A Secrecy of Assassins: Fate stained him with the mark of doom...Destiny endowed him with the power to prevail

Book 3: The Blood-Rune Saga

by RONALD TAYLOR SMITH

Genres: Fantasy action & adventure; Epic Fantasy; Sword & Sorcery

Synopsis

Fleeing a company of rabid Quillers, Rucker and his four friends — Eli, Selwyn, Arabelle, and Faylan — are forced to take the western route out of Devil’s Cauldron; a pass that hasn’t been used in more than two thousand years.
Even so, Rucker’s fellowship is determined to make their way back to Marberry and find Brogan and perhaps Shartha as well. If they can get past haunted Gaither Stronghold and the Shadow Lake monster, they just might survive this desperate journey.
Shortly after escaping Gaither Stronghold, they are captured by an armed tribe of Wildmen and face death as sacrifices to their gods. But mistaken identity saves them
They book passage to Marberry, but their ship is attacked by pirates. The pirate captain takes Arabelle hostage after killing everyone on board the pillaged ship — everyone except for Rucker, Eli, Selwyn, Faylan, and two crew members of the ravaged ship. Rucker and the other five are alive but unconscious, left among the dead when the pirates set the ship afire.
With Selwyn’s help, Rucker and the others escape a fiery death and go in search of Arabelle.
But when they get to Marberry, Brogan is no longer there, having gone in search of the pirate Ichabod Roach.
While in Marberry, Rucker and his friends become entangled with the Guild of Assassins, better known as The Red Hand. And due to Rucker’s quick to flare temper, they soon find themselves the enemies of Tasker, the leader of The Hand.
When events turn deadly, Rucker’s fellowship has to flee the city, or be killed by Tasker’s assassins.

However…in A SECRECY OF ASSASSINS…their escape plan proves much more difficult than they had expected.

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Release date: March 14, 2023

Publisher: Ronald Taylor Smith

Print pages: 662