The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles: Book 1
by A.L. Butcher
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
A beautiful young elven sorceress flees for her life in a dark world where magic is forbidden and elves are enslaved. A world in which her very existence is illegal. Watching her are the Order of Witch-Hunters; the corrupt organisation that rule Erana by fear and ignorance. An iron fist which itself is watched. As the slavers roll across the lands stealing elves from what remains of their ancestral home the Witch-Hunters turn a blind eye to the tragedy, and a story of power, love and a terrible revenge unfolds.
3rd Edition - revised and expanded.
*18+* age limit - this contains adult themes, including scenes of a sexual nature, violence, slavery and some profanity.
The Shining Citadel
The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book 2
In a dark world where magic is illegal and elves live as slaves, a desperate elf and her human companion seek aid from the mysterious sorcerer, Archos and his lady, the sorceress Dii’Athella. Hoping to unearth the secrets of the Shining Citadel, lost for centuries in the mists of magic and time, they begin a dangerous and arduous journey. Could these secrets change the lives of an oppressed people or will such information bring about a worse fate?
Yet all is not as it first appears for the corrupt Order of Witch-Hunters watch from afar and one man’s obsession leads to a deadly trap. Avarice and betrayal are everywhere; who can be trusted? Creatures long thought dead rise in the darkness, and forgotten magic burns with a bitter flame.
Who makes the rules in this game of intrigue and lies? Shattered beliefs and unwelcome truths abound in an adventure filled with magic, passion, greed and revenge.
18+ rating - contains scenes of both sex and violence.
Extra warning - contains elves!
The Stolen Tower
The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book 3
What stalks the land cannot be, but is.
Where magic is outlawed a troll Shaman calls from her deathbed to her heiress, Mirandra Var, daughter of the storm. Mirandra vows to find her missing kin, sort friend from foe, and claim the dangerous secrets guarded by unthinkable creatures. If she succeeds, she will become the leader of her tribe. If she fails there, will be no tribe to lead.
Please note 18+ rated. This contains scenes of violence and sexual situations.
Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles –
Book1
Excerpt 1
The
young man was forced into a small empty courtyard with no windows overlooking
it, as it was full of rubbish and refuse. The voice in his ear said, “How nice
privacy…”
The
hand was removed from his mouth and Petrus blustered, “Who do you think you
are, common thief? I will see you flogged through the streets then hanged. My
father is an important man! Unhand me.”
Petrus
found himself with a sharp blade pressed against his groin, the deadly edge
close to his privates. He could feel the weight of the blade pressing into him.
The shadows played around him and the voice in his ear softly replied, “Unhand
me? Please, could you not think of less of a cliché? Move or scream and your
balls will be rolling in the gutter before the cry is finished.” The young man
tried to turn and felt the edge of the blade press against him again and the
voice hissed, “The city guard would never find me, for I am the shadows. Now, who would this illustrious father be that I
am to be so afraid of?”
Trying
to look down and as he moved, the swift edge of the blade split the silk of
Petrus’ breeches. “My father's men will hunt you down,” he managed, now feeling
distinctly less brave.
Olek
yawned loudly. “By all means, call his men. They will be hunting a shadow, a
ghost. Much expense will be used, to no avail. How much is your life worth to
him, do you think? Not only do you deem it suitable to rape young women and
brag about your prowess to your friends, but really, you are extremely dull in
conversation. If you answer my questions, you might yet live. Believe me when I
say I could take you to a man who would not be as…merciful as I, for what you have
done and said. A man who could no doubt keep you alive for some while, although
I doubt you would be in much of a state to enjoy that life. Now, who are you?
This young lady whom you found so…enjoyable, where is she?”
With
the blade against his skin, Petrus’ courage failed him. His voice trembled as
he whispered, “I am Petrus, son of Lord Renfrew. The girl, the little virgin
whore, she is in the Mermaid. She was just an elf. I paid the price thus she
was mine.”
There
was a hiss from behind him and the blade moved yet closer to his balls.
Suddenly there was a sharp pain as the edge scratched him, not quite breaking
the skin. He whimpered and tried to back up. The voice continued, “There was
mention of an elven girl called Dii. How do you know her? The other fellows,
who were they?”
Petrus
swallowed and whispered, “Just a little slut…er…I mean, girl that I had a while
ago, a Kept of Lord Tremayne, used to share her around. Little witch warmed his
bed too when that human witch bored him. Just an elf Kept, no one of
importance, just some fun for the menfolk…the others…oh…er…fellows I just met.”
“Oh,
now, lad, you were doing so well… You seemed too intimate to be mere
acquaintances.” Olek smiled beneath his cloak.
Petrus
felt the blade against him and with a whimper and a squeak, he felt the skin
break and a thin trickle of blood begin to flow, soon joined by wetter warmth
as he pissed his breeches. Suddenly the only focus was the blade against him,
and he squeaked, “Just a little Kept whore, I swear, merely Tremayne’s girl.
The others, oh, just Janik of Argen; Edwaen, son of the House of Andert; and
Reflin, son of the House of Sardak, the merchant.”
Olek
twisted his wrist and drew his blade deep into the man's private parts and as
he fell screaming, drew the sword across his throat, cutting off the scream to
a gurgle. Crouching, letting the blood flow away from him, he hissed, “Women
are not yours to use, elf or not. I do not like a man who betrays his friends.
This information will be most useful.”
British-born A. L. Butcher is an avid reader and creator of worlds, a poet, and a dreamer, a lover of science, natural history, history, and monkeys. Her prose has been described as ‘dark and gritty’ and her poetry as ‘evocative’. She writes with a sure and sometimes erotic sensibility of things that might have been, never were, but could be.
Alex is the author of the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles and the Tales of Erana lyrical fantasy series. She also has several short stories in the fantasy, fantasy romance genres with occasional forays into gothic style horror, including the Legacy of the Mask series. With a background in politics, classical studies, ancient history and myth, her affinities bring an eclectic and unique flavour in her work, mixing reality and dream in alchemical proportions that bring her characters and worlds to life.
She also curates for a number of speculative fiction themed book bundles on BundleRabbit.
Her short novella Outside the Walls, co-written with Diana L. Wicker received a Chill with a Book Reader’s Award in 2017 and The Kitchen Imps won best fantasy for 2018 on NN Light Book Heaven.
Alex is also proud to be a writer for Perseid Press where her work features in Heroika: Dragon Eaters; and Lovers in Hell – part of the acclaimed Heroes in Hell series. http://www.theperseidpress.com/
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#excerpt
The book covers are lovely, the synopses and excerpt intriguing. This sounds like an exciting series Thank you for sharing the book details
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