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Dusk
The world cannot fear what it does not know; a fact that has allowed the people of Dusk to exist in relative peace for centuries. Hidden behind a shroud of mystery on the distant continent of Xulrathia, the southern Kingdom is home to the most devout followers of Ayrelon’s god and goddess of death; who take their church quite literally. Few know the true nature of Dusk’s citizens, and fewer know the true nature of Queen Mordessa, the demonic creature who rules them.
The only threat the immortal residents of Dusk might fear lies to the north, hiding within a veil of secrecy, deep within the Talaani Empire. Their ancient war long abandoned for reasons they cannot remember, Dusk's Undead and Unliving residents live in relative peace, completely unaware of what their Queen has done to hold the terrible, scaled empire at bay.
Fate’s memory is less forgiving.
Relentless be the drive of a Kingdom made from bone.
Vengeance be their fear, as Dragons wake from stone.
The only threat the immortal residents of Dusk might fear lies to the north, hiding within a veil of secrecy, deep within the Talaani Empire. Their ancient war long abandoned for reasons they cannot remember, Dusk's Undead and Unliving residents live in relative peace, completely unaware of what their Queen has done to hold the terrible, scaled empire at bay.
Fate’s memory is less forgiving.
Relentless be the drive of a Kingdom made from bone.
Vengeance be their fear, as Dragons wake from stone.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2022
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Parker
3 books18 followersR.L. Parker is a passionate storyteller who is happiest when others are experiencing his creations. He believes in expansive stories with living, breathing characters that his readers and players can invest in.
One of his greatest passions is Ayrelon; a world he created for the purposes of pen & paper roleplaying in systems such as Dungeons & Dragons, Rolemaster and Palladium Megagames back in 1993. Much of the worldbuilding present in his writing was accomplished over the next decade through extremely long game sessions in epic campaigns lasting for months on end.
Not known for his pre-planning, he ran complex encounters and deep storylines for his players by the ‘seat of his pants’, often assuming personas in an instant to drive the story forward or interact with player characters. The skills he honed in those days of constant roleplaying are evident in his writing, as he now assumes the role of Discovery writer and lets his characters guide his scenes.
In addition to writing, he enjoys helping authors, storytellers, and dungeon masters craft their story and expand their own writing and roleplaying skillsets.
When not writing, R.L. enjoys video games, playing guitar, and heavy metal music. When he finds time to watch tv or movies, his favorite genres are fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and super-heroes. His favorite authors include Isaac Asimov, J.R.R. Tolkein, R.A. Salvatore, C.S. Friedman, Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman, Steven Brust, Ed Greenwood and Dean Koontz. When it comes to video games, he is partial to RPG or open-world and ‘sandbox’ games. In years past, he was an avid player of MMORPGs such as EverQuest 1 & 2, World of Warcraft, Rift, and Elder Scrolls Online. Some may remember him from Rift and E.S.O. as Wykkyd Gaming; a popular addon developer.
R.L. is an accomplished software developer and architect with nearly thirty years of experience in the craft. His skillset includes C#, Salesforce, Lua, Java, Python, JavaScript, and other languages. His career was the primary factor that caused delays for his writing, which did not begin in earnest until June of 2020. Having finally reached a point where long hours are no longer the norm, he now has room for his true passion, as is evident by the forthcoming novel: Bathed in the Blood of Ravens.
His success and creativity are in large part due to the support of his loving wife, Kristina, and his two sons, Corwyn and Zakuri.
One of his greatest passions is Ayrelon; a world he created for the purposes of pen & paper roleplaying in systems such as Dungeons & Dragons, Rolemaster and Palladium Megagames back in 1993. Much of the worldbuilding present in his writing was accomplished over the next decade through extremely long game sessions in epic campaigns lasting for months on end.
Not known for his pre-planning, he ran complex encounters and deep storylines for his players by the ‘seat of his pants’, often assuming personas in an instant to drive the story forward or interact with player characters. The skills he honed in those days of constant roleplaying are evident in his writing, as he now assumes the role of Discovery writer and lets his characters guide his scenes.
In addition to writing, he enjoys helping authors, storytellers, and dungeon masters craft their story and expand their own writing and roleplaying skillsets.
When not writing, R.L. enjoys video games, playing guitar, and heavy metal music. When he finds time to watch tv or movies, his favorite genres are fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and super-heroes. His favorite authors include Isaac Asimov, J.R.R. Tolkein, R.A. Salvatore, C.S. Friedman, Margaret Weiss, Tracy Hickman, Steven Brust, Ed Greenwood and Dean Koontz. When it comes to video games, he is partial to RPG or open-world and ‘sandbox’ games. In years past, he was an avid player of MMORPGs such as EverQuest 1 & 2, World of Warcraft, Rift, and Elder Scrolls Online. Some may remember him from Rift and E.S.O. as Wykkyd Gaming; a popular addon developer.
