Vow of the Vanquished

by Justin DePaoli

The people of Andrastus pray to gods for mercy, but it is the man they curse as godless who's their only hope.

They say he's a man of such filth that soap cannot cleanse him, for soap cannot scrub the soul.

They say if you crack him open you'll find nothing but hollowness from where rot ate away all the good.

They say lots of things. But if all of them were true, then Varick Kronwall could not stand amongst the living, for his kind was supposedly purged centuries ago.

What will they say when they learn he is the only thing standing between them and total obliteration?

Among the graves of Varick's vanquished ancestors lie answers to stopping a coming darkness. But the secrets he covets are also desired by a beloved queen.

They say she's divine, but they're wrong about that too. Deadly wrong.

Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2022

About the author

Justin DePaoli called Pittsburgh home for twenty-one years, but now lives in Kentucky with his fiancee, stilt-legged German shepherd, two cats, and a company of fish.

Beginning his career as a freelance writer, he now writes fiction full-time.

When he's not writing, he enjoys playing guitar (quite horribly), running, lifting, playing video games, and spending time with his fiancee and menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Earl Villanueva · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing and original

Unique story. Captivating. I read tens of book a month and it’s not often that I find one this original. Had to finish in one sitting. I highly recommend it.

[Gerrianne]

Very slow

[Kemery Myers]

Dnf. Something kept me from continuing even though the writing wasn't bad. I was often confused about what the main plot was and I felt like there was little tension or intrigue perhaps?