scary.co

Overview

Ancient destroyers of world after world throughout the known Existence have reached into Aona, and the great powers of the world awaken. Caught between two great evils are the men and women who will shape the destiny of this world: wielders of the Old Powers, and their protectors. Vornen Starbrook heads through the Crescent mountains with his companions, but is drawn helplessly towards a Gate far to the south- one that will herald an invasion and also destroy him. For the Harnian assassin Nia, a chance encounter becomes something horrifying and portentous- a terrible truth that must be delivered to the Watchers in Luudhoq at all costs. But this knowledge may cost her freedom. Iyoth and Kian find that their people have disappeared without trace, and the creatures of the Old Dark now occupy the spiritual home of the du-luyan. The former healer Jaana struggles against her own nature and fears the darkness of her own heart as she heads to the city of Nisstar with the sorcerer Fistelkarn to warn people of the coming destruction. Secret Roads continues the chronicle of malevolent forces and violent upheaval that began with Oblivion's Forge. - - - - - - JUST A FEW EXCERPTS FROM THE REVIEWS... ***** "Dark fantasy with characters that are intriguing, interesting and realistic, despite the fantastical elements. It is wonderfully in-depth, with a writing style that flows easily, pulling the reader into the tale so well, that it feels almost like we are there." ***** "Each person – their history, personality and motivations – is compelling to follow. Likewise, there are no true heroes in this book. Instead we’re given compelling, flawed characters struggling to cope with powers beyond their control. Most individuals are broken, filled with self-doubt and facing terrible choices, while others are fighting addictions." ***** "The author’s eloquent writing style and bold word choice captures you from the beginning. He drops you into a bleak landscape populated by diverse races all facing harsh circumstances and difficult choices—that become more harsh and difficult as the story progresses. This is a hard book to put down." AND A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR... Q: What’s the Aona Series about? The first book, “Oblivion’s Forge” describes the start of a major upheaval in the world of Aona, which is about to be the prize in a war between two great evils. Although the scene is an epic one in a sense, I made a conscious effort to ensure the world and the horrors it faces are seen through the eyes of the people caught up in these events, struggling to survive, and to understand the unravelling of hope and sanity that happens through the course of the series. As the story continues the reader becomes increasingly aware of the reasons behind all of this- there are many surprising twists and turns, and let's just say the truth isn't what you think it is! Q: How do you find inspiration? It comes from my “inner world” rather than anything else- I suppose you could say I just dream things up and write them down, and I stay true to my "voice". I'd rather be authentic than a unit-shifter. I know how to write exactly the sort of thing I *want* to write, and because that took years to work out, I just want to keep doing it. Inevitably, human nature is a big influence on what I write and how I write it. I also think that it helps the rare “good guys” (or more usually in my works, the “not quite as evil as the other ones” guys) stand out more. Like splashes of colour on a backcloth of absolute black. Q: What do you think makes a good story? Believable characters that readers care about, and a plot that to a greater or lesser extent works as an exposition of the human creature.

Media Details