A Charm for Draius: A Novel of the Broken Kaskea

by Laura E. Reeve

Overview

"A child's life hangs in balance..."

In the age of science and gunpowder, what place does magic hold? When a high-profile murder is dumped in her lap, Draius isn't worried about magic. City Guard politics are brutal and the captain makes it clear her job is on the line; there are plenty of rivals waiting for her to fail, including her estranged husband. More killings follow. Draius endures threats and attacks as she uncovers a conspiracy to revive necromancy. But when her son is threatened, she must join the age-old battle between life-light and necromancy. To save her son and country, she must risk her sanity and step into the minds of the Phrenii, the five elementals who protect Tyrra's children and departed souls.

Even the Phrenii cannot foresee the coming catastrophe: they will be tainted by death, changing the world forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780989135849
Publisher:	Cajun Coyote Media
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Series:	The Broken Kaskea Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	83
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

As an Air Force officer for nine years, Laura E. Reeve held operational command positions and participated in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty. After the Air Force, she spent sixteen years as a software developer. Currently she writes fantasy and science fiction (F&SF) and illustrates F&SF book covers and gaming aids. Visit her author web site at AncestralStars.com, or her F&SF illustration and stock web site at ccm.AncestralStars.com.

Editorial Reviews

2016-03-04
Reeve (Pathfinder, 2010, etc.) begins a new fantasy series in which the defenders of magic must flush out a sect of necromancers. In the kingdom of Tyrra, Draius is a member of the City Guard. She and her career-obsessed husband, Jan, have a 7-year-old son named Peri. Like all marriages in Tyrra, theirs was arranged by careful matriarchal planning and exists within the confines of a contract. Also unique to Tyrran culture are the Phrenii, translucent elementals that resemble unicorns and roam the streets of Betarr Serasa. One night, in the Sea Serpent tavern, a member of the King's Council named Meran-Nelja Reggis is found nailed to the floor of an upstairs room and eviscerated. Missing organs and fingers, as well as symbols painted in blood, point to the illegal teachings of Nherissa—or necromancy. The crime scene is spoiled when Cmdr. Erik is too drunk to contain the tavern's crowds. Draius takes the case, aided by the handsome but inexperienced Lt. Lornis. Complicating matters are the shards of a magical artifact called the Kaskea, which create a bond with the Phrenii and which only the King may wield. Despite Tyrra's reliance on science and procedure, anyone abusing pieces of the Kaskea has the power upend their society. Reeve seamlessly combines disparate motifs to create an evocative new urban fantasy realm. Fascinating is the idea that Tyrra considers the word "unicorn" vulgar, and only children may touch the ethereal Phrenii without suffering ill effects (like shame and guilt). Tyrra is a place with a living history, the details of which (including a recent plague that affected birthrates) only enrich the story. Several first-person chapters from the killer's perspective add tension as Reeve leads readers toward an otherworldly finale. A lavish blend of urban crime and high fantasy.

Kirkus Reviews