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Welcome
to the official website of Vanity
of Vanities, a novel by Martin Bertram.
Vanity of Vanities
is an enthralling epic tale about a land torn by the
conquest and ambition of kings, and those who rise
up to defend what is true. A great read for teens
and adults alike, Vanity
of Vanities combines the elements of multiple
genres; ie. medieval fantasy, mystery, romance, and
political suspense; and weaves them together into
a powerful story with a intricate plot and in-depth,
three dimensional characters
which bring the saga to life. Click the icon to the
right to view the book trailer! |
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| From
the Reviews |
"...
a plot and style which is both intricate and
enthralling ... Vanity Of Vanities is very highly
recommended reading ..." more
The Midwest Book Review |
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"I
was especially pleased to see female characters
who were pivotal and important actors in their
own right. " more
Ramona - Lighthouse Literary
Reviews |
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"...
a plot laced with duplicitous acts and vengeful
battles ... The only regret the reader will
experience is when s/he comes to the end of
the book and the story is finally over ..."
more
Sylvia
Cochran - Round Table Reviews |
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Click
below to read some excerpts from the book.
Chapter VI |
Chapter
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"People
pursue a myriad of different things in seeking
satisfaction and fulfillment, and an escape from
the emptiness that many feel in their lives. VANITY
OF VANITIES is the story of one such young man
who runs after his dreams, only to discover something
greater; the truth. Set upon the legendary island
of Vanar in 12th century Europe, VANITY OF VANITIES
tells the tale of three great kingdoms torn apart
by a war spawned by the self-interests of men.
Good and evil crash head-on in this heroic saga
of honor and sacrifice.
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While
on his deathbed, the King of Rorq names Marcus, the eldest
of his two sons, as heir to the throne of the kingdom.
Offended by his father's choice, Reymus, the younger son
and a celebrated hero of the crusades, leaves Rorq to
forge his own kingdom out of the wastelands to the east,
rallying most of Rorq's army to go with him. Twenty years
later, Reymus sets his face again to the west, bent on
taking the kingdom which he had been denied. Only the
southern kingdom of Devlorn, Rorq's most ancient ally,
stands in between him and the realization of his life's
ambition. Assembling his army near the border, Reymus
arouses the attention of King Lennard of Devlorn, who
finds himself in a race against time as he calls on King
Marcus for aid and makes ready for war.
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Caught
in the middle of the struggle by his own lust for adventure
is Joshua, a young horse breeder and would-be hero with
a past that up until now has been kept secret from him
by his guardian, but which will now be inevitably revealed
as the events which have been set in motion unfold and
Joshua follows a path toward discovering the truth, and
the one thing that truly matters."
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| Learn
About the People of Vanar |
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| King
Marcus Vortigern of Rorq |
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| Marcus
Vortigern, the elder son of Cephrim Vortigern
(also known as Cephrim the Stout), was a
God-fearing man from his youth. He
spent much of his time devoted to study,
and as he grew to manhood, he began to take
on more of the diplomatic duties of the
kingdom; working to foster and maintain
good relations with King Lennard II of Devlorn,
and with the various provinces of the East.
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Now
nearly sixty years old, Marcus has sat upon the
throne of his father for twenty years. Highly
regarded as a wise and temperate ruler, even among
those who by tradition hold the kingdom of Rorq
in contempt; his reign has thus far been marked
as a time of increasing prosperity and peace.
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King
Reymus of Vanar
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| Five
years younger than his brother Marcus, Reymus
is the second of Cephrim Vortigern's two
sons.
By the age of fifteen years, Reymus
had graduated the military academy
of Rorq,
and by the age of twenty-five, he had risen
to the position of General of the Army.
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Always
committed to his military endeavors, Reymus' skill
and passion for the sword excelled greatly beyond
that of his peers, and there was little else for
which he had time to consider beyond the glory
and advancement of the kingdom.
It was widely known that he did in fact
frequently petition his father and influential
members of the court that he should naturally
succeed him to the throne of Rorq; dismissing
his brother as an overly-studious man, incapable
of safeguarding the interests of the kingdom.
When King Cephrim on his deathbed confirmed
that Marcus would be King after him, Reymus was
infuriated and embarrassed.
Shortly after, he rallied his loyal following
of military commanders and soldiers (over half
of the army of Rorq) to Watersmeet and led them
by ship to the northeastern coast.
For the years that followed, Reymus through
his ambition and thirst for conquest forged himself
a kingdom greater in size than any other on the
island, never again to set foot in Rorq.
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| King
Lennard III of Devlorn
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| Growing
up in the royal court of Devlorn, Lennard
III never took much of an interest in political
matters. He enjoyed reading the chronicles
of the kings of old, and spent most of his
youth dwelling in his imagination. By the
age of twenty-six, his father had passed
away and he became King in Devlorn.
