Sometimes the heart is the darkest place of all.

Eiren, the youngest daughter of the Aleynian royal family, has been living in exile in the deep desert of their kingdom. When the invading force from Ambar captures her family and demands that Eiren alone return with the Ambarians to their distant, mountainous lands, she agrees for the sake of her people. Gentle, perceptive, and able to sense the thoughts and feelings of those around her, Eiren is a storyteller—and unsure why the Ambarians have chosen her instead of her more brazen siblings.

As she grows closer to the masked and enigmatic Gannet, one of her captors, on the journey to Ambar, Eiren learns that her special gifts mark her as an icon—the rare, living embodiment of a god. Gannet, too, is an icon, and when he awakens more abilities within her, Eiren discovers a bitter truth: She is host to Theba, the goddess of destruction. A dark and dangerous force, Theba awakens similar appetites in Eiren.

But there’s more the Ambarians aren’t telling her, and secrets Eiren has to uncover for herself. To know the truth of why she was taken from her home, Eiren must become one of the monsters from her stories, whether she wants to or not.

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The stunning sequel to The Hidden Icon, perfect for readers of Bradley Beaulieu and N.K. Jemisin.

In the rival kingdoms of Ambar and Aleyn, gods walk among mortals in the form of human icons, carrying out their whims and waging untold chaos.

Having decimated the city of Jhosch, Aleynian icon Eiren flees to the wilderness of the Ambarian north. She finds solace in a distant sanctuary, trying to make peace with the knowledge that she embodies Theba, the goddess of destruction.

Soon, though, there is more devastation on the horizon: an imposter has declared herself the Dread Goddess in Eiren’s place and rallied the Ambarian army to destroy Aleyn. Traveling to cut them off and save her family’s kingdom, Eiren works to uncover the secrets of her past and keep Theba in check–all while consumed by memories of Gannet, the Ambarian icon she left behind.

Eiren’s journey takes her back to the haunted ruins of Re’Kether, an ancient city at the heart of a kingdom their warring peoples once shared. Now she must reconcile who she knows she is–a gentle-souled storyteller–with the monstrous Dread Goddess who dwells within.

View and purchase at Diversion Books.
View and purchase on Amazon.
View on Goodreads.

For those who have already enjoyed The Hidden Icon and need more story (or those who would like to try a sampling of it before they purchase the full book), I’m offering a short companion piece, The Two Sisters, for free in PDF form. This also contains the first two chapters of The Hidden Icon. Feel free to download for personal use on your computer or e-reader, but please do not redistribute this short story. If you wish to recommend it to friends or readers, kindly offer a link back to this page.