Doubt is terrifying. It gives you the power to change your entire world. It gives Kane the power to destroy his—to destroy that of the Fellowship. Over the course of his twenty-five years, he was taught that monsters had corrupted humanity, that pain is magic, and that, as the oldest, he would be the first to leave. The first to fight. But the Fellowships teachings never felt right to Kane. How could they be when they hurt him and his fellow Anointed? When he discovered a break in the fence, Kane’s doubt became hope. A terrifying hope that maybe, if he could be brave enough, he might be able to save the ones he loves—save Lark—from a lifetime of pain and lies.

First, Become Ashes, a new novel from author K.M. Szpara, explores self-discovery after trauma and outgrowing abusive origins over the course of an American road trip—available April 6th from Tordotcom Publishing. Read a selection below, and check back this week for additional excerpts.

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No matter how terrifying the stakes, there’s always a part of me that reads fantasy because I want their world, their magic. Calvin carries that weight, that want, in his heart all the time. He took the risk, abandoned the practical and steady job his parents planned for him for one that lessens the weight a little. That brings him closer to magic. Cosplay. Calvin is a professional nerd, dressed like the Elf Daddy Thranduil, himself, when news breaks that the Fellowship of the Anointed has been liberated. That one of their numbers has fled. That magic—real magic—is within his grasp. And, no matter the stakes, he is determined to find that magic. To find Lark and follow him.

First, Become Ashes, a new novel from author K.M. Szpara, explores self-discovery after trauma and outgrowing abusive origins over the course of an American road trip—available April 6th from Tordotcom Publishing. Read a selection below, and check back this week for additional excerpts.

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I’ve always been bad at goodbyes. They make me cry, even if I know something better is ahead. Lark, however, doesn’t give in to the tears. Not yet twenty-five, he is about to see off his partner—a man he has trained with and loved and believed in his entire life. Lark and Kane were Anointed as children, bestowed with a righteous quest to go out beyond the safety of the Fellowship’s fence, beyond the magic wards that protect them from monsters. To slay those monsters and save humanity. So, unlike me, Lark does not cry. The loss creeps into his heart as he tries to adjust, but he knows that what Kane faces is bigger than him. That his turn will soon arrive and he will join Kane in the most important undertaking of their lives. Because he believes. Because he doesn’t know Kane does not.

First, Become Ashes, a new novel from author K.M. Szpara, explores self-discovery after trauma and outgrowing abusive origins over the course of an American road trip—available April 6th from Tordotcom Publishing. Read a selection below, and check back this week for additional excerpts.

Read More »