Read The Seventh Mountain Online
Authors: Gene Curtis
Tags: #fantasy, #harry potter, #christian, #sf, #christian contemporary fiction, #christian fantasy fiction, #fantasy adventure swords and sorcery, #christian fairy tale, #hp
The Seventh Mountain
“
The
Seventh Mountain by Gene Curtis is pure delight. Curtis wields a
tremendous imagination and uses it to transport the reader to
another world, where sword wielding Magi fight for good, evil lurks
just out of sight and a young hero searches for his destiny. Sure
to be compared to Harry Potter, but undeniably more
compelling.”
–
Jeremy
Robinson, bestselling author of
The
Didymus Contingency
"I enjoy this story so much I have listened to it three times
so far. I listen to it while I'm cleaning house. My sisters want to
borrow it but if I let them I know I'll never get it back."
--
Brownie
"...every night my boys, ages 9 and 11, are bouncing on their
toes and ready to go to bed so I can read a little more to them."
--
Lee W.
"I
don't usually read this kind of thing. I don't like the Harry
Potter books but this one I just couldn't seem to stop."
--Lee S.
"This
is a really good book! It had me smiling from ear to ear one minute
and crying the next. I loved the characters. I can't wait for the
next one to come out!"
--Shirley
T.
"I
want to stock them in my store." –
Tom
"Your
story was terrific.-- The last part about Mark ... ended the story
perfectly. (How did you do that?) I can't wait to read the next
book in the series." –
Meagan
"This is one of the best
I’ve heard so far! More...neeed more..."
–Krys
"I love the world you have
created here in the 7th mountain (on Ep 13). Oddly enough the
Christian component of the book added to the story for me as I went
to a Church of England School (although I now follow a different
path) this provides an additional link between me and the
characters, now if only my school had Flags matches (way better
than Quidditch BTW)."
–James
"A Lot of books make you
laugh and fewer still make you cry, but it takes a truly masterful
writer to make you furious at the enemies of the characters and
despair when they are in trouble. Gene Curtis is one of these
writers. There were elements here and there that were similar to
another adolescent magic user you may have heard of, but the world
in whole is truly original and imaginative. I can't praise "The
Seventh Mountain" high enough, and I can't wait for the new books
arrival." –Dan
"Phenomenal!!! An excellent
story, well told. Thank you for giving us an alternative (Superior
Alterative) to the HP books. And thank you for creating a story
that is safe for our kids to read. Can’t wait for more from
you."
–Tillman
"I loved this book. I
enjoyed it very much. I would love to know where I can get the
second installment of this book? Is it on shelves now or will it be
available soon?"
–Angel
"It intrigued me from the
first and I have to say, it's a darned good story. I believe some
people will say that it's a Christian Harry Potter knock off but I
can't say I agree. True, at first I wondered if it was indeed a
re-telling of a Harry Potter type tale with a Christian twist but
as I got deeper into the book I found it was something quite
different."
--C.
"Gene is a gifted
storyteller with a narrative voice all his own."
–Stacey
"Gene Curtis show's a lot
of promise for a new writer. Read his Bio and you can see he's used
to hearing stories, and telling them too. The book start's a little
slow but builds as the foundation is laid. This is going to be a
series of books so the foundation takes longer than a single book
would but it's worth it. By the time the Festival of Tents comes
around you know the characters and identify with them. This allows
you to really get into the story. The only negative thing is you
want to read the next installment but it's not out yet."
–David
"Gene Curtis' first novel
is a bold and exciting read, a thought-provoking meld of fantasy
and reality that will be sure to enchant readers for years to come.
Curtis has managed to create something that will appeal to all
types of readers. Fans of the genre will certainly find this book
to be an enjoyable experience, as will those who are just being
introduced to the realm of the fantastic. Bravo! "
–Scott
"I have to say that this
book is very believable, with well developed-characters with
amazing dialogue that surrounds an action-packed story that will
keep you guessing the entire time. It's an easy read, and extremely
well written. Yes, I thought that every now and then, this could be
a Harry Potter story, but don't let that spoil a good read."
–Tommy
"As a young person’s book I
give this an ‘A’. I’m sure Gene Curtis has heard a few dozen
comparisons between this work and the Harry Potter books, and I’m
afraid that the comparisons are unavoidable. Having said that, let
me add a large HOWEVER…While there are lots of similarities, there
exist many delightful differences, as well. I find it easier to
relate to the American ‘flavor’ of the characters a lot easier than
to the British ‘flavor’ found in the HP books. Additionally, I
think Curtis deals with technology/magic interactions better than
Rowling."
