Spectres are agents of the Samarian Empire, the first line of defence before diplomats or the military are required. Immune from prosecution and trained to use powerful magic, they deal out justice at the end of a blade. Lord Scipio, a legendary spectre, has gone rogue and taken a piece of dangerous alien technology. Squad Fearless, the first black spectre, is assigned to track down, and possibly kill, his mentor. He is joined by Anya Fitzwallis, A DIA agent and expert investigator, Anya's brother Indigo, an autistic mage who holds an immense power, The Kindred, a highly advanced Artificial Intelligence, and Sig, a Dwarven mercenary. In order to complete their mission, they must uncover the nature of mysterious black triangles that appear in the sky and wreak untold destruction with new types of weapons. Able to level buildings and destroy cities, if you see them, you die. Why is this unknown force interfering in a war between the Jade Empire and a powerful new enemy? The secretive head of the Samarian intelligence service is operating in the shadows. Who is The Spider and what is he working towards? All the threads are slowly coming together and when they do it will change everything. A Secret Man of Blood is high fantasy meets science fiction and contains strong language and violence. #tsc22

It's been two months since Claire found herself back in the theater dressing room. Two months spent wondering whether or not the experience had been real or just a vivid dream, and if the man she loved was merely a figment of a wild imagination. No matter her mind, her heart refused to believe the latter to be true. When Claire returns home one evening to find an unexpected visitor waiting for her, she finds herself faced with a difficult choice -- go back at the risk of her own life, or remain safe and risk losing everything she holds dear. ------------------------------------- Winter Embers is the second book of a three book series. Please stop and read the first book -- Winter Fire -- before proceeding.