R.L. is an accomplished software developer and architect with nearly thirty years of experience in the craft. His skillset includes C#, Salesforce, Lua, Java, Python, JavaScript, and other languages. His career was the primary factor that caused delays for his writing, which did not begin in earnest until June of 2020. Having finally reached a point where long hours are no longer the norm, he now has room for his true passion, as is evident by the forthcoming novel: Bathed in the Blood of Ravens.
His success and creativity are in large part due to the support of his loving wife, Kristina, and his two sons, Corwyn and Zakuri.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 16, 2023
This book, like the other two, is just fantastic. Every detail of world building and character development is so well thought out and executed. The first part of this book starts out in the exact timeline of Siscci and then continues past it. It also brings back some characters from Siscci and Blood of Ravens and further develops them. I found this book to be a bit darker than the other two and I absolutely loved it. The only negative i can give is that I was woefully unprepared to be done and not have another book in this world available to read yet, so maybe Ill read them all again....
October 15, 2022
A journey to defeat the baddie, save your home, and create a new way of life. What can I say? There's nothing like a dark fantasy filled with powerful magic wielders, dragons, a soul absorbing sword, thieves, assassins and the undead...unliving...but definitely not zombies. The residents of Dusk are composed of two religions that live long lives of seemingly undisturbed contentment. However, they are ruled by a powerful, maniacal queen that has manipulated and ruled the people in fear for centuries. Enter a union of individuals that are brought together by an ancient magical being to save Dusk and change the course of the empire and its rivals. It's a fun read full of adventure and mystery that you won't be able to put down. Best of all, if you're a fan of R.L. Parker, there's some Easter eggs in here.
October 20, 2022
Becoming one of my favorite authors by far!
Dark fantasy, travel, battle, magic... What not could anyone want in a book?!? Descriptions of the world you are entering are phenomenally written, characters are new and refreshing. Always leaves me craving more.
Dark fantasy, travel, battle, magic... What not could anyone want in a book?!? Descriptions of the world you are entering are phenomenally written, characters are new and refreshing. Always leaves me craving more.
January 28, 2023
There is so much to be said of this book. Firstly, the world building is extraordinary and on quite a large scale. The details of each realm are exquisitely laid out in your mind almost as if you have a map. Everything has a direction and the description is consistent. As for the characters, just wow! There are so many bad a’ss characters in this book, and in ways you’d never expect! I’d say expect the unexpected but Mr. Parker certainly knows how to keep a reader on their toes! Character introduction is perfect, and the character development absolutely flawless. The book is written exceptionally well with attention to detail and strong ties to Siscci, a book which runs almost in tandem with Dusk. The magic system is beautifully orchestrated and the cover is absolutely glorious! Mr. Parker very evidently takes great pride in his writing and choosing appropriate artwork to showcase his epic world! Dusk will have you wanting more with each and every page, almost creating a full fledged movie in your minds eye! Ten out of ten would recommendomend!
November 27, 2022
{No spoilers included] I've now read three of R L Parker's books and each has captivated my imagination from the very beginning. Parker's incredible worldbuilding allows you to visualise each and every setting the characters visit and experience the hardships and joys they encounter. The fully-fleshed-out characters become real as you experience every moment of their lives. No one, including the BBEG, feels flat or underdeveloped. Dusk works as a stand-alone story. However, you make interesting connections if you have read his other works, especially Siscci. If you are looking for a fantasy that will take you on an incredible ride, this is the one for you.
September 9, 2023
Dusk was by far the best fantasy book I've read this year. The details in the world building, the characters and plot of the overall story was on par to reading one of George R.R. Martin’s books. I simply was fascinated from the beginning to the end without a dull moment. Highly recommend reading Siscci before starting this book since a few characters cross over to this one. Definitely a world I will enjoy getting lost in again and again with rereads.
September 26, 2023
Categories rated on a 10 point scale. Averaged and then translated into Star Rating. See CAWPILE by Book Roast.
I have an eBook copy, but read and annotated a physical paperback copy.
I started the book on April 11, 2023 and finished on September 3, 2023. Six months. I took my time.
These characters are my friends now. Full Stop. The relationship between Gnately and Tavyn is total relationship goals. Friends that you can trust, turn to, laugh with, be yourself with. GOALS. Page 97 in chapter 7: instant friendship based on needs being met and mutual respect. And when you thought character development of this ensemble cast was over, in chapter 16, page 252, Lord Whun shows up every single man who ever lived, with emotional maturity levels mere mortal men rarely get to.
The world of Ayrelon just got so much bigger and far more real. The roads, the forests, the castles and taverns, the city of Dusk with its rich and as yet fully revealed intricacies. I want to explore every inch of all of it, including the world within the 743 mile circumference of Dusk. And the Flute! Such level of mass transit!
Obviously being the third published book in this world, the writer's craft has been honed well by this point. But the short time between publication of Bathed in the Blood of Ravens (2021), Siscci (also 2021) and Dusk (2022)- to be this immersive, this expansive, this meticulously thought out and diverse! Storytellers have immense worlds living in their heads. To be able to take those worlds, write about them in a way that brings the reader into them, is a separate talent entirely.
