Ayn, the great huntress, is driven to the edge of madness by a haunted bone spear. Iiro is destined to be a champion if he can ever grow out of being a coward. Accompanied by the wise cracking Kyk and the divine Vai, they odyssey through sprawling ancient cities, hunt flaming dragons, and battle manna addicted pyromancers. Their group unravels when the High Priestess of the Fallen seduces Iiro with a technologically advanced but corrupt civilization. When Iiro abandons Ayn, the huntress is left with a sinister decision: let Iiro live as the Earthly leader of the Digir, or kill him to save humanity — at the cost of her soul.

“An exciting book…vigorous prose and plenty of action…aliens are marvelously alien…Ayn is terrific, nuanced, heroic…I was on her side until the end.”

Jane Routley (Mage Heart, Fire Angels)

“If you keep up this level of quality I hope you send me a signed copy when it goes to hardcover.”

— Joel E. Roosa

Sample Page:

“Do you think he’ll be handsome?” Vai leaned on her spear and thrust her hips to the side in a coquettish way that looked comical on her adolescent body.

“No.” Ayn considered both of the boy’s parents very beautiful before their corruption but she did not know if the boy would be healthy or twisted.

Ayn herself felt nervous. To make a fear-inspiring first impression on Kuu’s son she had spent the previous day cleaning her bearskin cloak and working mud deep into the fur to puff it out to make her look larger than she was. Her pride of huntresses had killed a fresh doe in the morning and they painted their faces in long streaks of its blood.

Kyk, Ayn’s half-sister, carried the heavy bag of barter. Vai and her mother Syji carried spears, bows and arrows.

The four of them ascended the curving path up the side of the low hillock to the waiting Svard encampment. It was ringed by a shallow ditch and low palisade wall. A dozen men met them at the gate. Their chief, Oupix, was among them. Time had added stoutness to his chest and removed several of his teeth.

“The boy.” Ayn let the bone spear be her introduction.