Both Sides of the Blade
by Ryan McLeod

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The birth of prince Qualthalas Aeth’Akir was supposed to have been an auspicious occasion for the moon dwelling Sillistrael’li elves of Antiqua, an ancient world orbiting the giant blue sun of a binary star system. But, since his heralded arrival, the sole heir to the Moon Elven Dynasty has lived a far from princely life, developing, instead, a keen knack for trouble as he struggles to find purpose. In his sojourn through the kingdoms of the Mithrainian continent, Qual stumbles into a diabolic plot involving the malevolent Darklord, Zhiniel Al-Nistir Szord’Ryn – an Indigo Elven necromancer covertly amassing a legion of the damned within his underworld citadel. Trapped in a twisted labyrinth with his half-orykan lover, Kaira, the mischievous elflord soon comes face-to-face with his murderous, exiled cousin, Cazares: now an agent of the Darklord. Employing a mysterious shadowy power, the dangerous and bitter pariah abducts Qual’s companion and goads the meddling prince into following him through a network of portals leading into the heart of Zhiniel’s domain. As Qualthalas traverses the underworld kingdom of Bazrin-Dal’ateir, alone and severely underprepared, help arrives in the strange form of a savage, viny terror, woven from the primordial essence of the predatory jungle it once inhabited. Forging a bizarre bond, the two work together to seek the source of the insidious miasma seeping into Antiqua’s kingdoms from its core. Unbeknownst to Qualthalas, he has been carefully manipulated by the hand of the Darklord himself: his involvement an orchestration, his very existence instrumental to Zhiniel’s designs for world domination. As the desperate rogue delves deeper into the underworld, so the Soul Harvester’s insidious grip tightens, threatening to snuff the light of Qual’s last vestiges of sanity…

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Ryan McLeod, a life-long voracious reader, has been creatively writing since the age of six. As an avid gamemaster of several pen-and-paper roleplaying games, he has crafted countless worlds suitable for adventure, including Antiqua, the setting of Both Sides of the Blade and his upcoming project: Crucible RPG. Alongside his writing, Ryan has also developed a love of painting and illustrating – all the artwork featured in the novel was produced by the author himself. Ryan has a long history of martial arts experience, which he has drawn extensively upon to describe the combat in Both Sides of the Blade. He has trained with many of the weapon types mentioned in the book and several of the techniques described were developed in practicing the craft. Among various other fighting and societal traditions, Ryan has studied ninjutsu and bushido – the samurai warrior’s way, cultivating a fascination with occultism and spiritual beliefs. He trains in his own martial art and philosophy, Jade Serpent, at home and at local parks, where he is often observed practicing forms with a (wooden) katana. Although he has authored hundreds of poems, Both Sides of the Blade is his first published work. The initial novel in The Qualthalas Quandaries Quadrilogy will be followed by The Busty Barmaid’s Boudoir, then Rogue, Vagabond, and Crown Prince, and finally, When the Song Ends.

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Contributors

Author

Ryan McLeod

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