"Nightblade's Honor"

Ryan Kirk is an author and entrepreneur based out of Minnesota. He is the author of the Nightblade series of fantasy novels and the founder of Waterstone Media.

Kirk applied the Page 69 Test to his latest novel, Nightblade's Honor, and reported the following:

From page 69:

“I have, of course, heard the stories of the skill blades possess, but I have never seen anything like that in my life. How good are you?”

“Better than many, but far from the best,” she replied. Telling the truth also felt good. She was tired of hiding and lying just to stay safe.

Unlike my last attempt at this experiment, in this case, page 69 is a wonderful microcosm of the book as a whole. In the scene, Asa, one of the protagonists, has just been discovered as a nightblade. Nightblades have protected the Kingdom for many years now, but at this time in the story, they are being hunted for their perceived crimes, and Asa has been on the run since the beginning of the book.

As I was writing this book, I was fascinated by the question: "What happens when society turns its back on its protectors?" Within this scene, one possibility begins to play out as a retired soldier realizes the person he invited into his house is much more than she seems. This is the beginning of a series of scenes I greatly enjoyed writing, and so I'm excited it popped up on the Page 69 Test!

Visit Ryan Kirk's website.

The Page 69 Test: Nightblade's Vengeance.

--Marshal Zeringue