Roses of the Moon: Book 1 (Dark Reliquary Series)

Gothic atmosphere so thick you can cut it with a glass scimitar. For all of her young life, Lady Mara has been plagued with nightmares brought on by strange, frightening noises echoing up through the stairways and vaults of the labyrinthine Castle Szeppasszony in the depths of night. When, at age 16, she finally discovers their origin, the bloodcurdling secrets of the castle's beautiful lady, Countess Orzsebet, are dragged out into the light of day. Revealing these horrors brings down curses, chaos and war, opening the way for the long-exiled Dragon People, the evil Royal Zsarkany, to return. How does Lady Mara survive when all she loves is torn from her, and a dark and terrible future is all she sees? Clairvoyance, occult powers, narcissism,sacrifice, politics and religion engage in the ageless struggle between good and evil.Can love survive the fire of wickedness in high places, to must it too be consumed in the flames? Enter the remote castle nestled in a green crater on the Mountain of the Moon in war-torn 17th century Royal Hungary. Threatened by Ottoman armies without and sorcery within, Mara refuses to be seduced by evil’s dark splendor. Mara moves through lush, mysterious, highly imaginative settings, spinning the tale of her strange, dark life among the magnificent chambers, labyrinthine corridors, and secret gardens of Castle Seppasszony. Unpredictable twists and turns lead Marya and the reader unawares toward the horrific core of the mystery. This book was largely inspired by elements of the Goth scene in London, and my interest in the 16th-17th centuries in Europe. I have written many stories based on fairy tales for adults that have been published in many fine e-zines and in print An enormous amount of research on crux of the 16th-17th centuries in Hungary, religious and political conflicts, the magical arts, even the timing of the phases of the moon, went into this book. It took 5 years to write. I feel there is a great deal in this story to entertain readers and give them food for thought on issues of power, good and evil, and the forces that clash within us. The setting is highly imaginative and strange, and full of surprises. It draws on similar energies to Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mervyn Peake's Ghormanghast, and other classics of the grand old Gothic tradition. The Roses of the Moon series carries the reader where the veil is thin, and the powers of darkness rise to the light. Lovers of Anne Rice, Angela Carter, E.A.Poe, Bram Stoker, Grimms' Fairy Tales,Tanith Lee should enjoy this tale of Gothic Horror.

From the Inside Flap

Gothic atmosphere so thick you can cut it with a glass scimitar. For all of her young life, Lady Mara has been plagued with nightmares brought on by strange, frightening noises echoing up through the stairways and vaults of the labyrinthine Castle Szepasszony in the depths of night. When, at age 16, she finally discovers their origin, the bloodcurdling secrets of the castle's beautiful lady, Countess Orzsebet, are dragged out into the light of day. Revealing these horrors brings down curses, chaos and war, opening the way for the long-exiled Dragon People, the evil Royal Zsarkany, to return. How does Lady Mara survive when all she loves is torn from her, and a dark and terrible future is all she sees?

From the Back Cover

"This is an intricate Gothic-horror fantasy that tells the story of Lady Mara as she grows up, a neglected princess in a labyrinthine castle haunted by evil. Basing her story on the legend of Countess Bathory, Alyne weaves a complex web of ritual, mysticism and dark magic that gradually builds up an intense mythology around the mysterious Lucifer Tree and the dragon-queens of old who worshipped gods that existed long before the birth of Christ.Whose are the screams that echo through the castle walls at night and why does the Countess insist that all the roses within the castle be destroyed?Beautifully written, The Roses of the Moon is a magnificently visualised, claustrophobic world of great beauty and great horror that builds to a disturbing climax. If you like Gothic Horror, this book is a dark jewel that you will greatly enjoy."- Simso, UK

About the Author

Alyne de Winter grew up in the woods in Massachusetts reading and making up stories. While living in a haunted house in London, she began writing gothic fiction. Roses of the Moon is her first novel. She currently lives in Seattle.

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