1767. In the three years since defeating the Tharyngians at Anvil Lake,
The Crown Colonies of Mystria have prospered. Colonists, whether hunting
for new land or the Promised Land of prophecy, have pushed beyond the
bounds of charters granted by the Queen of Norisle. Some of these new
communities have even had the temerity to tell the Crown they are no
longer subject to its authorities. To survey the full extent of the
western expansion, the Crown has sent Colonel Ian Rathfield to join
Nathaniel Woods, Owen Strake, and Kamiskwa on an expedition into the
Mystrian interior. They discover a land full of isolated and unique
communities, each shaped in accord with the ideals of the founders.
Conflicts abound among them, and old enemies show up at the least useful
moments. Worse yet, lurking out there is a menace which the Twilight
People only know from folklore as the Antedeluvians; and westward
penetration stumbles into their lands and awakens them. Alerted to this
threat by his men, Prince Vlad petitions the Crown to send troops and
supplies to destroy this new and terrifying enemy. The Crown refuses,
citing massive debts from the last war. They dismiss Vlad's claims as
fantasy, and impose a series of taxes on Mystrian trade to finance their
own recovery. Faced with fighting an inhuman foe in a land seething with
resentment against the Crown, Vlad must unite the Colonies in a common
cause, or preside over their complete destruction.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud
to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science
fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future
dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban
fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires,
and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title
we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller,
or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality
books from a diverse group of authors.
