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Two men. One old. One young. Both possess a gift. A gift of music with the power to change things. Even destroy. The younger is called back to his homeland. To war. The other embarks on an inward journey into his past, as he sets to repair a broken viola. An instrument with meaning to him. A resonant kind. The music each man will make will have an absolute quality. And it will change them both.
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The Sound of Broken Absolutes
Copyright © 2015 by Peter Orullian
Cover Art by Rado Javor
Cover Design by Peter Orullian
The Sound of Broken Absolutes is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-0-9712909-4-5
Publication History
First published in Unfettered 2013
Published by
Descant Publishing
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Contents
START READING
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Praise for
THE SOUND OF
BROKEN ABSOLUTES
from the epic fantasy series
THE VAULT OF HEAVEN
“The Sound of Broken Absolutes is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read . . . stunningly gorgeous, painfully intimate, and magnificently epic. This is a story of war, music, loss, and restoration, and it will touch the hearts of its readers.”
— The Ranting Dragon
“The Sound of Broken Absolutes offers a theme of rebuilding our broken selves. It resonates perfectly. Orullian pours love and dread into his rich novella about art, loss and reconstruction. His tale disturbs and ultimately uplifts with the authenticity only possible from a writer who looked life’s hardship in the eye and shook its bony hand.”
— PasteMagazine.com
Praise for
THE UNREMEMBERED
and
TRIAL OF INTENTIONS
Books One & Two of
THE VAULT OF HEAVEN
“Engaging characters and powerful storytelling in the tradition of Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, and Dennis L. McKiernan make this a top-notch fantasy by a new author to watch.”
— Library Journal (Starred review)
“A sprawling, complex tale of magic and destiny that won’t disappoint its readers. This auspicious beginning for author Peter Orullian will have you looking forward to more.”
— Terry Brooks
“The Vault of Heaven is an ambitious story in the mold of Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind. Peter Orullian is a name to watch in the field of epic fantasy.”
— Kevin J. Anderson
“This is one huge, powerful, compelling, hard-hitting story . . . The Vault of Heaven is a major fantasy adventure.”
— Piers Anthony
“A fine debut!”— Brandon Sanderson
“Great fantasy tales plunge us into vivid new worlds, in the company of fascinating characters. The Vault of Heaven is great fantasy. It grips you and shows you true friendship, strange places, and heroes growing to confront world-shaking evil. Magnificent! I want more!”
— Ed Greenwood
“The Vault of Heaven by Peter Orullian is a vast canvas filled with thought-provoking ideas on the questions of good and evil that engage us all.”
— Anne Perry
“Intricately crafted with its own distinct melody, The Unremembered is a groundbreaking work of epic fantasy.”
— Bookwormblues.net
“Sometimes you just need a big, fat fantasy, and Peter Orullian’s remastered edition of The Unremembered delivers everything you’re looking for: a fascinating world, tense action, charismatic characters, and a magic system the like of which you’ve never imagined.”
— Aidan Moher
A Dribble of Ink
Hugo Award Winner
“The Unremembered captures the unique essence and mystery of music, and weaves it into every line of a compelling and exciting world, while telling a character-driven story that resonates through the ages . . . a work of art on par with the masters of the genre, Jordan, Rothfuss, Tolkien, and more.”
— Elitistbookreviews.com
2013 & 2014 Hugo-nominated
for best review site
“Engaging characters, complex magic, and expertly written—a whole new kind of epic fantasy!”
— Suvudu.com
“Trial of Intentions is a story of music and magic, of daring and sacrifice, in an intricate and believable world, where characters face difficult and heartbreaking choices. Orullian is doing things I haven’t seen in other books, including an original system of magic. This tale will resonate with readers long after the cover is closed.”
— Robin Hobb
“Peter Orullian’s Trial of Intentions is a book enormous in scope and in intricacy, with a welter of political, cultural, and magical intrigues, behind which lies the role of song in preserving a myriad of cultures, all of which disagree with each other to some extent, even as it becomes apparent to the reader that, without some degree of cooperation, all will suffer, if not perish. A challenging story about challenged cultures, and one well-told.”
— L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
“Peter Orullian is a master of dark chocolate fantasy; bitter, harsh and sweet at once. Trial of Intentions grabs us firmly by the breastplate and challenges us to face a world of moral contradictions, stunning characters and harsh choices. An unflinching fantasy.”
— Tracy Hickman
Also by Peter Orullian
The Unremembered
Trial of Intentions
The Vault of Heaven, Story Volume One
For Maestro David Kyle,
who taught me far more than music alone
INTRODUCTION
MUSIC MATTERS. It matters in real life. And it certainly matters in the world of my fantasy series, The Vault of Heaven.
You may recall the film, Mr. Holland’s Opus. I’m cribbing a bit, but during one great scene Richard Dreyfuss says to the principal, who’s cutting back the art program: “If you take away music, sooner or later, there’ll be nothing to read or write about.”
Point and match.
Obviously, I’m biased. Music is a big part of my life. And so it was natural that it made its way into my fiction. Which it does here in The Sound of Broken Absolutes. But let me tell you how I came to write this novella.
A friend of mine got cancer. For the second time. On many of his chemotherapy days, I went and sat with him. Just to chat. Keep him company. I know he appreciated it. But at the end of the day, my offering felt small. Because I’d eventually head home after surreal conversations in which we spoke about his chances of beating cancer. Or not.
It reminds me of a dark novel I wrote once (a hard story to write and one I’ve never
