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About Shadows of Asphodel:
When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.
1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.
But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.
If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster—or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.
Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?
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About Karen Kincy:
About the Author:
Karen Kincy (Redmond, Washington) can be found lurking in her writing cave, though sunshine will lure her outside. When not writing, she stays busy gardening, tinkering with aquariums, or running just one more mile. Karen has a BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College.
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"Necromancy is fascinating," he murmured. "There's a certain repulsive elegance about the magic. With it, I can recover memories long lost. I can speak to the dead who left this world days, weeks, even centuries ago."
Ardis is a half-chinese, half-european assassin, working for the archmages, the world on the brink of war. She finds Wendel bleeding and wounded in the snow, quickly discovering he is a Necromancer, a very rare magic wielder. Wendel is close-lipped about his past, only hinting that he was disinherited by his noble family when they discovered what he can do. As he and Ardis work together, they fall for one another quickly. There was something about this book where I didn't mind how quickly Ardis and Wendel fell for one another. Normally, I'd kvetch a bit about insta-love, but I was totally pleased with this development. TOTALLY. It made my heart melt.
Wendel is hell-bent on destroying the Order of Asphodel, his torturers, his commanders, whatever you want to call them. They only use him and abuse him. Ardis discovers she has a link there that she wasn't previously aware of. Wendel is subtle and sweet and strong. Ardis is leery of everyone but keeps feeling that tug towards Wendel. At one point, I was really ticked with her thinking that she was betraying him; but all is well later.
Wendel is full of these poetic phrases that just tug on your heart strings.
"The truth of my life," he said, "will die with me, as it does with us all. And my memories will fade as my bones grow old, and I will love on only in the memories of those who cared I should not be forgotten." --- how lovely and true is this? That is true immortality; being remembered by those who loved you.
He later went on to break my heart when he says to Ardis:
"Ardis," he said. "I wish I..." She drew back to look at him, and he closed his eyes. Maybe he couldn't look at her. "I wish I weren't so broken," he whispered.
And then he totally wrecked me with his discovery of why the other necromancers failed to master death or come back from the dead. But I won't quote that one. I want that impact to remain for you as you pick up this book. This is a re-readable for sure and I can only hope there will be future stories with Wendel and Ardis or perhaps in the same world, but not with them. I don't know...I just want to read more!
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