Description
From best-selling fantasy author Bryn Shutt comes a heist-gone-wrong tale flavored by history and filled with humor and hope.
The triumph of Illuminare is in the call it gives its readers—To live, rather than simply survive. To stand up to darkness, each operating in our individual gifts and talents to spread hope where little is to be found. While reading, I found myself weeping over the things I thought this world had killed inside of me, only to realize that there was (perhaps) a spark still lingering. So yeah. Read this one. It’s the breath of fresh air your soul needs. ~Brigitte C, Goodreads reviewer
But that isn’t Kennet Zur’s intention.
What he wants is revenge. One thousand years ago, the imperial city of Masque made him bleed, and now he wants to break the blade that cut him forever. But he can’t do it alone.
So, as the hourglass sands slide into the Night of the Red Lady, he sets his pawns loose. Two men. One stolen book to find. Ten centuries worth of waiting.
But just because an immortal is more certain of seeing the next dawn than anyone else, doesn’t mean he knows what it will bring. And the knight and the actor have their own plans. One is driven by a war he will do anything to escape, and the other by an ambition that is drowning him wave by wave.
And watching over them all is what spilled the immortal’s blood a thousand years ago. It now sits upon a throne reaching long, shadowy fingers down into the city, fingers that can still slice. And just like Kennet, it too has been waiting.
Epic fantasy meets dark comedy in this tale where a heist gone wrong on the night of an imperial city’s most macabre holiday will forever change three impossibly different lives.
Featuring—
A stoic-cinnamon roll knight
A foolhardy actor
A meddling immortal
Talking statues
Rebel versus royal
Wet canals and wetter streets
Music and illusion
This story is recommended for ages 16 and up.
Set against the backdrop of a vibrant Venice-inspired setting in a world that hints at a wealth of stories to come, Illuminare is an enthralling tale that you can sink into and surface still longing for more. With the sharp tang of hope and sorrow mingled on the page and a timeless quality to the prose, this is one fantasy tale you won’t want to miss. Bryn Shutt is a truly gifted storyteller. ~Gillian Bronte Adams, award-winning author
This story completely blew me away. Shutt weaves a spellbinding masterpiece grounded with real world issues and broken people. A world full of political intrigue, monsters, shadows, and light glimmering through it all. Illuminare shows the deepest pains of the heart while lifting you to the highest heavens. I’m eagerly waiting for more. ~Kate Y, Goodreads Reviewer
How do you find words to describe the beauty of a book that touched you to your very marrow? Set against a backdrop that reminds one of Venice on a night when every form of evil is allowed, we follow a cast of characters as they struggle with the deepest, darkest parts of their heart. Two of these characters are after the same prize, but for very different reasons. Illuminare is one of those books that is deep and rich in world-building, but in a way that isn’t long and tiresome. Bryn Shutt has outdone herself with <this> one. Her unique POVs and sweeping prose will leave you intrigued and wanting more. ~ Amazon reviewer
