THAT DARK INFINITY

Saved following the destruction of her home, Flora meets the mysterious Ankou.

Florelle Tanett is handmaiden to Princess Betheara Ilurosa and lives peacefully on their island nation of Kaer-Ise. When Skaardmen raiders destroy Kaer-Ise, Flora is sexually assaulted, barely escapes with her life, and is saved by the young man who is the Ankou, or legendary monster killer. While recuperating and dealing with her trauma by training with him, Flora learns that he has been cursed with immortality. Exhausted after having been a mercenary for 300 years, the Ankou has forgotten his original name and tells her to call him Lazarus. Fighting alongside him and pledging to help break his curse, Flora hopes to find not only the princess, rumored to have escaped, but also the Temple of Fates, which could restore Kaer-Ise. While the magic lacks a detailed system, the story is original and intriguing, as it contrasts unstable witchcraft with elemental magic, inner darkness with belief in various deities, and grotesque monsters with demons and also shows the tumultuous relationship between magic and fledgling scientific discoveries. Discussions of trauma, self-worth, and found family add realistic elements to Flora’s fantastical journey. While the slow-burn romance is predictable, it focuses on character development and Flora and Lazarus’ growing relationship. Main characters read as White; there is diversity in skin tone and sexuality in this fantasy world (Flora is bisexual).

This dark romp filled with gruesome imagery is a gripping adventure.