Let's go from that to the plot. Plots plural, subplots galore. Ramifications for the world on the whole. There's more to come and I'm here for it. Main plots wrapped up in ways you do not see coming and subplots left opened, making the addiction complete. Leaves you wanting more. I read Siscci in a week and wanted more, so I took my time with this because there's only one remaining published work...
Some books you gobble up because they are meals or snacks. Some meals are feasts that you must pace yourself through so you have room for each of the 50 courses you want to taste. That's what the intrigue in Dusk was. A feast that begged me to taste each morsel, each course, each flavor. I did not want the feast to end. Around every bend in the road, with each new page turn, a new flavor, a new detail emerged. Be prepared for the gauntlet of emotions you will feel.
Logic. The be all end all of living for me. I ask myself daily "What would Batman do? What would Sherlock think? How would Spock advise?" Sadly, now the Bone Daddy Lord Whun is interjecting with his two cents. And as much as I truly disliked Ahm's impetuousness in his youth (Prelude to Dusk) and his controlling nature in his 8th century of life, I quickly found that his heart beats true with a love any little girl would crave from a father.
You ask if I enjoyed this book? If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't feel the emotions over Chapter 18, the grip of Chapter 19, the hope of Chapter 20 and be so freaking mad it is over and I have to wait for more. You do the math.
Characters: 10, Atmosphere: 9.6, Writing: 9.4, Plot: 9.7, Intrigue: 10, Logic: 9.8, Enjoyment: 10 = Avg: 9.79/10 = 5 Stars
Out of 70 points each book is capable of earning, Dusk earned 68.5. I will be wholly surprised if anything else I read this year will be capable of the narrow 1.5 point margin to beat it out for best of my year.
I have an eBook copy, but read and annotated a physical paperback copy.
I started the book on April 11, 2023 and finished on September 3, 2023. Six months. I took my time.
These characters are my friends now. Full Stop. The relationship between Gnately and Tavyn is total relationship goals. Friends that you can trust, turn to, laugh with, be yourself with. GOALS. Page 97 in chapter 7: instant friendship based on needs being met and mutual respect. And when you thought character development of this ensemble cast was over, in chapter 16, page 252, Lord Whun shows up every single man who ever lived, with emotional maturity levels mere mortal men rarely get to.
The world of Ayrelon just got so much bigger and far more real. The roads, the forests, the castles and taverns, the city of Dusk with its rich and as yet fully revealed intricacies. I want to explore every inch of all of it, including the world within the 743 mile circumference of Dusk. And the Flute! Such level of mass transit!
Obviously being the third published book in this world, the writer's craft has been honed well by this point. But the short time between publication of Bathed in the Blood of Ravens (2021), Siscci (also 2021) and Dusk (2022)- to be this immersive, this expansive, this meticulously thought out and diverse! Storytellers have immense worlds living in their heads. To be able to take those worlds, write about them in a way that brings the reader into them, is a separate talent entirely.
Let's go from that to the plot. Plots plural, subplots galore. Ramifications for the world on the whole. There's more to come and I'm here for it. Main plots wrapped up in ways you do not see coming and subplots left opened, making the addiction complete. Leaves you wanting more. I read Siscci in a week and wanted more, so I took my time with this because there's only one remaining published work...
Some books you gobble up because they are meals or snacks. Some meals are feasts that you must pace yourself through so you have room for each of the 50 courses you want to taste. That's what the intrigue in Dusk was. A feast that begged me to taste each morsel, each course, each flavor. I did not want the feast to end. Around every bend in the road, with each new page turn, a new flavor, a new detail emerged. Be prepared for the gauntlet of emotions you will feel.
Logic. The be all end all of living for me. I ask myself daily "What would Batman do? What would Sherlock think? How would Spock advise?" Sadly, now the Bone Daddy Lord Whun is interjecting with his two cents. And as much as I truly disliked Ahm's impetuousness in his youth (Prelude to Dusk) and his controlling nature in his 8th century of life, I quickly found that his heart beats true with a love any little girl would crave from a father.
You ask if I enjoyed this book? If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't feel the emotions over Chapter 18, the grip of Chapter 19, the hope of Chapter 20 and be so freaking mad it is over and I have to wait for more. You do the math.
Characters: 10, Atmosphere: 9.6, Writing: 9.4, Plot: 9.7, Intrigue: 10, Logic: 9.8, Enjoyment: 10 = Avg: 9.79/10 = 5 Stars
Out of 70 points each book is capable of earning, Dusk earned 68.5. I will be wholly surprised if anything else I read this year will be capable of the narrow 1.5 point margin to beat it out for best of my year.
September 21, 2023
Whats not to like about fantasy races and necromancers. Dusk shows you the world of Ayrelon through the eyes of a host of great characters. Whun is mysterious and powerful as is his companion Ahm. You'll be on the edge of anticipation trying to learn along with them of their lost memories. Tavyn's principles verse his desire to do good will have you rooting all the way to the end. Mina and Eros's love is pure and sweet. A must read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews