Chronicles of the Black Gate
5 primary works • 7 total works Complete
Book 0.5
How did Asho end up as Lord Kyferin's squire?
Escape from Bythos leads seamlessly into the novel The Path of Flames, detailing how Asho acquired his freedom against all odds and escaped the slave city of Bythos.
All Ennoian knights must sacrifice a single year of their lives to garrison the subterranean city of Bythos. Known as their Black Year, it is a time both loathed and dreaded. Lord Kyferin, the infamous leader of the Black Wolves, is down in the depths with six of his knights. Biding his time. Whoring. Dreaming of bloody invasions he'll launch when he is free to return to Ennoia.
Then a Bythian slave brings word of dangerous prey. A legendary monster. A cavekiller. Kyferin chooses to mount a hunt, taking a fraction of the men needed so as to increase his glory. This cavekiller, however, is different. More lethal. Ferocious. And the Bythian slave that Kyferin brings as a guide is none other than Asho's father...
Book 1
A war fueled by the dark powers of forbidden sorcery is about to engulf the Ascendant Empire. Agerastian heretics, armed with black fire and fueled by bitter hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the empire - and in so doing destroy it.
Asho--a squire with a reviled past--sees his liege, the Lady Kyferin, and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy and betrayal, demons and an approaching army, the fate of the Kyferins hangs by the slenderest of threads. Asho realizes that their sole hope of survival may lie hidden within the depths of his scarred soul--a secret that could reverse their fortunes and reveal the truth behind the war that wracks their empire.
Unpredictable, fast paced, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Path of Flames is the first installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series.
Book 2
After a harrowing battle Lady Kyferin and her stalwart followers have earned themselves a brief respite from Lord Laur's fury. They know, however, that the next assault will be impossible to resist. Their sole hope of survival lies in forging an alliance with the only force capable of resisting the empire's might: the Agerastian heretics themselves.
Book 3
Lady Iskra and her followers have survived the onslaught of demons, forged powerful alliances, and are finally ready to wreck righteous vengeance on the Ascendant Empire. Yet even as they begin their endgame, a new danger arises that threatens to annihilate everything in its path, heretic or no: Tharok, the greatest peril to humanity since Ogri the Destroyer.
Book 4
The war for the soul of the Ascendant Empire is coming to a head. Factions with fell intent move to undermine or destroy that which has stood for centuries, while armies muster promising slaughter. In this time of desperation, old enemies find common ground. Ancient truths emerge to shatter long held beliefs. Monsters from myth and legend emerge onto the world stage, while blood drowns the ceremonies of the faithful.
Book 5
The hour of reckoning is at hand. The skies darken with the forces of the enemy while the hopes of the armies of the light dwindle to but a candle flame. Morals, compunctions, oaths - all must be set aside, every sacrifice made, every advantage and ally sought if there is to be any chance for survival.
Books 1-5
With a forbidden power, Asho is going to save the very empire that enslaved him.
A war fueled by a demonic heresy is about to engulf the Ascendant Empire. Agerastian raiders, armed with black fire and an ancient hatred, seek to sever the ancient portals that unite the realm.
And in so doing, destroy it.
Asho—a squire still scarred by the shackles of his past—sees his new liege and her meager forces banished to an infamous ruin. Beset by tragedy, betrayal, demons, and an approaching army, the fate of the exiles hangs by the slenderest of threads.
Unbeknownst to them, their salvation lies not in their steel and resolve, but in the scarred soul of a former slave--a brutal secret that could reverse their fortunes and reveal the truth behind the war that wracks the Empire.