A plume of power erupts, pointing to an ancient Gate between our world and the Aeris, creatures born from myths and legends, hungering for worship, and offering only possession and slavery in return. An order of monks known as Adepts sense the Gate, but are not alone. Elder races have taken note and converge on the Gate’s next appearance, a desert stronghold known as Bara’cor. Lacking much of the ancient lore and might, the Adepts still send one of their very best to investigate: Silbane.
Silbane Petracles – lethal assassin, Master of the Way, honed as a living weapon. His mission: stop the Gate from opening, no matter the cost. His best chance: use his apprentice’s ability to disrupt magic, possibly killing him in the process.
But others have a stake in the outcome…
Themun Dreys – Lore Father and leader of the Adepts, powerful in the Way. For two centuries he has been saving those born with Talent. Now he faces a danger beyond his Council’s abilities and has limited options for a path to salvation.
Lady Lilyth – Lady of Flame, Eye of the Sun, and Aeris Celestial, a goddess who no longer wishes to serve the beliefs and whims of the people of this world. Ravager, destroyer, she believes Silbane’s apprentice holds the secret to life for her kind and will do anything to get it.
Rai’stahn – Dragon-knight of the Conclave, ancient guardian of power. He believes Silbane’s apprentice does more than disrupt magic; he eradicates it and forces the world around him to become mundane. He will take any steps necessary to ensure magic and those beings sustained by it, survive.
Kisan Talaris – Master of the Way, fellow warrior and friend to Silbane. Decisive and powerful, she tracks unknown assassins sent against her Order, but is then given a new directive – kill Silbane’s apprentice and complete his mission, by any means necessary.
Destinies converge as the mighty strive to balance the fate of their worlds against the life of one boy. He is Arek Winterthorn, apprentice to Silbane, assassin-in-training, student of the Way.
And he is – Mythborn.
Awards
- 1ST PLACE, Outstanding Dark Fantasy, 2014 Cygnus Awards
- SILVER MEDAL WINNER, Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror E-Book, 2014 IPPY Awards
- SEMI-FINALIST, 2014 Best Kindle Book Awards - Sci-Fi / Fantasy
- 4.5 / 5 stars "IndieReader Approved" by IndieReader
Kirkus Reviews:
Debut fantasy novelist Lakshman offers a rousing epic in which supernatural beings threaten the world of their own creators. Lakshman shows a plate spinner's skill as he smoothly balances the novel's diverse elements and keeps the action rolling at a fast clip. The author shapes his ambitious, entertaining story with familiar genre elements--good and bad mages, dragons, dwarves and elves... (The author's descriptions of physical combat, training and strategy have an authenticity that's reminiscent of Elizabeth Moon's 1992 masterwork The Deed of Paksenarrion.) An ambitious, colorful and highly readable fantasy epic.
IndieReader:
MYTHBORN takes place in a complex, richly designed world with a substantial history behind it. The book is rich in the elements of standard fantasy - magic-users, dragons, dwarves, demons and gods, royal families and witchhunters - but takes them in different and novel directions. Characters are multi-faceted and fully realized, with none of them ever either too saintly or unbelievably villainous. Each is genuinely acting in what they feel to be their own, their country's, or their group's best interest. It's not hard to sympathize with any of them, and it's easy to be drawn in to their ways of thinking, only to be startled out of it by a sudden change to another character's viewpoint. The story is grippingly intense, with new developments on every page and a thoughtful plot that engages the mind and the heart. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The stunning sequel to Mythborn: Rise of the Adepts, launches on Amazon.com!
