Enchanting destinations for your summer holidays

Your holiday destination of choice reveals a lot about you. Are you more a lie-flat-out-on-the-beach type of person, or a wandering-around-galleries-and-museums person, or drinking-your-body-weight-in-alcohol-to-a-thumping-beat person? Perhaps you’re a combination of all three, depending on the mood.

In my book series, ‘The Chronicles of Esha’ there are six different kingdoms, all with different politics, fashions, environments, and magical systems. I wrote it like this because I get bored so easily, and I didn’t want to be trapped writing about the same things, book after book. This way I get to write within the setting I feel most drawn to at the time!

At the moment, I’m holidaying in the Kingdom of Sands. It’s not the loveliest of places – the heat is brutal and there’s a 100% chance you’re going to get sunburn, dehydration, and grit in places that grit does not belong. There are terrifying sandworms lurking in the dunes that will swallow you whole, gangs of outlaws being all robber-y and bandit-y, and poisonous blue dragon/scorpion hybrids – nasty little things. But the oases are divine, with luscious palm trees and tinkling waterfalls. And the royal homes are exquisite lacy confections that look as though they might blow away in a decent wind – all sliding panels and cool stone interiors, with fountains and gardens and floating flowers in shallow vases. It’s all very peaceful and luxurious – if you’re a royal, that is.

It's actually been rather difficult to immerse myself in my new book ‘The Trials of Sandstone’ – the NZ weather is consistently inconsistent which means twenty seasons in one day, and it’s hard to write about cloying thirst when it’s bucketing down outside. The trials of being a writer!

If the Kingdom of Sands isn’t calling to you, what about these enchanting destinations for your summer holiday? Take this handy two-question quiz and find out which exotic location would suit you best.

Name your weapon of choice:

a) Sword

b) Gravity

c) Dragon

b) Poison

Sword fighting is hard, and you have to train from a very young age, as they do in the Kingdom of Swords, because they’re all paranoid and murderous.

Gravity requires you to take an enemy somewhere high and throw them over the edge, as they do in the Kingdom of Skies. This has the disadvantage of being thrown over yourself. And if your enemy has wings, well, what’s the point?

Dragons are awesome and cool. They’re also hungry and unpredictable, unless you’re of the Kingdom of Stones fleet, and then you should have perfect control. But odds are, you’re not, and you don’t.

Clearly, the correct answer is poison. You can buy deadly potions from the Kingdom of Seeds and slip them into enemy goblets easily enough. Just make sure you wear gloves and don't breathe.

Where would you rather spend your holiday?

a) A cruise ship

b) The rural countryside

c) A bustling city

d) A deserted wasteland

These are all terrible choices. If you chose the cruise ship, you’re probably going to be on a ship in the Kingdom of Seas, where you have to work your arse off, be paid very little, and end up being swallowed by a whirlpool in the Whirling Straits or attacked by enemy pirates.

The rural countryside is the Free Grasslands, patrolled by gangs of murderous centaurs who hate everything on two legs. If you enjoy being pierced by arrows and spears, this is the destination for you!

The only bustling cities are in the Kingdom of Skies, which is controlled by a vain idiot with a tendency to murder his political allies. Pollution and crime are rife, and there’s always the chance that zombie vampires are going to break loose from the sewers.

The deserted wasteland of the Kingdom of Shields is your best bet. Hopefully, you’ll learn to love the wild fae beasts, tainted waters and burned countryside.

Did any of these wonderful places strike your fancy? You can find out more about the Esha Kingdoms in the ‘Chronicles of Esha’, on sale now on Amazon. This month I'm giving my paid Patreon subscribers a sneak peek of the first chapter of my new book, 'The Trials of Sandstone'. And don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter to get a FREE novelette set in the Kingdom of Swords – ‘Capture of the Blade’.

Happy holidays,

Love Tab xx