Escape from Wheel cover: against a purplish mountain scene, a blonde-haired woman and a man each riding a winged horse. Text: CONQUEST OF THE VEIL, BOOK TWO, Switch a Life, Change a Destiny, ESCAPE FROM WHEEL, MICHAEL SCOTT CLIFTON.

Escape from Wheel

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ESCAPE FROM WHEEL
Conquest of the Veil, Book Two
by
MICHAEL SCOTT CLIFTON
Genre: YA / Fantasy / Magical Realism / Sword & Sorcery
Publisher: Book Liftoff
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Number of Pages: 302
Scroll down for the giveaway!

SYNOPSIS

Escape from Wheel cover: against a purplish mountain scene, a blonde-haired woman and a man each riding a winged horse. Text: CONQUEST OF THE VEIL, BOOK TWO, Switch a Life, Change a Destiny, ESCAPE FROM WHEEL, MICHAEL SCOTT CLIFTON.

New Life, New World, New Problems

Alexandria Duvalier’s new life on the magical world of Meredith takes a shattering twist when her father, the Duke of Wheel, pledges her hand in marriage to the cruel lord, Rodric Regret. Desperate to escape his clutches, Alex flees the city with the help of her friend, Tell Tollet, a handsome lieutenant in the city guard. But their freedom is short-lived when Rodric’s brutal brother, Stefan, joins in the pursuit.

Hotheaded Prince Tal, heir to the throne of Meredith, has but one goal: kill the Dark Queen and destroy the Veil, the enchanted barrier which has ensnared generations of his people. He discovers a breach in the magical wall and leads an army through, bent on completing his mission.

When an unusual and potent magic calls to him, he follows its trail back to Alex. Thrown together by circumstances and chased across the wilderness by the ruthless Lord Stefan, Tal and Alex are drawn to each other by the greatest magic of all—love. Now they just need to stay alive . . .

Promo: Escape from Wheel book cover on tablet, with standing paperback copy. Small circle with "Get Your Copy" at bottom left. Text at top: New Life, New World, New Problems.

REVIEW

Clueless Gent’s Rating

4 star rating

(Escape from Wheel is the second installment of the Conquest of the Veil series by Michael Scott Clifton. I did not read the first book in this series, The Open Portal.)

Escape from Wheel is a journey through a magical land, with an array of indigenous creatures, as well as characters who are at the far ends of the good versus evil spectrum. Some of the magic is very potent, and some of the creatures are very deadly. However, all combine to make this a very compelling YA fantasy read.

The story follows the plight of Alexandria – Alex to her friends – who is the Duke of Wheel’s daughter. Fleeing a frightening engagement to Lord Rodric Regret, arranged by her evil step-mother, Alex escapes Wheel with the help of a friend. Thus begins her journey.

The world-building employed by Michael Scott Clifton is top notch. Although forests of thick vegetation yielding to hills and valleys may not at first seem that significant, a closer look will find a pregnant Cyclops named Forest Mother, a colony of deadly Emperor wasps, a band of very hungry Night Walkers (vampires), as well as creatures individually melded by the evil queen.

My personal favorites of all the creatures were the flying horses, commandeered by the good forces. The more hideous creatures, such as the gargoyles, rode squarks – filthy carrion birds with rat-like tails, mottled skin, and beady, black eyes.

The magic came in a number of flavors, depending on who had it and what it was used for. There are magical gems and artifacts. There is a network of magical mirrors. Unhindered, some magic can flatten a forest like a bomb that goes off. Sometimes the magic has a healing effect.

Since I did not read the first book in this series, I struggled for a while in the beginning of the story. The adventure was continuing, and I was still trying to understand how everything came to be. There was very little backstory. I would have preferred more detail. However, once I managed to catch up, I was completely enthralled with the remainder of the story.

There is a long chase, told over a number of chapters, and the chase drives the pace to the climax. The chapters flip between the characters being chased and those doing the chasing. However, the climax – and the end of the story – is nothing like I thought they would be.

This is a wonderful story. I will go back and read the first book, and I will wait with heightened anticipation until the next book in The Conquest of the Veil series is released.

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Bookstagram: photo of Escape from Wheel on black tablet, propped on a stone gargoyle, against a reddish brick wall.
Bookstagram courtesy of Christena.

About
the Author

Michael Scott Clifton Author Photo

Multi-award-winning author Michael Scott Clifton was a longtime public educator as a teacher, coach, and administrator. Professional credits include articles published in the Texas Study of Secondary Education Magazine. He currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas, with his wife, Melanie, and family cat. An avid gardener, reader, and movie junkie, Michael enjoys all kinds of book and movie genres. His books contain aspects of all the genres he enjoys: action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance.

His fantasy novels, The Janus Witch and The Open Portal, received five-star reviews from the prestigious Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, and he has been a finalist in a number of short-story contests, with “Edges of Gray” winning first place in the Texas Authors Contest.

The Open Portal, winner of the Feathered Quill Book Finalist Award, launches the fantasy book series, Conquest of the Veil. Michael’s latest release, Escape From Wheel, is book two in this fantasy series. Visit Michael’s official website, or google him @authormsclifton.

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
FOUR WINNERS!
One Winner:
Signed paperback copy + $15 Amazon gift card
Three Winners: Kindle e-book copy
OCTOBER 1-11, 2020
(Print copy U.S. Only)
Escape from Wheel tour giveaway graphic. Prizes to be awarded precede this image in the post text.
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY
Or, visit the blogs directly:

10/1/20

Review

Chapter Break Book Blog

10/1/20

BONUS Post

Hall Ways Blog

10/2/20

Review

Jennifer Silverwood

10/3/20

Review

Book Fidelity

10/4/20

BONUS Post

All the Ups and Downs

10/5/20

Review

The Book Review

10/6/20

Review

The Page Unbound

10/7/20

Review

Momma on the Rocks

10/8/20

Review

Forgotten Winds

10/9/20

Review

Missus Gonzo

10/10/20

Review

Reading by Moonlight

10/10/20

Review

The Clueless Gent

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