On Tour with Prism Book Tours
I'm excited to be joining with Prism Book Tours to spread the word about Patrick W. Carr's The End of the Magi! I'll be reading and reviewing the book soon, but today I'm sharing an excerpt from the novel. Check that out below, and then be sure to enter the giveaway!
The End of the MagiBy Patrick W. Carr
Christian Historical Fiction
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 384 Pages
November 5th, 2019, by Bethany House Publishers
Centuries before the magi arrived in Bethlehem,
a prophecy sets a young magus on his path . . .
Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel calls forth a select group of men who will count down the calendar until the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day draws near, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are slain by a ruthless Parthian queen.
Equipped with very little, in haste Myrad escapes the city and, searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is keeping secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable asset, an epic journey filled with peril, near captures, and dangerous battles begins.
With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget, and the promise that the world will never be the same.
Praise for the Book
"Carr retells the story of the Magi in this bustling biblical adventure . . . . Myrad's divine vision of the star and his arduous trek battling his own physical problems to pay homage to the Messiah capture the majesty of biblical narratives and will appeal to Christians well versed in scripture."--Publishers Weekly
"Patrick Carr brings us a captivating tale in The End of the Magi. Based on the Holy Bible, he weaves a fictional tale of the adventures of a group of magi from the east looking for the Messiah. Myrad is a strong main character even though he doesn't see himself as strong. He has great character traits and these help him find triumph over tragedy. . . . The End of the Magi is a great holiday read and gives us much to think about in our journey to know God better."--Fresh Fiction
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Excerpt from Chapter 13
Eliar pushed to his feet and faced him. “This is the dream you’ve had three times now,” he began. “You found yourself in the desert gazing at a light in the western sky. The light burned, too large and too constant to be a star and without the tail that would proclaim it a comet. The light held steady in the sky, as unmoving as the mariner’s star, though it hung low in the horizon. A voice came to you and told you this was the King’s star. Here lies the meaning: The King, the Messiah, has come to Israel, and the appearance of the star announces His arrival.” Eliar smiled, and his eyes shone in the dim light. “This is the dream, and its interpretation is sure.”
Like an unexpected wave crashing against the sand without warning, the revelation and interpretation of his dream undermined his objections. “What does it mean? Hakam said there were decades left before the Messiah comes.”
“God will make His purposes known,” Yehudah said. “In the meantime, I would like to hear your tale.”
With a sigh, Myrad nodded. “The dream came to me the night before the slaughter of the magi,” he began.
When he finished nearly an hour later, Hakam was the first to speak, staring into his cup. “Masista’s true allegiance against Musa must have been discovered.” He raised his head to look at Myrad. “He led you across the desert because he didn’t dare use the roads. Phraates and Musa are consolidating their power in the west.” He glanced around the table. “Most of us were already on our way east when we received the dream to come to the city of the dead.”
“But why here?” Dov asked, the oldest of the men present.
Myrad listened as each of the magi offered reasons that were just as quickly dismissed.
“We’ll have to wait here until the meaning becomes clear,” Yehudah said after everyone fell silent.
“We can’t stay here,” Mikhael said. “Musa’s soldiers are no more than two days, perhaps three, behind us.”
“I think I know why we’re here,” Myrad offered. “The letter to the treasury in Hecatompylos was one of six I found among Gershom’s papers. Masista took the rest, but I have the one for the mint here in Nisa.”
Quiet settled over the room, each man unwilling to be the first to speak. In the end, it was Ronen who broke the silence. “There are gifts mentioned in the Torah, the symbols for God’s chosen.”
“Gold,” Hakam said, his eyes burning. “For the king.”
“Frankincense,” Harel said. “For our priest.”
“Myrrh,” Ronen added. “For the prophet of the people.”
“What about the calendar?” Myrad asked. “The King doesn’t come for another thirty years yet.”
“Doubtless the meaning will become clearer in time, when we see him,” Yehudah answered.
Patrick W. Carr is the author of the acclaimed fantasy series The Staff and the Sword. A Cast of Stones won the 2014 Carol Award for Speculative Fiction and the 2014 Clive Staples Award. A Cast of Stones and The Hero's Lot were both finalists for 2014 Christy Awards. He teaches high school math and makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his incredible wife, Mary, and their four sons.
Tour Schedule
- One winner will receive a print copy of The End of the Magi and a $20 B&N gift card
- Four winners will each receive a print copy of The End of the Magi
- US only
- Ends November 29, 2019
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