Redemption has a price…
And the mountain always collects.
FIRES OF ATONEMENT from Cameron Scott Kirk chronicles what happens when devotion twists into obsession and asks what you're willing to sacrifice for salvation. It releases on August 5th, and we have an exclusive excerpt!
https://books2read.com/Fires-of-Atonement
The mountain offers redemption. But not without a price.
Julian of Dysael arrives at Mount Ulfer seeking a new life among the Brotherhood, a monastic order shrouded in legend and perched high above the corrupt city of Re’shan. But when a meteor crashes into the mountain, destroying the Grand Chapel and killing many of the monks, something far darker awakens.
From the wreckage, the survivors salvage a strange metal unlike anything seen before. It’s powerful, radiant, and deeply corrupting. As the monks craft it into sacred relics, they begin to change. Whispers echo through the stone halls. Madness takes root.
Below, in the sunbaked alleys of Re’shan, a gang of street children led by sharp-eyed Cassie suspects the horror spreading through their city is tied to the mountain above. Julian, untouched by the metal’s curse, begins to question the Brotherhood’s path.
As murders mount and children vanish, Julian and Cassie must uncover the truth behind the cursed ore and the evil it has unleashed, before the fire consuming Mount Ulfer descends upon Re’shan.
Fires of Atonement is a gripping fantasy of devotion, deception, and the high cost of absolution. For fans of epic worldbuilding, dark secrets, and slow-burning suspense.
The woman’s voice became a whisper. “There’s treasure up there, or so it is rumoured.”
Julian said nothing for a moment. Then, he spoke quietly. “I have heard no rumours of ... treasure. Can I put my hands down?”
“No. Take it from me, the rumours are persistent. It’s quite some situation, isn’t it? The monks accrue wealth on high, while down here the children are forced to collect shit from the gutters to sell to the tanners just to survive. No one cares. The Senate doesn’t care and the Brotherhood of Ulfur doesn’t care. Archbishop Courtenay is coming to save souls, but it’s a pretence because the church is so wrapped up in its own politics that nothing ever changes. No one can save the children from their despair, no one.”
Julian smirked. “Except you?”
A weighted silence followed Julian’s comment. Then, the woman said, “Careful, monk. Mocking a woman with a knife to your throat is never a good idea.”
About Cameron Scott Kirk
Cameron Scott Kirk has published many short stories, won a Best of Fiction award, and is the author of The Mad Trinkets (The Mage’s Lantern) and The Beautiful Harpies (Cybirdy Publishing). He has been known to slay dragons, fight off invading aliens, and match the hardiest dwarf in a drinking competition. When he’s not doing that, he’s writing about it.
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