The Wedding Test: A Rucksack Universe Story: Rucksack Universe

By Anthony St. Clair

Get married in the pub… if you can open the doors.

 

"Whisky and Weddings Since 1 A.B.," proclaimed the sandwich board on the black and gray cobbles under the overcast, muggy, Scottish summer sky. "Walk-ins welcome!"

 

The couple makes their way hand in hand, ready to tie the knot. But the Dram Ring Pub and Wedding Chapel's doors stay stuck shut. Is it a test… or a sign?

 

If you like Scotland's Royal Mile in Edinburgh, or if you've ever wondered what might be hiding inside the pouch on a kilt, then it's time to say "I do" to Anthony St. Clair's Rucksack Universe story, "The Wedding Test."

 

The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue—all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair's storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett," and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe's unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic."

 

Praise for Anthony St. Clair and the Rucksack Universe

 

"Does not follow any fantasy formula. St. Clair has created a delightfully fresh saga of a world in which nothing is as it seems." – Reedsy Discovery

 

"Left me completely gobsmacked. Great concept, fun characters, and beautiful writing… High-stakes story, told with wit and compassion." – Nth Degree

 

"Brings the reader into the story and holds them there with every sight, smell, sound, and feeling…. St. Clair is now one of my favorite authors and I truly cannot wait to read more." – Online Book Club

 

"Fans of travel, fantasy, and beer will circle around this story. Matching Indian lore with universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett, St. Clair's tale will make readers reconsider fate." – Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal's Self-Published Ebook Awards

 

What Readers Say

 

"Cheeky and sophisticated."

 

"Pulls you in fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat."

 

"The characters and story swept me into their grasp and whisked me into their world."

 

"A page turner for sure."

 

"Fascinating new universe."

 

"Modern fantasy writing with very real characters and situations."

 

"Easy to read, wildly entertaining, and full of imagination."

 

"St. Clair is a fine storyteller who will keep you reading to the end and still wanting more."

 

"Anthony seamlessly combines quirk, wit, travel, and magic."

 

"A variety of amazing characters that have been masterfully brought to literary life."

 

"Beautiful prose, smart humor and a slanted take on reality."

 

"A stand-out writer and author to watch (and read) for the future! This is not Douglas or Pratchett, this is St. Clair!"

 

"An abundance of love, light, and wonder."

 

"Left me wanting more!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rucksack Press
• Release date: Jun 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781940119663

Anthony St. Clair

Anthony St. Clair creates compelling fiction and non-fiction for a curious world full of everyday discoveries, endeavors, and surprises. He is the author of the ongoing Rucksack Universe series; covers craft beer, food, business, and more for various publications; and is a copywriter and content manager for select clients. When not at his desk or in his kitchen in Oregon, Anthony is on an adventure with his wife, son, and daughter.

Book preview

The Wedding Test

The Wedding Test

A Rucksack Universe Story

Anthony St. Clair

Rucksack Press

Contents

The Wedding Test

Thank You for Reading

Become a Wanderer

Also by Anthony St. Clair

Acknowledgments

Special Features

Sneak Peek

About the Author

Marriage is a treacherous thing. You should have to pass a test first. The world population would be smaller, but it’d be happier.

—Guru Deep, Travels Through the Third Eye

The Wedding Test

W hisky and Weddings Since 1 A.B., proclaimed the sandwich board on the black and gray cobbles under the overcast, muggy, Scottish summer sky. Walk-ins welcome!

The couple held hands. They smiled at each other, then rushed up the street. Under a striped green and blue awning, the gleaming double doors—one gold, one silver—were surely ready to burst open for them. The happiest couple to come up the cobbles. Two to enter. As one to leave.

In the shadow of Edinburgh Castle at the top of the city’s Royal Mile, beyond the doors, at the far end of the Dram Ring Pub and Wedding Chapel, the nuptial nook awaited. According to legend, the little wedding chapel at the far end of the pub remained in shadow until a couple had passed their test and was ready to be married.

Inside,