Just in time for the Christmas season and the New Year, readers, I present to you The Guardian Cycle, Vol. 2: American Mage and Other Stories in ebook* and paperback*!
It is said that war is hell. But what of the Prisoners of War, or the war orphans who grow up amidst the chaos, and what of those who escape their enemy’s prisons?
In Halcyon, meet a man who has been abused in a prison camp for so long that he has forgotten his own name – but not the desire to survive. Follow the adult orphans Warlock Ruthers produced in his campaign for power as they protect two children whom he seeks to murder to defeat a prophecy of his downfall in American Mage.
Meanwhile, Allan Kearney and Michio Oshika work on removing the demon tattoos from the former’s back at the same time they seek the means to end the persecution of Allan’s fellow prisoners. But demons do not release their prey without a fight, as the young Torránese soldier knows all too well. If he is to survive, let alone help rescue his comrades, first he will have to face the monsters clawing for his soul. It will be a battle that will require all his strength – and more…
This sequel to In Dreams and Other Stories* carries on with this, the second installment of the cycle - Guardian, Part 2: Honor. It and most of the tales in this volume have not been published previously.
The sole exception is Halcyon, which first appeared in Cirsova Magazine’s 2019 Summer Special Issue. John DeNardo of Kirkus Reviews called Halcyon a story of “…thrilling adventure and daring suspense” in his review, which you can read here.
American Mage, the title story in the volume, won Honorable Mention in the 2nd Quarter of the 2017 Writers of the Future Contest. I have been waiting to publish it for quite some time, and now is that time. You can thank Vixen Art once again for the glorious cover, which shows a scene from the title story that helps to kick off the entire adventure!
The additional stories are all short and include:
This Blunt Thing
Specter of the Jungle
Brothers
This anthology was as much fun to write as the first, and creating the short tales that would fit between the larger ones proved to be particularly enjoyable. Thankfully, they all came out in a neat, tight package.
Once again, thank you for taking part in this journey with me, readers. More tales are in store. Please stay tuned, as more alerts will be coming in the New Year!
NOTE: As always, the links marked with an asterisk are Amazon Affiliate links. When you purchase something through them (preferably this new book), I receive a commission from Amazon at no extra charge to you.