Draken vae Khellian, bastard cousin of the Monoean King, had risen far from his ignominious origins, becoming both a Bowrank Commander and a member of the Crown’s Black Guard. But when cursed black magic took his wife and his honor away, he fought past his own despair and grief, and carved out a new life in Akrasia. His bloody, unlikely path, chronicled in Exile: The First Book of the Seven Eyes, led him to a new love, and a throne.
Draken has seen too much blood . . . the blood of friends and of enemies alike. Peace is what he wants. Now he must leave his wife and newborn child in an attempt to forge an uneasy peace between the Monoean King and the kingdom of Akrasia. The long bloody shadow of Akrasia’s violent past hangs over his efforts like a shroud. But there are other forces at work. Peace is not something everybody wants . . . not even in the seemingly straightforward kingdom of Draken’s birth.
Factions both known and unknown to Draken vie to undermine his efforts and throw the kingdom into civil war. Forces from his days in the Black Guard prove to be the most enigmatic, and a bloody tide threatens to engulf Draken’s every step.
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Industry Reviews
Praise for Betsy Dornbusch's Exile
Necromantic magic, deadly political intrigue, and a reluctant hero torn between his duty to a foreign queen and his desire for revenge . . . Betsy Dornbusch's Exile kept me reading into the wee hours of the night, breathless to find out how Draken's story would end.
Courtney Schafer, author of The Shattered Sigil series.
Exile does an excellent job of fashioning a kingdom on the brink of implosion, as political, military, and personal factors place increasing pressure on the fragile peace that is already undermined by double agents and malignant magic. It also provides a unique conglomeration of magic, which is practiced mostly either by the enigmatic Moonlings or a race known as the Mance, who are in turns alluring and disturbing in their methods and manners.
Josh Vogt, Examiner.com
An intriguing world, with its varied people and imperiled gods. The hero maintains his personal integrity even as the pawn of powers of whom he's barely aware, and the plot unfolds with the rapid pacing of a mystery novel.
K. V. Johansen, author of Blackdog
From the first line ("Cut her throat. His own wife."), readers of Betsy Dornbusch's Exile know they are in for a dramatic and exciting tale. . . .Any reader who joins her for the ride will be glad they did.
Lesley Smith, Electric Spec
Draken is an interesting character, and the secondary characters are equally interesting. The plot moves along nicely, and the story is engaging. I enjoyed the setting and found the author's world building commendable.
Lori Macinnes, Lori Reads
"Betsy Dornbusch's Exile is a nonstop adventure with a fascinating world and some terrific magic."
Carol Berg, author of Transformation and The Daemon Prism
Praise for Betsy Dornbusch's Exile
Necromantic magic, deadly political intrigue, and a reluctant hero torn between his duty to a foreign queen and his desire for revenge . . . Betsy Dornbusch's Exile kept me reading into the wee hours of the night, breathless to find out how Draken's story would end.
Courtney Schafer, author of The Shattered Sigil series.
Exile does an excellent job of fashioning a kingdom on the brink of implosion, as political, military, and personal factors place increasing pressure on the fragile peace that is already undermined by double agents and malignant magic. It also provides a unique conglomeration of magic, which is practiced mostly either by the enigmatic Moonlings or a race known as the Mance, who are in turns alluring and disturbing in their methods and manners.
Josh Vogt, Examiner.com
An intriguing world, with its varied people and imperiled gods. The hero maintains his personal integrity even as the pawn of powers of whom he's barely aware, and the plot unfolds with the rapid pacing of a mystery novel.
K. V. Johansen, author of Blackdog
From the first line ("Cut her throat. His own wife."), readers of Betsy Dornbusch's Exile know they are in for a dramatic and exciting tale. . . .Any reader who joins her for the ride will be glad they did.
Lesley Smith, Electric Spec
Draken is an interesting character, and the secondary characters are equally interesting. The plot moves along nicely, and the story is engaging. I enjoyed the setting and found the author's world building commendable.
Lori Macinnes, Lori Reads
"Betsy Dornbusch's Exile is a nonstop adventure with a fascinating world and some terrific magic."
Carol Berg, author of Transformation and The Daemon Prism
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