Synopsis of Ghost Eyes: The Empires of Terra:
The Empires of Terra have been on the brink of war for hundreds of years. Rebellions like Rebirth have formed against the Hellchinit demon overlords who wreak havoc on those who oppose them or block their path from what they truly want. Laananite. The search for a crystal that fuels their power is endless, but they are searching for something else...a Ghost Eyed. Hunted for their abilities to see into the lands of the dead and the living, but they're prized for their ability to detect Laananite.
Leila is a naiad working in a brothel in the capital city of Anemoi. At first she seems like your everyday nymph, but that's all a façade. She's a Ghost Eyed, but even with the looming dangers of war, she has more pressing matters. Now that she is of age and her training is over, her virginity will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. When she catches a demon's eye the night before a festival begins, she knows she's in trouble. Not only will Rebirth fail if he catches wind of it, but her life and all of Terra could be in danger if he figures out her secret.
Introducing the world of Terra:
In anticipation of the publication of my first novel Ghost Eyes: The Empires of Terra, I think it is best to introduce and familiarize you with the empires and their citizens found within. There are six empires in total: the Isle of Koji, the Isles of Wyvern, the Kingdom of Dalur, Cronous, Hellchinit, and Sandr. There are many races throughout Terra, with each kingdom having their own majority. The dragons live in Wyvern, ísálves (also known as ice elves) in Koji, tréálves (also known as tree elves) in Dalur, demons in Hellchinit, humans in Sandr, and a mixture in Cronous. There will be six more posts highlighting the empires and their inhabitants, but in this post, I will give you an overview of the world of Terra.
First, I want to explore is the importance of nymphs within Terra. Nymphs are the guardians of the elements in the world, with each being assigned a tree, a river, etc. Though they are all over Terra, there is a dwindling number of them in the wild due to the rise of destruction of their elements and homes. Due to their flighty, seductive nature, many have turned to brothels as a safe haven and easy work. The brothels are full of nature to appease the girls, such as vines climbing on walls, trees and a water fountain in the courtyards, and a river covered in glass running under the house. There are many types of nymphs such as dryads- forest nymphs, naiads- river and spring nymphs, oreads- mountain nymphs, etc., but the most common nymph in the brothels are the oreads. Oreads fled from Hellchinit when the demons started mining Laananite. Nymphs generally do not appear old or die unless the element they are in charge of begins to die. Once the tree dies or the river dries up, the nymph dies as well.
The final and perhaps most crucial element in Terra is laananite. It is a powerful black crystalline rock with veins of amethyst purple streaking through it. The amethyst streaks contain majik- slithering and moving like a mini river. There are many ways to gain power from it. Dragons ingest it due to the high proportion of it in their drinking water. Demons on the other hand tattoo it into their skin. While it does not not effect humans, it can poison elves if the concentration is too high when forged into a sword. And of course, if effects the Ghost Eyed.
What are the Ghost Eyed?...You'll have to read the book to find out.
Link to excerpt: https://www.writersespresso.com/viktoria-laudo
Cover art by SelfPubBookCovers.com/FrinaArt