Baron & Zombie [Cold War Urban Fantasy]

Prestige is power. Toil for the gods, make a wish, and receive a miracle.

New York City, the spring of 1952. Secular power is ascendant, and atomic weaponry casts a long shadow over the Earth. Yet secret cults still influence the course of nations. Cultists pull strings and slit throats, using money and magic to empower their vast conspiracies.

An elite Soviet assassin vanishes with the Cat o' Nine Lives, an ancient artifact which grants its bearer the right to die nine deaths. In desperation, a waning faction of the Soviet cult hires the ageless madman-philosopher Baron d'Holbach and his invincible right hand, the Zombie. Their task? Recover the artifact in secrecy, on American soil, before the world learns the Cat is gone.

If they fail, then a carefully managed balance of power will collapse, the Cold War will turn hot, and nuclear armageddon will soon follow.

Despite the stakes, they won’t be welcome in the halls and temples of the gods. They are living relics, responsible for diminishing the power of magic in the world, and the Baron in particular is reviled for interfering in occult politics. But the Zombie insists—they will interfere, and if the Baron dies during their mission, the Zombie will bury the world along with him.

Baron & Zombie is a historical urban fantasy set in the early Cold War, in an age when magic is waning and technology is ascendant, and old forces move once again to decide the fate of nations.

What to expect:

- Think of a le Carré spy novel and urban fantasy action in a modern style.

- Complicated Cold War politics, where no side seems right but your own.

- Realistic treatment of a magical alt Earth with deep history and myth.

- Philosophy. Steep odds demand moral choices.

The book is already written, totaling over 270k words. Chapters range from 4k to 6k words, and advance chapters are available on Patreon. Public releases are 6 chapters on launch, 5 chapters weekly for the first two weeks, and then two chapters per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays between the 11th of July and the 25th of November.

You can also join my Discord for discussion!

Lastly, Baron & Zombie has its own website. Public chapters are always available, but you can log into Patreon through the site to read advanced chapters there!

(Cover credit goes to FalyneVarger, who crafted this wonderful piece! Logo credit goes to Orange Artist!)