Among the skorne, death and glory are often the same thing. At the command of Archdomina Makeda, the great Army of the Western Reaches pushes farther into the uncharted lands of the west. Those skorne who fight for the archdomina face enemies stranger than any they’ve encountered before, but with each foe comes a chance at glory and exaltation. When three warriors are cut off from the main army after an ambush by a new and deadly enemy, they become the sole protectors of a most precious sacral stones containing the vital essence of skorne who died bravely in combat. These survivors must overcome their differences in rank and the rigid skorne caste system, band together, and fight their way back to safety. But one among them harbors a terrible secret, one that may cost them their honor, their lives, and even their very souls.
Aeryn Rudel is a writer from Seattle, Washington. He is the author of the Acts of War novels published by Privateer Press, and his short fiction has appeared in The Arcanist, The Molotov Cocktail, and Pseudopod, among others. Aeryn is a notorious dinosaur nerd, a baseball fanatic, and knows far more about swords than is healthy or socially acceptable. He occasionally offers dubious advice on the subjects of writing and rejection (mostly rejection) at www.rejectomancy.com or Twitter @Aeryn_Rudel.