FROM BLACK FIRES RISE: an old-school sci-fantasy adventure

An escaped thief given divine purpose, a tavern owner with a heart of gold, and the obsessive Warden who will stop at nothing to track them down…

Welcome to Erethia, a world visited and shaped by the Six Gods in ancient times. But the Gods have departed, leaving mankind with only the ghosts of their presence in the form of the mysterious Sumyrians, half god, half mortal.

Telos, a master thief imprisoned in Ob-koron, has little interest in the Gods, until he is visited by one of their emissaries who aids his escape. But Telos is a stubborn man. Although he’s been given a divine quest, Telos would rather make a break for the Empire of Aurelia and live out his days with stolen wealth. To do this, he’ll need the help of a charming innkeeper Ylia and her pet cat, Urgal.

But the Prison Warden whom Telos escaped does not give up so easily. He is a man driven by rare obsession. No one has ever escaped Ob-koron on his watch. The Warden will do anything to ensure that Telos is recaptured, even bargain with the very Daimonic powers he is supposed to defend against…

From Black Fires Rise is the first book in The Vicissitudes, an epic fantasy series interweaving Sumerian and Greek myth, witty characters, emotional arcs, and spiritual themes. Fans of Rob J. Hayes, Matt Dinniman, Michael Schultheiss, and J. R. R. Tolkien will love this mythically resonant tale of hope, love, and unlikely destiny.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Clever thief cursed with bad luck by a goddess

Fiery tavern-keeper who wants her money back

A giant cat who does not give a f*ck

A ruthless prison warden who’ll stop at nothing to catch an escaped prisoner

Epic lore loosely based on Sumerian mythology

Two contrasting soft magic systems

An ancient race of telepathic monsters called Daimons