, brought together by accident and dark design, on a quest that will either get them all in the history books, or get them all killed.

Fair warning: The Barrow contains quite graphic, well, everything. Sex, gore, language, you name it. It’s graphic.

For Entry:

  • E-mail me at pat@abitterdraft.com with the subject BARROW to enter
  • Include a valid mailing address (snail-mail) – not doing so will result in disqualification
  • One entry per person
  • Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on Sunday, April 6th 2014.
  • Winner will be randomly selected and notified via email
  • Worldwide

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