A Mantle of Bones

The Essenburg Archives #1

by Emmet Moss

The Earl of Essenburg, Steven Hargraves, is dead.

Assassinated by an unknown assailant, his death plunges the earldom into a bloody civil war. Rival siblings of the murdered lord have vied for control of the region for three long years. Frederick, rightful heir to his father’s title, lies ensconced in Bode Castle, held under siege by his younger sister Catherine’s army.

As alliances shift and unforeseen forces are brought into the conflict, an innocent newcomer threatens to upset the delicate balance of the warring factions. A gravedigger by trade, this one man seeking redemption could change the fate of the land. For a man prone to a solitary existence, his world will forever be changed. But his attempts to navigate the cut-throat world of the nobility might also lead to his downfall.

Brave knights, cunning mercenaries, and warrior monks, along with strange and wondrous places await the gravedigger. He may hold the key to Essenburg’s plight.

753 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2022

About the author

Emmet Moss writes epic fantasy that whisks readers away to worlds far removed from our own while evoking the classic, sweeping fantasy of yesteryear. He is widely known for his four book saga, The Shattering of Kingdoms (completed in 2021). A labour of love over fifteen years in the making, the first book in the series, The Mercenary Code, won the prestigious Voice Arts Award for Audiobook Narration – Fantasy thanks to the impeccable performance of narrator Simon Vance.
In his latest two novels - A Mantle of Bones (2022) and The Knight of Fulton Court (2023) - Moss introduced his readers to the Earldom of Essenburg. In the midst of these two tales, a new continent in the world of Kal Maran was revealed, expanding the world first introduced in The Shattering of Kingdoms.
The stage has now been set for an epic new saga that will connect many threads from the previous books and reintroduce characters readers have grown to love. Moss is hard at work on a new four-book series and true sequel to The Shattering of Kingdoms. The first book in this new series is planned for release in 2025.

Reviews

[Julie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book!

I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention from beginning to end. I am looking forward to the next one.

[Ted Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read, and quite enjoyed, Moss's Shattering of Kingdoms series. This was a different beast entirely. A tale so completely grounded in reality but with heart and mirth and tragedy throughout. I teared up multiple times, because the protagonist is just so likeable you cannot help but take the hardships he faces like a hit to the chest. We are in an era where the antihero is ascendant, nearly everything popular has a person with huge demons and dark deeds behind them as the focus. Seeing this simple gravedigger make friends and earn loyalty through just being a good person who does his best was heartening. I loved it.

There are a few typos. Thats it, thats the negatives.

Thank you for this, Mr. Moss.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

medieval world

Retelling of what life would be under a feudal system and how your life would be based on your station— Nobility or serf and one’s role in times of political upheaval

[Jakob Karsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple...yet effective

[Julie Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I don't think this book is for everyone. Personally, I loved it. But then, I love a story of struggle against all odds, overcoming hardship and maintaining ones moral code. And that is where we meet the grave digger. Well, not at first. At first he's just a worker in one of the camps, tasked with burying the dead. Hence his name. He keeps his name to himself, guards it for reasons you'll have to read to find out. His countenance is humble, kind and respectful, but quiet and guarded, not one for company.

This book was not what I had expected. I had thought it would be about courtly intrigue and upright noblemen, knights of good morals and earls who, while dodgy at times, inevitably fought against their peers who were the opposite. Nope. It's none of those things. There are plenty of knights, earls, barons, and the like. And not all are bad, but sadly, the digger comes into contact with way too many of ill-repute.

The digger is no brave hero. It takes a great deal for him to find his footing in tense moments. But most of where he gains his moral bearings is when those he cares about are threatened, or badly mistreated. You watch him grow into that, and at some point find his settings.

It's not easy to see him go through all this. Lots of people he comes to love, suffer at the hands of the nobility, as does the digger. There is one point that reminded me very much of the Count of Montecristo (one of my absolute favorite books) and that's difficult to read. But the payoff, the machinations of the nobility, some of whom actually find the digger's courage and love, inspiring, is all worth it. If you've a mind to pick up the audible, Colin Mace is, as always, worth the credit or coin.

I have one final thing to say: Please Mr. Moss, get to writing that second book, because that ending!