Shards of Light

W'starrah Altieri can see the future, ranks high in her church, and is without question the most beautiful woman in the North Mark. But the prophecy she knows to be true will either break her heart, destroy her home or end her life. In 2002 ADR, the jewel of the southern empire is the city of Cryssigens, where life is an unending carnival of display, while intrigue brews beneath the surface. Nobles, guilds and House Cups scheme with and against each other, even in the best of times. But civil war stripped the city of its Overlord, and now factions emerge daring all in a bid to succeed to the throne. One of the leading lights of Cryssigensian society is W'starrah Altieri, the Lavender Lady, high-ranking priestess of the sect of Argens Stargazer, while others see only her dazzling beauty her eyes are filled with foreknowledge of the future. She willingly risks life and reputation to save her city, but juggling visions, rivals, suitors and the occasional assassin pushes the real world further from her grasp. Who could expect that in the midst of this she would meet the promised love of her life, or foresee that he too is doomed? "Perilous Embraces" is the third story in the Shards of Light saga set in the Lands of Hope. It is highly recommended that you read the preceding novels "The Ring and the Flag" and "Fencing Reputation" first.

When unknown conspirators launch their deadly schemes to oversee the city of Cryssigens and trigger civil war, Hope rests on a trio of heroes, none of which fully understands the depth and speed of the approaching menace. In 2002 ADR, the jewel of the southern empire is the city of Cryssigens, where life is an unending carnival of display, while intrigue brews beneath the surface. Nobles, guilds, and House Cups scheme with and against each other, even in the best of times. But civil war stripped the city of its Overlord, now factions emerge to dare all in a bid to succeed to the throne. Captain Justin seeks to win political favor in Tralmachia and return in time to tip the balance. But will the brave officer instead find doom for himself and his loyal men in the haunted hills ruled by the Baron of Blood? Feldspar the Stealthic threads through ancient streets and tunnels, past enemies villainous and monstrous, to locate a fabled artefact in the heart of abandoned Old Cryss. Peril only makes him smile: but how can he choose which of his many faces to honor when the danger bears down on those he loves? Preacher W'starrah Altieri, who loved the Captain and hired the Stealthic, sees too late the shape of the conspiracy threatening her city, her family. Will her unknown allies ever meet, now that she is helpless to halt the release of the Shard Demon? As darkness and murder clutch Cryssigens by the throat, the flames of destruction reveal … Shards of Light.

When unknown conspirators launch their deadly schemes to overset the city of Cryssigens and trigger civil war, Hope rests on a trio of heroes, none of which fully understands the depth and speed of the approaching menace. Newly-graduated imperial officer Justin is convinced he has no future, and hearing the details of the secret mission he's assigned for the Emperor won't change his mind. The Stealthic Feldspar hides behind a thousand masks, but just when his city needs him the most, he could lose himself in the most potent disguise he's ever tried: none. W'starrah Altieri can see the future, ranks high in her church, and is without question the most beautiful woman in the North Mark. But the prophecy she knows to be true will either break her heart, destroy her home, or end her life. As darkness and murder clutch Cryssigens by the throat, the flames of destruction reveal... Shards of Light. This bundled audiobook contains all the material from its four component titles: The Ring and the Flag, Fencing Reputation, Perilous Embraces, and Shards of Light (the finale) in a single collection.

When the elven lords, preachers and merchants of Cryssigens need wrongs righted without clues, they look for the stealthic Feldspar to solve their problems. But the legend without a face is hard to find: and when Feldspar takes a commission from the most famous, and beautiful, priestess in the city, he finds problems of his own piling up, and is forced to choose between Hope and safety.