Geryon is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. Kadence is the goddess of Oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords -- and discover a passion unlike any other.
"One has to write with considerable authenticity to pull off a story steeped in magic and swamp water that examines race and class, death and rebirth, Haitian voodoo, and the beginnings of jazz in 1891 New Orleans. Maistros's gritty debut novel follows the interconnected lives of the Morningstar siblings--all lovingly named by their father after disease-- as they wrestle with a powerful demon, con outsiders, kill and die, die and are reborn. The plot is complex and magical, grounded in the history of the city, without being overly sentimental.
The Sisterhood of the Blade rules Medalon with an iron fist—a fist that wears the gauntlet of the Defenders, elite warriors sworn to uphold the Sisters and keep Medalon free of heathen influence. R’shiel, daughter of the First Sister of the Blade, has pulled against the short leash of her mother ever since she was a child. Her half-brother, Tarja, is the dutiful son who serves as a captain in the Defenders. But when they run afoul of their mother’s machinations, they must flee for their lives.
Treachery and political intrigue are rampant, and all-out war looms as the High Prince of Karien prepares to invade Medalon under the direction of the god Xaphista. R'shiel, the demon child created by the gods to slay Xaphista, was fatally wounded in Medalon; healed by Cheltaran, the god of healing, R'shiel is now recovering under the ministrations of the Harshini, a people legendary for magic. Medalon's only chance for thwarting the invaders lies in allying with the Hythruns and their storied warlord.
Azazel is a character created by Isaac Asimov and featured in a series of fantasy short stories. Azazel is a two-centimeter-tall demon (or extraterrestrial), named after the Biblical demon.
