“Steve Libbey gives the ‘sword-and-sandal’ epic a kick in the tunic and propels it into the gestalt of the 21st century, with an everyman hero whose brains triumph over brawn,” says author Mercedes Lackey. She should know; Lackey and Libbey have been co-writing the upcoming The Secret World Chronicle novel series. Libbey’s first solo foray into novels has all the marks of a landmark debut: a fresh perspective, an evocative-yet-familiar world, and a protagonist to whom readers can relate.
Crixus Oraan is an ambitious plumber in Rond, a Romanesque world of spoiled nobility and thriving trade. In the hopes of financing the dreams of him and his fiancée, he wagers his guild’s money on a sure win—and loses. Crixus escapes as a fugitive to the ancient and mysterious continent of Minq, where he hopes to regain his status and return to his beloved.
In the first book, The Bloodbaths, Crixus hires out to the Lamiae of Nistru, a literally bloodthirsty aristocracy. Though desperate, he is a man of conscience who cannot long tolerate their parasitic reign of terror. But what can one plumber do?
