Shadowcast (Ascendant #2) - Connor Peterson

Local author! No one who knew him would accuse Christian Richardson of being the sort of person who took the easy road.

Stranded in the Moorlands in fifteenth century England, Christian must come to terms with the aftermath of his quest for vengeance. Embracing the gifts passed on by his father has put everyone he cares for in danger, and any hesitation to face the road before him could cost someone he loves their life. In no position to be choosy, he finds himself working with a secretive new ally who is more than what they seem. First, they must locate Christian’s brother, Jeffrey, and from there everyone’s safety will depend on getting the scroll his father had left them as far away as possible.

Between them and their goal is a sect of magicians with a vast network of spies bent on claiming ownership of the scroll. Some are vicious creatures that make even Christian’s assassin blood run cold, and leave him with no doubt that the Luminaries are both patient and deadly when it comes to dealing with their enemies.

Learning the reality of his father’s past shatters the idolized memories Christian kept tucked in his heart, and forces him to contemplate a soul-deep sense of betrayal. His desire for vengeance is replaced with a urgent need to protect the things that had mattered to him, even if that means confronting the shattered remnants of the life he left behind. Feeling as though there is always some secret waiting around the corner, he struggles to offer words of comfort while wishing he could receive some of his own. In the wake of such life-changing revelations, only two things ring true.

He loves Paolo with everything he has.

Life would never be the same.

By Connor Peterson. Paperback. 182 pages. Published by Crimson Melodies, 2015.