Book Debut: Conquests and Crowns by SE Meliers
Back Cover
‘Destiny is the excuse of tyrants to do what would otherwise be found morally repulsive, and the excuse of the weak-minded not to intervene.’
In a world of magic and passion, those with the ability to see the future seek to change it, creating a tangled web of lies, sacrifice, love, lust and murder; a war of gods, of land, and of sovereignty.
Prince Cinder, on the promise of being Crowned King by the Priests of the Monad, invades the neighbouring lands of Rhyndel through the weakened Amori fortifications, driving the Lord Charity of Amori into the sea and taking the Lady Patience as concubine in exchange for the safety of her children.
Rogue, Prince Cinder’s Hallow and his oracle, seeks to manipulate the future in his favour, but her ideal future is changing under the influence of the giant EAerymen, who teach her the joys of passion, love and tenderness.
Cedar, a resourceful traveller and faithful follower of the white haired Prophet, Calico, sets out on a journey to aid the Lord Charity in raising an army to evict Cinder from Rhyndelian lands, but his past is swiftly catching up to him, and a decision he made in youth must be accounted for.
Shade, a self-centric and pleasure seeking necromancer, finds himself drawn into the conflict, playing first for one side and then for the other, torn between the secrets of the silent love of his life, Song, and the manipulations of the Prophet to whom he owes service.
Praise, escaping sacrifice as tribute to an EAeryian god, flees into Rhyndel, and is led by the Prophet into the mysterious dragon culture of passion and lust, and the greater battle of Shoethal and Rhyndel.
But the war for Rhyndel is not the only war being fought, and determining friend from foe is a hazardous occupation in a world where avariciousness is a virtue, and those with the power of foresight are not always straightforward with their allegiances.
Excerpt
‘Let us talk of sheep,’ the Prophet said with a serene smile. ‘To the sheep’s way of thinking, we are gods. We provide the land from which they eat, the water that they drink, and we decide if they live or die...
‘Do we care about their sheepish personal goals, aspirations, or achievements? Do we interfere in sheepish intrigues and machinations? Do we know their inner thoughts and prayers? Or are they just a source of meat?
‘We think that as we are masterful of the land upon which we live and the creatures thereupon, that the gods we worship see and acknowledge our achievements, when, in reality, we are but sheep to them.
‘Their power is fed by our prayer and belief. The god that has the most followers therefore has the most power, and they are hungry for power.’
Gallant laughed. ‘What do you offer me, in return for my role in your outcome?’
She was amused. ‘Why, the ultimate goal of gods, men and sheep: power.’
This is an adult novel. Some content may be offensive to some readers. Contains violence, rape, dubious consent, m/f/m, anal intercourse, and vanilla bondage.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, using his body to lever her own up, meeting his thrusts with savage rhythm, skin slapping skin, a film of sweat building between them. His fingers dug into the flesh of her buttock as he pulled her hips higher, the other hand braced near her head. His dark hair cloaked them both, tangling and merging with hers, his heavy brows furrowed over passion clouded blue eyes. Sweat ran down his strong straight nose, gathered across sharp cheekbones and the stubble above his thin upper lip...
Check it out on Amazon!
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