BOOK BLAST
Book Title: Reunion of the Three
Author: C.S. Harris
Publisher: A New Reality Publishing
Cover Artist: Christopher S. Harris
Release Date: February 29, 2024
Genres: Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, space opera, polyamory
Tropes: Lovers reunited after a long separation, heroes
Themes: Reunion, coming together, being free, being authentic, self-discovery
Heat Rating: 2 - 3 flames
Length: 95 000 words/320 pages
It is not a standalone book. It is book 1 in the Ring of Worlds series.
Book two is out on April 25, and book three this summer.
Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited
Love, Longing, Great Magic, and a Fat Orange Cat.
Blurb
Foreseeing the annihilation of Gaea by the Tèng Empire and the demonic Sogma, Alexander Eldred and his allies, Imara Inanna and Sirenī Adamma, marshaled their magic to thwart the calamity. Their triumph brought them back to their homeland of Demurria, only to be sundered by a government edict citing their immense combined strength as a threat: Alex is a magical prodigy and never forgets a spell once he's seen it written or cast. Imara hears the universe as a symphony and can control reality with her voice. Sirenī is blessed with fatal beauty, a power so great it can compel into obsession any who behold her.
After fifty years of enforced separation, compelled by a fresh premonition, Alex challenges the mandate to reunify with Imara and Sirenī. This time, the peril extends beyond Gaea, endangering the entirety of the Ring of Worlds, threatened by a formidable necromancer's dark influence. To prevent the spread of this malignant corruption across myriad planets, the trio must reunite and elude the Unified Government's grasp, racing against time to safeguard the future.
Please note: The central narrative follows a group of main characters engaged in a polyamorous relationship. Initially, the relationship comprises one man and two women, evolving to include an additional man, forming a balanced quartet where each individual shares a deep, equitable connection with the others. Although the story is rooted in the genres of epic and urban fantasy, rather than romance, it includes moments of intimacy that encompass a spectrum of orientations and identities, including interactions among women, men, and supernatural beings such as vampires. Additionally, the narrative features a secondary character who identifies as non-binary. The same gender relations are blatant.
Excerpt
Barefoot, Alexander left the primary bedroom and walked through the quiet halls of Eldred Manor. He descended to the first floor and passed the library on his way to the workroom. Once there, he stepped through the large double doors and shut them.
The room was massive and had Spaera Mystica—arcane circles for conjuration—etched into the floor in varying sizes. He stepped over to a small one and held out his hands with his palms facing up. An orange-red glow flared around them, and he began to chant in his natal tongue.
Within moments, mist began to swirl above the sigils etched into the floor. He continued to chant until a hemispherical dome flared into existence, shimmering with striations of faint color like a rainbow. He turned his palms down and changed his chant.
Now the ancient syllables of Darhavil rolled from his lips, and mist filled the Spaera Mystica. Alexander finished his spell, dropped his hands to his sides, and waited. It took several minutes for a figure to appear in the mist, insubstantial and amorphous but irradiant.
“Alexander,” the figure said. The voice had a tremulous quality but was easy to hear. “Why have you reached out to me?”
Alexander bowed his head briefly. “I apologize, Valas. I have been feeling something, a sensation at the back of my mind. The only thing I could think to do was contact you.”
The agglomeration of colors spun like fluid inside the mist-filled hemisphere of the magic circle. The flashes of light occasionally suggested a beaked head, wings, and a long, feathered tail. Alexander watched the manifestation patiently. Subtle anxiety had been building in his mind, urging him to action.
“The patterns suggest an inflection point formed sixteen million years before this moment. Beginning now, the probabilities unravel,” the figure told him.
That was interesting information. Opaque but interesting. What is the inflection point? Was it related to the events of my dream? Can I recover them with a waking dream enchantment?
The Grade Five magic was only as reliable as the ephemeral threads of the mind—so not very.
The sorcerer bowed his head again. “Thank you, Valas. I appreciate your willingness to communicate with me.”
“You are welcome.” The figure began to dwindle; the light faded at the edges into eldritch sparks that winked out as they drifted toward the floor. “I would add one last thing: the time is upon you. You cannot wait.”
Alexander froze. “Are you certain?” he stupidly asked.
Valas Amris is a celestial being. Of course, it is certain! he thought scathingly.
The figure faded until only the mist on the floor remained within the Spaera Mystica, but Valas murmured one last sentence.
“Yes. Complete your work with Skawen’na’há:wi. You are close.”
Alexander took a deep breath as the mist drained into nothing. He released the magic circle with a snap of his fingers and stood there for a long time. His thoughts were jumbled and raced in circles. He felt excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and fear.
After several minutes of stillness, he stirred and turned from the symbols carved into the floor. He retreated from the workroom and planned to return to his bedroom. Instead, he detoured into the library and sat in his favorite chair. Around him were more than a thousand books, including tomes, treatises, and grimoires. He looked at them with unseeing eyes, wrapped in his thoughts. They ran to the two people he loved most: Imara and Sirenī. He hadn’t seen them in a long time, but that was about to change.
Once he finished his training, of course.
Alexander remained in the library until dawn. He blinked when the sun shone through the windows and stabbed his eyes. Turning his head, he cracked his neck and looked around. He'd contemplated and discarded a dozen plans in the few hours it took for the sun to rise.
What is the best way to make contact? he wondered.
Imara lived in Louden, Sirenī in Glendale. He drummed his fingers on his thigh, brow furrowed. Nothing came to him.
Still, he left the library with a bounce in his step. In his heart, he felt excited by what was coming. For almost fifty years, he’d had a lump of stone in his chest, but now he felt it begin to soften and pulse once more.
About the Author
I'm an artist and author who's been crafting stories since my childhood. My debut series, 'The Ring of Worlds,' is inspired by my love of high-fantasy and science fiction. When I'm not writing, I enjoy gaming, reading, and exploring new worlds—real and imaginary.
Author Links
Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up | Chris Harris Art
Comments
Post a Comment