By Jonathan Shuerger

Afterlight

Shades of Black, Book II

The World Eater has fallen. Now for Death. Now for Ruin.

The dark sorcerer Ashkelon and his reluctant apprentice Gideon Halcyon leave the carcass of Rachna behind them to confront a new threat. The dead march upon the North, raised by a necromancer far more powerful than any of the house of Sheol, able even to raise the fleshless dead. The Bonescribe has unleashed his hordes, and the world darkens as light itself fails at his touch.

As the dead walk and the light dies, as men break and run around him, will Gideon hold his courage amidst the horrors of the Dark, or will he be forever lost to the Afterlight?

When Light fails, the true war begins.

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Afterlight keeps the tension high from beginning to end. Like In Darkness Cast, the characters proactively drive the story forward, and each event builds on the last, with consequences that keep the reader engaged, even when dialogue replaces the physical conflicts.

The fight scenes are still fast-moving and detailed. This time our heroes are up against the undead, an assortment of evil necromancers, and a sisterhood of assassins.

Ashkelon is still burdened with frustration towards the Light and quizzes Gideon frequently in his quest for answers. Although there are overt religious discussions between them that reason through apologetic arguments, the characters themselves are so strongly established that the conversations seem to arise naturally from their relationship and personal motivations, rather than an outside evangelist puppetting a hypothetical exchange between a believer and non-believer.

The conversations between Ashkelon and Gideon are always charged with tension due to their conflicting worldviews and because there is not necessarily a given “winner” in their discussions of faith. Ashkelon’s development holds discomfort for him and death (as many times as is necessary) for anyone who crosses him, so there is no shortage of entertainment there. Gideon’s arch is occasionally frustrating, but it never becomes a slog of navel-gazing. There is always another enemy on the horizon!

– Katie Roome, Periapsis Press

Award-Winning Author

Jonathan Shuerger

Disclaimer: Jon is a Marine.

You may therefore be exposed to intense battle sequences, epic struggles of good vs. evil, and blistering appraisals of humanity’s flaws.

If you love stories of entire solar systems detonating or desperate last-ditch defenses against shrieking diabolical hordes, this be the place for you.

My Story

Jonathan Shuerger, Author and Marine Veteran

What Readers are Saying

This was a slow burn for me. Every free moment I had, of which there were few, I set aside to read this book.

The scenes Jon paints are visceral and every action sequence will have you reading five more minutes rather than sleep. Every chapter flows seamlessly into the next.
The characters are larger than life but their inner struggles are all too familiar. Words fail to describe how much I enjoyed reading this. I cannot wait for the next installment in the series.

This book grabbed me from the first page and never let go! Gideon’s journey through a world filled with dark magic and unimaginable dangers felt like a rollercoaster that I never wanted to end. For anyone who loves a good dark fantasy, this is a must-read, it’s thrilling, it’s chilling, and it’s surprisingly profound.

I just finished reading and it was amazing!

The story picks up with Ashkelon and Gideon facing a powerful necromancer and his army of the dead. The action is intense, and the world feels really dark and eerie. Gideon’s struggle to keep his courage in such a terrifying situation kept me hooked. If you love dark fantasy with lots of suspense and action, this book is a must-read.

Highly recommend!