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It
was not long before young Lennard found himself
overwhelmed with the high affairs of state, but
fortunately for him he had found an able advisor
in Lord Nathaniel du Bois.
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| Sir
Patrick Beoulve
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| The
last of a long family line of prominent
nobles of Devlorn, Patrick Beoulve grew
up with the finest education and military
training available. Always at the top of
his class, he quickly earned a reputation
for being the best. At age sixteen he joined
the army as a Lieutenant after graduating
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Full
of passion to protect his country from harm, Patrick
fought bravely in many battles, rising in rank
as he did so. After one particularly prominent
victory, he was knighted by King Lennard II, and
soon after rose to the rank of First Knight of
Devlorn. Now forty-five years of age, Sir Patrick
continues to server under King Lennard III as
the head of the army of Devlorn.
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| Lord
Rodney Deltyr
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| A
dark figure whose past is as mysterious
as his cunning ways, Lord Rodney Deltyr
rules one of the eastern provinces of Vanar.
Once sovereign, Deltyr province was the
last to fall to the conquest of Reymus.
Now under his authority, Lord Deltyr serves
as an active lieutenant of King Reymus in
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Once
married to the daughter of Lord Edmund Baumer
of the neighboring province of Baumer, he has
but one daughter. A shrewd and witty strategist,
Lord Deltyr often likes to employ unconventional
tactics to achieve his goals.
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| Lord Nathaniel
du Bois
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| A
noble lord of a prominent family in eastern
Devlorn, Lord Nathaniel du Bois served as
a member of King Lennard II's council. Shortly
after his death, King Lennard III promoted
him to the head position of his council,
leaning upon his knowledge and ability greatly
to make important decisions. |
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A
political opportunist at heart, Lord Nathaniel
enjoys his new position and has accomplished much
reform in the kingdom of Devlorn.
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| Eliza
Deltyr
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| Born
and raised within the walls of her father's
castle, Eliza Deltyr is a fair young lady
of nineteen years. All of her life she has
longed for freedom from the prison of Deltyr
Castle; and to find her mother, who had
abandoned her with her father as a baby. |
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With
little else to do, Eliza spends most of her time
embroidering with her nursemaids. Deep inside,
she despises her father for what he is; regarding
him as little more than a dungeon rat with power.
To him, she knows she is nothing more than a political
asset.
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| Jessica
DuPonte
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| Jessica
Duponte is the seventeen year old daughter
and only child of Sir Stephen Duponte, the
First Knight of the kingdom of Rorq. As
such, Jessica is well versed in the affairs
of the kingdom and its neighbors; though
she prefers the beauty and adventure of
the outdoors over the hustle and bustle
of life at court. |
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Unbeknownst
to her family, she has on more than one occasion
taken the liberty to adventure beyond the borders
of the kingdom when she was meant to be visiting
relatives and friends. Jessica admires her father
very much, and sometimes finds herself wishing
she were a man; that she might follow after him.
Her mother, Lady Marie, is the niece of King Marcus,
who himself never had any children. To him, Jessica
is like a very close grand daughter.
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| Joshua
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| All
of his life, Joshua has dreamed of adventure.
A strong young man of twenty years, he has
lived his entire life working on the family's
horse farm. His parents were killed in a
robbery when he was very young, and since
that time he has been under the guardianship
of his uncle, Robert. |
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The
only memories he recalls of his father were times
when he introduced him to swords play with small
sticks on the farm. That might explain Joshua's
life-long passion for combat and chivalry, a preoccupation
that his uncle has spent much time attempting
to dissuade. When he's not busy on the farm, Joshua
enjoys spending time in Kelton with his friend
Caleb, who is a member of the 'Fighting Monks
of Kelton'.
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| Caleb
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| The
son of Raoul, a member of the militia group
known as 'The Fighting Monks of Kelton',
Caleb has followed the path of his father.
Now eighteen years old, Caleb is the youngest
of the 'Monks'. He
spends the majority of his time either training
in combat,
studying the Bible, or patrolling the streets
of Kelton and the
surrounding
lands, and keeping the peace. |
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Caleb
enjoys his life of service and hopes that one
day Joshua might be officially admitted into the
order with him.
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| Prince
Bradford
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| The
only child of King Reymus, Prince Bradford
knew little else but combat and war from
a youth. Born shortly after Reymus' departure
from Rorq, Bradford's mother died giving
birth to him. Now a young warrior following
in his father's ways, Bradford is an arrogant
chauvinist who likes to indulge himself
in all of the benefits royalty can afford
him. |
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He
cares very little for anyone other than himself,
and hardly even regards his father as anything
other than a mentor whose usefulness has since
expired.
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