SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, and Ms. Bird who is really a bird. Her real name is Stephanie Marie (aka SM). Friends call her Frankie.

Frankie challenges the world around her. She's survived hurricanes in a tent, and ditches in winter. She's sometimes crass, often crude, and almost always blunt. She's dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories. She loves to take the real world, find a singular line of truth, and wrap a complex fiction of reality around it.

Fall of Sky City by S.M. Blooding

Queen Nix thought she won a great prize when she destroyed Synn's father, the leader of the strongest Great Families. She had no idea she'd be doubly blessed by capturing his son. However, before Synn can become her treasured weapon, before she can use him to bring the rest of the world to its knees, she must break him and bind his soul to hers.

She does her job with brutal brilliance. Synn's mind is broken and his soul is seared to hers in an unbreakable bond.

That doesn't stop him from wanting to be free. She may have broken his mind and claimed his soul, but hewillfind a way to destroy her.

Experience a world of ships that sail the clouds and cites buried beneath the ocean, and survive the fiery battle brought forth by those who control the forces of nature!

CURATOR'S NOTE

SM ("Frankie") Blooding is one of those wildly creative spirits that leave me a little slack-jawed when reading the worlds they invent. In Frankie's case, she's also a master of weaving sexy suspense and charming side characters, all of which had me galloping through Fall of Sky City. The Asian-flavored setting of this world is just one of the many ways Frankie brings a unique and creative addition to the world of steampunk. I've add her to my "ones to watch" list of indie authors as I'm sure she has even more great things ahead of her. – Susan Kaye Quinn

 

REVIEWS

  • "Wow! What did I just read?? The story was deliciously complex, full of fear, wonder, magic, gadgets, gizmos, one heck of a psycho Queen and wonderful friends. Every character brought something to the story, each with a unique personality that came to life through the book, each with their own fears to overcome."

    –Goodreads Review

  • "I love the world Blooding has created. She managed to create it in a way that it combines specs of all my favorite movies, books, etc. It’s a mixture of young adult fantasy, steampunk, dystopia, sci-fi, paranormal and even some tiny bit of romance. This is a diverse book that is intense, a little bit violent, and a whole lot of awesome! I look forward to reading the next book of the series!"

    –Goodreads Review

  • "SM Blooding is a new author to me, but this is definitely not the last book I’ll read by her. The world building Ms. Blooding does is nothing short of remarkable. A world composed of flying ships, ice worlds, danger, and intrigue."

    –My World of Dreams
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

The pounding in my head lessened as the woman held me close, easing my pain. Visuals started registering. The red silk of the cover. The black leather of her bodice. Her long, dark hair.

"Nix." My voice was a bare croak.

She pulled away slightly, staring into my face. She'd removed the odd crown with the spinning birds.

I didn't have the energy to fight her. My eyes fell closed in a long blink. I opened them, even though I didn't want to, my gaze falling to the ruby spider resting on her chest.

"Do not fear, young Primus," she said, her full lips curved in a careful smile. "I am your family now. You will want for nothing."

I rocked where I sat, my legs sprawled. "Why?" I barely had the energy to whisper. "Why?"

"You attacked first."

"I went for a sword to save—" I paused, breathing, blinking back the tears. "—innocent lives. You killed them for no reason."

"They would not submit."

I stared at her in exhausted incredulity. "Did you give them the chance?"

She cupped my face and peered at me sincerely. "I do not want empty devotion. I want only to be loved and cherished."

"And so you scare children into fearing you."

"Fear can turn to love." Her smile was sweet. "You will see."

"No."

She flinched and pulled back. "Do you want to see?" She didn't give me a chance to say no or yes. She pulled away the cover, her eyes dropping to my chest. "Your Mark, Primus." She reached out with her diamond claw.

I stared in wonder. Rivers of fire coursed in a fine web of lines and runes under my skin.

"Have you ever seen so powerful a Mark as this?"

No. I hadn't. I touched the lines with a ginger hand. They were sensitive and hot to the touch, leaving the rest of me chilled to the core.

Her fingertips joined mine, her long nails gleaming red in the soft yellow light. Her eyes filled with greed, her teeth bared in a smile that was more of a sneer. "Do you have brothers? Sisters? Any who are younger than you, unmarked?"

I stared at her in disgust and wonder. "No."

Her pink tongue ran along her teeth as she dropped her chin and peered at me through her long, thick lashes. "It doesn't matter. You are mine."