He pulled the trigger, and Lord Damuria plummeted to the forest floor.
Want to Know What Happens Next?
Dive into Darkblade Avenger!
The first book in the collection (Darkblade Assassin) opens with Lord Damuria dying, and it just gets bigger, better, and more epic from there!
He’s an assassin with a moral code. But playing by the rules won’t silence the beating of hell’s blackest hearts…
The Hunter spills blood to quiet the voices in his head. With his cursed dagger by his side, the feared assassin vows his ruthless gift will only strike down the wicked. So when dark enemies trick him into taking an innocent life, he unleashes the full force of his rage.
Devastated by his irreversible actions, he won’t stop until he dismantles the evil syndicate that deceived him. With each traitorous criminal he cuts down, the more determined he is to expose the secrets of the killing blade that torments his mind.
Will the truth set him free or seal his eternal damnation?
Darkblade Avenger: Defenders of Legend Omnibus #1 is a boxed set containing three action-packed epic fantasy novels. If you like graphic battles, sprawling settings, and quests for redemption, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s thrilling series.
Buy Darkblade Avenger to watch an assassin get his revenge today!
Already Read Hero of Darkness?
If you’ve blazed through the Hero of Darkness series, don’t worry, there’s plenty more awesome to come!
Darkblade Justice (Hero of Darkness Book 7) picks up the story of Ilanna, Ria, Kodyn, Aisha, and all your other favorite Praamians three years after the events of Traitors’ Fate. Thanks to the Hunter, the war with the Bloody Hand is over and the Night Guild controls the city’s underworld.
Until the bodies of innocent children start appearing, each carved with strange symbols, their heads encased in smooth plaster masks…
Ilanna and her Night Guild allies dig into the killings, but little do they know, it will set them against the one and only Hunter of Voramis, half-demon assassin!
Now’s the time to pop back to Darkblade Guardian (Defenders of Legend Omnibus #2) and read that story! You’ll love seeing all of your favorite characters return in an epic cross-over with the Hunter and the Hero of Darkness series!
Or, if you’ve already read Darkblade Justice (Hero of Darkness Book 7), it’s time to dive into the Heirs of Destiny series!
Heirs of Destiny follows Aisha and Kodyn, as well as young characters from the Hero of Darkness series. It’s a brand new mission in a brand new city, but with heroes and heroines you already know and love!
Get Heirs of Destiny (Defenders of Legend Omnibus #4) now and dive deeper into the thrilling world of Einan.
Six young warriors, one epic mission. Will they stand together or die alone?
5 thrilling novels, 3,500+ pages of heroic deeds and heart-pounding adventures.
Apprentice thief Kodyn expected hardships along his journey to return the kidnapped Briana to her father. Harsh deserts and cutthroat bandits, certainly—all risks of the mission—but his criminal training never prepared him to be dragged into a shadowy battle for power in Shalandra, the City of the Dead.
But he doesn't fight alone...
Elite warrior-in-training Issa battles to earn her place as a true champion of Shalandra.
Cunning street thief Evren unmasks insidious plots to foment chaos, revolt, and bring death to the city. All the while, he fights to protect his adoptive brother, Hailen, whose mysterious powers could very well shatter the world.
Aisha, Kodyn's companion and a fierce warrior from the north, finds herself drawn deeper into the world of the spirits. Her growing powers could lead to madness—or the salvation of everyone in Shalandra.
These young heroes face a desperate clash against death cultists, bloodthirsty criminal gangs, and the most powerful politicians in Shalandra.
But will their bonds of unity triumph against greed and cruelty, or will the kingdom crumble around them?
Action, adventure, plot twists, and intrigue--you’ll enjoy every heart-pounding second of Heirs of Destiny! For fans of Jeff Wheeler, Robin Hobb, and A.C. Cobble, take a journey through Andy Peloquin’s epic fantasy world…
Click now to begin the quest! A spine-tingling, emotion-packed fantasy epic that will have you on the edge of your seat.
"If you like intricate world-building, vivid descriptions that transport you to another place, and heart-pounding, visceral fight scenes, then Heirs of Destiny is your book!" – A.C. Cobble, author of Benjamin Ashwood
"A masterfully woven story with wonderfully imagined characters you will not soon forget!" -- Stevie Collier, Author of The Dark Assassin Trilogy
Afterword
Traitors’ Fate came into being because I was thinking of Ria, the character from the Queen of Thieves series, and what she would do once she recovered from her ordeal in Queen of the Night Guild. Given that Ilanna, as Master Gold, would want to do whatever she could to keep the Bloody Hand out of her city of Praamis, it made sense that Ria would somehow factor into that crusade.
The idea struck me as I was writing Thief of the Night Guild: Ria said that she had been brought to Praamis via Voramis after being taken from her home. Who else would control such cruel enterprise but the Bloody Hand?
Like a lighting strike, the idea formed. It seemed so perfect that Ilanna would go on a crusade to take down the trafficking rings that had harmed so many girls like Ria, and I loved the thought that somehow she would ultimately be the cause of everything that occurs in Darkblade Assassin and the rest of the Hero of Darkness series.
Thus, the concept of Traitors' Fate (formerly known as The Death of Lord Damuria) was born.
As I did research on modern sex trafficking (also known as "sexual exploitation"), I came across some pretty terrifying statistics:
Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by Polaris, has received reports of 22,191 sex trafficking cases inside the United States.
In 2016, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.
Globally, the International Labor Organization estimates that there are 4.5 million people trapped in forced sexual exploitation globally.
In a 2014 report, the Urban Institute estimated that the underground sex economy ranged from $39.9 million in Denver, Colorado, to $290 million in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Information obtained via the Polaris Project)
The United Nations defines trafficking as, "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs"
The Act (What is done): Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
The Means (How it is done): Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim
The Purpose (Why it is done): For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.
(Information courtesy of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
The Polaris Project, a non-profit, non-govermental organization that strives to combat and prevent modern-day slavery and human trafficking provides a list of information on how to identify victims of trafficking:
Common Work and Living Conditions: The individual(s) in question
· Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
· Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
· Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
· Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
· Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
· Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
· Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
· Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
· High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)
Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior
· Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
· Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
· Avoids eye contact
Poor Physical Health
· Lacks health care
· Appears malnourished
· Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture
Lack of Control
· Has few or no personal possessions
· Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
· Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
· Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)
Other
· Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
· Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or do not know what city he/she is in
· Loss of sense of time
· Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story
Human trafficking is a very serious issue, and one not limited to ancient or medieval history—it still occurs to this day. For more information or to take action in the fight against trafficking, visit the following websites:
Shared Hope: What is Sex Trafficking
Soroptimist: Sex Slavery/Trafficking FAQs
End Slavery Now: Sex Trafficking
More Books by Andy Peloquin
Queen of Thieves
Book 1: Child of the Night Guild
Book 2: Thief of the Night Guild
Book 3: Queen of the Night Guild
Traitors’ Fate (Queen of Thieves/Hero of Darkness Crossover)
Hero of Darkness
Book 1: Darkblade Assassin
Book 2: Darkblade Outcast
Book 3: Darkblade Protector
Book 4: Darkblade Seeker
Book 5: Darkblade Slayer
Book 6: Darkblade Savior
Book 7: Darkblade Justice
Heirs of Destiny:
Book 1: Trial of Stone
Book 2: Crucible of Fortune
Book 3: Storm of Chaos
Book 4: Secrets of Blood
Book 5: Ascension of Death
Book 6: The Renegade Apprentice (Evren Prequel Novella)
Different, Not Damaged: A Short Story Collection
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About the Author
I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
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Queen of Thieves Box Set Page 141