Andea is a land where humans have learned to harness the life essence in all living beings to magically shape the world around them. It is a place where warrior-priests called dahkshari keep order by serving as judge, jury, and executioner. And where common Andeans called heretics strike out into the monster-haunted frontier to escape the dogmas of Andea's cleric lords.
Raven Byrne is a novice dahkshari hunting heretic criminals when he discovers that an Andean war hero wants to use an ancient magic called the Reaping Key to avenge the deaths of his family during Andea's recent war with Loquath. The souls of every Loquathi man, woman, and child are at stake.
Raven finds an unlikely ally in a young Andean noblewoman, Seala Mesalek. Together, they embark on a journey across Andea's dangerous frontier to stop a genocide. Can Raven put aside his prejudice against heretics and his doubts in himself to become the honorable dahkshari Andea needs?
Autorentext
Rob Steiner lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, daughter, and a rascal cat.
He is the author of the Journals of Natta Magus series, about a wizard from an alternate twenty-first century who is stranded in Augustan Rome. Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show featured two stories about Natta Magus: "The Oath-Breaker's Daemon" and "The Cloaca Maxima."
He also wrote the alt-history/space opera Codex Antonius series (Muses of Roma, Muses of Terra, and Muses of the Republic) about a Roman Empire that spawns an interstellar civilization.
Be among the first to hear about Rob's new releases by signing up for his "New Release Mailing List" on his web site below. He won't share your info with anyone, and he'll only email you when a new book or story comes out.
Klappentext
The Andean Commonwealth is a land where humans use their Faith to magically shape the world around them. Warrior-priests called dahkshari keep order by serving as judge, jury, and executioner. And "heretics" strike out into the unknown frontier along Andea's borders to escape the overcrowded Great Cities and the strict Faith dogmas of the cleric lords.
Raven Byrne is a novice dahkshari about to complete his training. He discovers that a popular Andean war hero named Thallan Brael wants to use an ancient magic called the Reaping Keys to avenge the deaths of his family, who were killed during Andea's recent war with neighboring Loquath. If Brael finds all three Reaping Keys, he could "reap" the souls of every Loquathi man, woman, and child. The guilty and the innocent would pay for the lives of Brael's dead family.
With the help of Brael's niece, Seala Mesalek, Raven embarks on a journey across Andea's dangerous frontier to stop Brael from using the Reaping Keys to commit genocide. Can Raven learn to put aside his prejudice against heretics, and his doubts in himself, to become the honorable dahkshari Andea needs?