Dark and the Sword

by Beverly L. Anderson

The world of Avern has moved on. It's been nearly a millennium since the day when the whole pantheon vanished, a day no one will ever forget. Since the Abandonment, the mortals have learned to live without gods and goddesses. The world became mundane, with little magic and even less hope. Tyrants have emerged, while those possessing magic hold immense power. Forces surge in the darkness, threatening to topple the already fragile world. However, Avern's world plight is not unknown, and distant watchers will intervene. The mortals are sleeping, however, unknowing that two great powers will soon vie for control.




Then something happens that changes things. A young princess makes a bid for power by murdering her father. She then attempts to murder her sister, the crown princess of Lineria, Keiara. Despite a true strike aided by dark powers, Keiara doesn't die. Instead, the strike pierces the barrier between her human soul and the soul sleeping within her, the soul of the Dark Phoenix. More than a goddess, the Dark Phoenix is the legendary mother of the gods. She is a part of the Eternal Phoenix that brought life to their world eons ago, one of the primal forces of the cosmos.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2024

About the author

Beverly L. Anderson began writing at eleven; their talent foreshadowed a remarkable future. Their first story, written in spiral notebooks, was about a kidnapping. Even then, countless story ideas featuring fantastic places, monstrous creatures, and forbidden love filled their mind. Unsurprisingly, they now favor the darker recesses of the psyche over its brighter aspects. They immersed themselves in the study of psychology and related fields. They spend most of their days dreaming about stories and deciding how to make the unruly characters do as they tell them. Characters sometimes act independently, defying the author's intent.

Bev’s other hobbies include gaming of all types, including a great love of tabletop. They are an advocate of transgender/LGBTQAI+ issues as well as autism/mental health. They still enjoy writing fanfiction when they can. Their interest in the BDSM community began as a simple curiosity but has led her to the road to finding a place for themself there as a Dominant. They have gone on the journey of self-discovery in the last few years, finally pinning down their identity after thirty years of searching. Coming out as non-binary (bigender), asexual (aegosexual), and panromantic was one of the hardest things they’ve ever done, but it gave them the confidence to become themselves even more. Bev, who is autistic, has ADHD, bipolar disorder, and follows an eclectic pagan path, frequently clashes with what society deems as "normal."

Beverly started their writing journey seriously in 2013 when they found their way to fanfiction. They spent several years writing over three million words in various fandoms. For the last few years, they have been pursuing the adaptation of those stories into original works and publishing them for a wider audience. Finding their publishing home with Phoenix Voices Publishing helped make that dream a reality, one that they help others find.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark and the Sword(Legacy of the Phoenix #1) by Beverly L. Anderson is the first book of the series and I enjoyed reading it. The gods have been missing for almost a millennium. The world has become mundane with little magic and less hope. Then something happens that changes things starting with a failed murder. This starts off a quest with help found along the way, to restore the gods before the thousand years are up. If not there will be major consequences.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was what I was looking for in a fantasy series, it was a great start to the Legacy of the Phoenix series. I was invested in the story and the characters and their world. It did everything that was promised and I enjoyed what I read. The cover was beautifully done and I look forward to reading more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.