Head & Shoulders used to tell us that, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s true for wearing dark shirts, and it’s especially true for books. Sometimes the characters will hook the reader, sometimes the premise, sometimes it’s just knowing the author—but nothing beats a great opening for getting a reader to commit.
“You must meet the most interesting people on the gallows,” Whitlaw Goddard said to the black-hooded man readying his noose. The wooden stool creaked beneath his bare feet as he shifted, earning him a cuff that left his ear throbbing. The large audience chattered among themselves, making jokes and mocking, waiting for the day’s entertainment to begin.
The silent executioner didn’t dare talk with the heretic the corrupt hierarchs held responsible for conniving to land a mage on the holy moon, home of the gods. He ignored the condemned mage and pulled a length of rough rope taut, checking that it would hold the weight of his portly criminal. The man grunted in satisfaction and tied the end into a looping knot just large enough to accommodate Whitlaw’s head.
The mage shuddered and swallowed back down the sudden burn of bile. He’d never been one for pointless small talk, but with his hands bound and his magic sealed, a rising panic lent desperate energy to his tongue — as if by some miracle he might charm the dour executioner into sparing his life.
from First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston
