Shards of Light: Morrigan's Brood Book V

Many sets of eyes peer through the mist, watching events unfold as the dark alliance seeks out an ancient device that they hope will uncorrupt the menace that has nearly brought the Holy Roman Empire to its knees. However, not everyone beyond the mist is content merely to watch.The scourge continues unchecked, but instead of murdering innocent people, Venus’ Cursed are capturing them and transforming them into more devils and demons. The Strigoi are no longer bands of shambling hordes... they are now an army.Can the Dark Alliance cobble together a sufficient force of arms to combat the scourge, or will betrayal and bitter rivalries seek to topple the Empire into the void?Continue the journey... the fifth in a series of stories revolving around the Deargh Du through the ages.

From the Inside Flap

"Granddaughter. Granddaughter! Wake up! Wake up I say!" "Wha... what? Grandfather? Am I dead? How is it that I can see you?" "You're not dead, Talia, but you deserve to be. After all, you failed to reacquire our family lands twice, as I recall." "But you lost them in the first place, grandfather." "Ha! I was betrayed by your cousin. He allowed the Franks into the stronghold. I gave my life to make sure you escaped. Which is more than you've ever done for our family." "I tried to take back our lands. I had not even seen twenty cycles--" "It was an utter failure. You only escaped because you disguised yourself as a peasant boy. Here again you failed. Even with your abilities as a Lamia, you couldn't rebuild our legacy." "That's not my fault, grandfather. I'd been acquiring territories from different sources. It was only due to Deargh Du interference that I was exposed. Also, I never received education in combat." "I'm not talking about that, you whelp. The best way to attain power is to manipulate circumstances, so it's given to you freely. You had an opportunity early to seduce the emperor. You could have received those lands out of the kindness of his loins. I think your sponsor, whatever his name is, saw the true objective that you were blind to. Not only would you hold Burgundy, but the emperor's ear as well. You could have had power to influence him!" "How could I have--" "Talia, you are small-minded. Perhaps it would have been better for me to flee from the Franks, but no. I threw my life away for a poor excuse of a grandchild. I hope you find nothing but failure. If I find you in the afterlife, I will punish you for all your misdeeds!" "I will redeem myself, grandfather!"

From the Back Cover

Many sets of eyes peer through the mist, watching events unfold as the dark alliance seeks out an ancient device that they hope will uncorrupt the menace that has nearly brought the Holy Roman Empire to its knees. However, not everyone beyond the mist is content merely to watch.The scourge continues unchecked, but instead of murdering innocent people, Venus' Cursed are capturing them and transforming them into more devils and demons. The Strigoi are no longer bands of shambling hordes... they are now an army.Can the Dark Alliance cobble together a sufficient force of arms to combat the scourge, or will betrayal and bitter rivalries seek to topple the Empire into the void?Continue the journey... the fifth in a series of stories revolving around the Deargh Du through the ages.

About the Author

Heather Poinsett DunbarBorn in Houston, Texas, Heather began writing her first book at age eight.  While her grammatical structure left much to be desired, she continued to hone her writing and storytelling skills.  During a college internship in London, England, her curiosity about ancient cultures and mythology intensified.  She backpacked through Europe, fell in love with Scotland, cried at the retelling of part of the Ulster cycle, garnered ghost stories from the Beefeaters at the Tower, wandered the Roman ruins in Bath, and danced around the stones in Avebury.After spending all her spare time studying these new interests in many libraries and on the road, she began working on her masters' in Library and Information Science at the University of North Texas.  She now resides in the Houston area with her husband and three cats.  She loves exploring the local culture as well as the many Celtic festivals and events in Texas.  She also works as a librarian for a local college, and her favorite authors include Morgan Llewellyn, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Evelyn Vaughn, Alison Weir, and Randy Lee Eickhoff.Chris DunbarChris Dunbar was born in Greenport, Long Island, New York and then moved to Texas as soon as he could, at least that is the story he tells to native Texans, such as his wife.  Chris keeps searching for ways to leave Houston, like moving to Auburn, Alabama, Dallas, and even San Antonio, but Houston just keeps reeling him back.  Chris' day job is performing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, but his night job is coming up with creative ways to wound and maim the characters he and his wife Heather created.  For fun, Chris enjoys the occasional novel and video game, but he also likes to delve into his Scottish ancestry and tool leather.  When he can find the time, Chris pretends to play the Bodhran and the didgeridoo, much to the chagrin of his cats, Clyde, Brigid, and Lily, not to mention his wife Heather.  Chris is also an avid wearer of the kilt.

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