"There are too many things about this novel that I enjoyed to name just one. It is, quite possibly, one of the most unique stories I've read in awhile. [...] The story is well convoluted and moves at a pace that doesn't allow your interest to flag from start to finish. [...] Do yourself a favor and buy it. You'll enjoy!" - Kindle Customer, Amazon
Forbidden Romance in an Age of Veiled Magic!
When Shadyia, a courtesan of the Silver Rose, violates the tenets of the Sisterhood, she is commanded by her madam to appease an order of vicious crusaders by seducing a powerful magician masquerading as a wealthy scholar.
Caught between an ancient conflict of Order and Chaos, Shadyia and her companions must descend beneath the Silver Rose into a labyrinth of deadly traps and shadowy guardians. For only there can she defy the crusaders who threaten her sorority and avert the prophecy of a darkness that returns to consume the world.
"This story is very entertaining. The plot twists and twines, and relationships and events from the front of the story weave their way through to the end, keeping the beginning always in the reader's mind. [...] If you are looking for an entertaining read with action, character relationships that surprise, and a plot that takes some unexpected turns, I am confident this story will satisfy your needs, and draw you back for more." - seabrass, Amazon
"This story is very entertaining. The plot twists and twines, and relationships and events from the front of the story weave their way through to the end, keeping the beginning always in the reader's mind. [...] If you are looking for an entertaining read with action, character relationships that surprise, and a plot that takes some unexpected turns, I am confident this story will satisfy your needs, and draw you back for more." - seabrass, Amazon
The Penance of Pride (#2)I will never leave you, and I will always come for you.'
Shadyia’s vow to her lover is put to the test when the Innocenti rise and envelope the sisterhood she adores.
As the magician she aided hunts for the path to an ancient city, the new madam of the Silver Rose strives to please the evil that has promised, upon its freedom, to make her a queen.
Meanwhile, the adviser to the Innocenti prepares the final stage of his strategy to crush the faith of the old gods. He needs but a bit of magic to carry out his ultimate plan.
Magicians. Zealots. Madams. Whores. It’s all the same to he who waits within the enchanted box. Soon he will unleash his servants, and every horror of the abyss will once again consume humanity.
"Adrian managed to make this second book of the series even more breathtaking than the first one. Twists and counter-twists keep the reader alert and eager to read on and on and depleted and longing after the final words disappear. "- Walter, Goodreads
"Adrian managed to make this second book of the series even more breathtaking than the first one. Twists and counter-twists keep the reader alert and eager to read on and on and depleted and longing after the final words disappear. "- Walter, Goodreads
GUEST POST
Machiavellian Evil and YOU
Would you kill a stranger for $1million? Probably not. Neither would I. We still have to look at ourselves in the mirror. Would you put a bomb on a plane that killed a terrorist determined to murder hundreds of thousands of people, even if his wife and daughter were on that plane? Probably, yes. And you’d tell your reflection, “It had to be done.”
There are as many definitions for evil as there are for coffee. But today I wish to share with you my favorite: Machiavellian evil. Devious, wicked, calculated acts performed by someone who thinks they are acting for the greater good. Anyone can kill for revenge, or just because they love causing death and destruction. Evil for power and wealth is the oldest story in the book. As bad as all this is, it pales in comparison to Machiavellian evil. Why? Because as good people (I hope) we can adjust our halos and say, “I would never do that.” But when a character in a book does Machiavellian evil, we the reader cannot honestly say we wouldn’t do the same, and that is terrifying.
It doesn’t have to be simple numbers (the few hundred on that plane vs. the hundreds of thousands dying to a nuclear bomb or an engineered virus.) That actually lets us off the hook. But what if the act of Machiavellian evil were in support of a cause such as Democracy or religion? Would you kill a man who has absolute, irrefutable proof that Jesus was never crucified? Think of the chaos that would cause around the world. Now we get back into the “I would never do that!...Would I?” area.
Let’s take an example from American History. Between 1830 and 1850, the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee people were forced from their homes to walk west of the Mississippi, even after the US Supreme Court sided in favor of their right to remain on their land. Thousands of them died in the journey. This is a f*cking evil act, folks. A wizard puts you in President Andrew Jackson’s shoes at that time. You know why this has happened. Some asshole white settler found gold on “Indian” land, and all the sudden, these people were a threat that had to be removed. You don’t hate Native Americans and you believe in the rule of law. So, what do you do? Easy. You enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling, say the native people can stay, and pose for your picture on the $20 bill.
Right?
Until someone tells you that if the native people stay, the white settlers will kill them, and I am talking slaughter. Women and children, in their beds, waking to a white man with an ax and a sheet over his head. Whites will not live peacefully alongside “Indians,” not when there’s gold and good farmland to gain. When the blood starts to soak the ground, when each act of violence provokes retaliation, you—as president—will have a choice. Send in the army and kill Americans and probably start a revolution that spirals out of control, or push the problem further west. It’s evil, but it has to be done. The ends justify the means. Machiavellian Evil.
When you write your evil character, strive for this level of complexity. Force your reader to look themselves in the mirror and ask if they would do any different. Anyone can kill and destroy for the fun of it. Killing for a just cause is far more devastating.
The Shadyia Ascendant Book Series is the kind of fantasy book I wanted to read, but could never find. Sexy, powerful, positive.
The heroes are beaten, but are never broken.
Although this is a medieval setting (more or less 15th century Renaissance), the characters don’t scratch at fleas and trug through the book ass-deap in mud and blood and disease. I’m sure all that is accurate, but I never wanted to read about it.
I wanted magic that is rare, women that are bold and beautiful, mysterious magicians with a hidden agenda, and gods that move mortals about like pieces on a chessboard. That’s the book I wanted.
I was inspired by the fantasy writer David Gemmell in terms of pace. When you read one of his books, you get your money’s worth. He won’t spend eleven chapters with this characters arguing in a castle. The term “I could never put it down” fits a Gemmell book perfectly, and it’s what I have striven to accomplish in the Shadyia Ascendant series.
Get ready for a sexy adventure you won’t soon forget!
A graduate in history, specializing in Central-European history, I'm an avid computer gamer, reader enthusiast, and teacher of English as a foreign language. I'm American and currently reside in Poland.
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