--Bear
Chronicles of a Magi
The Seventh Mountain
Gene Curtis
Copyright 2011 by Gene Curtis
Smashwords Edition
Copy edited by Shirley S. Meunier, Clarkson
University.
Story edited by Donna Brauda and Christina
S. Brauda
Cover design and layout by Jeremy
Robinson
To my wife and daughter:
for love, laughter and inspiration.
Acknowledgments
:
Lyrics from “In the Garden” public domain,
copyright 1912 by C. Austin Miles.
The
Seventh Mountain
is a purely
fictional story. Many of the places in this story are real. The
descriptions of these locations have been modified to fit the
story. Any and all names or descriptions of people in this story
are fictional. Any similarity to any real person or persons, living
or dead, is purely coincidental. Some events in this story are
based on real events but are used in a purely fictional manner.
This story is solely a work of fiction, nothing more.
Table of Contents
Revenge is a Dish Best Not
Smelled
Chapter 1
The voices of history yet to come had spoken
his name.
The desert smelled hot, like a smoldering
griddle. The white-hot brightness beat Mark’s shadow into a small
oval that sought solace beneath him. He knelt, touched the sand and
his fingers seared. Fist sized stones baked on the desolate
landscape and black distortions shimmered in the expanse that
stretched before him. A stone wall blocked the way to a terraced
mountain that stood far in the distance. It was a mountain unlike
any he had ever seen yet it stood there, enduring, stoic, facing
the onslaught of heat and time. This wasn’t the way to school.
The sun began to roast his face and neck;
blisters started to form. Shade, he needed shade. The mountain was
too far away. He looked around and there was nothing, nowhere to
go, no shade anywhere. He knew he was going to be late for
school.
Suddenly it was cool, oh, so very cool. He
couldn’t remember how he had gotten there, but he was standing in
an ornate room. It didn’t matter. It was good to be out of the
sweltering sun. Looking around, he didn’t know where he was.
Three-quarter-round couches flanked matching large marble tables,
each in a different color. There were at least a dozen of them,
every one big enough to seat no less than thirty people.
Chalkboards lined the wall above a short stage. This wasn’t the
right school.
“Hello. Is there anybody here?”
No one answered. A strange uneasiness began
to settle over him. There was a fear here, tangible, like when you
wake up in the middle of the night startled, laying stark still,
watching for a shadow to move and straining for the slightest
sound. He waited for any noise, any movement of whatever was
preparing to strike.
It grew from something imperceptible at
first then suddenly the danger was too real. He could feel it,
taste it and smell it. He just couldn’t see it. It grabbed his
stomach and squeezed, making him feel sick, like he had to puke.
I’ve got to get out of here
!
He opened the door into a stone hallway and
looked both ways. It seemed endless, curving off out of sight in
both directions. The marble floors glistened. Doorways, paintings
and sculptures lined both sides of the hall.
A deep, contemptuous voice burst into his
head. “This is where you’ll die.”
Mark didn’t turn to look. He darted to the
next room and ducked in. It was another classroom. He looked back
out. No one was there.
“You’re going to die here.” The voice boomed
from nowhere and everywhere.
Mark jumped. He looked behind himself. No
one was there. He backed into the hall. Every inch of hall was
decorated in ornate marble, stretching high to the ceiling. The
ceiling was decorated with burnished wooden beams that spanned from
wall to wall, forming a diamond shaped pattern. Elaborate
chandeliers dangled from every intersection.
“You’re going to die here.”
He looked around again. Still, no one was
there. He started running. The hall seemed endless. Step after step
took him past statues, doors and paintings. Everything looked the
same.
He knew the name of the voice. He just
couldn’t bring it to the front of his mind. It was an old name,
ancient and evil. It was a name that held meaning. He didn’t know
how he knew it, but he knew that people used to shake in fear at
just the mere mention of this name. What was this name? He just
couldn’t form it in his mind. It wasn’t like any of the common
names that he had ever heard associated with evil like Lucifer,
Satan, or the Devil. It was different. This name itself was power,
subtle and deadly. It felt like suddenly realizing that a
Copperhead was one step ahead and it was about to strike. What was
this name?
Somehow he knew some of the rooms at this
school had really bad things in them. Each of those rooms held a
terrible death; only you came back to life just so you could die
again. He had to stay out of those rooms, but where were they?
The voice said again, “You’re going to
die.”