By Jonathan Shuerger

Origins

Shades of Black Anthology

Everything has a beginning.

Before the heroes and horrors of In Darkness Cast and Afterlight, before the wars that sundered Heaven and Hell, there were moments—small and vast—that set the darkness in motion. Shades of Black: Origins gathers those moments into one legendary volume, revealing the birth of monsters, saints, and the damned alike.

In Son of Anak, a titan’s son rises from the burning Hellscape to master his rage and survive betrayal on his path to becoming the Slaughterlord.
In Ashes, treasure hunters seeking fortune in the Onyx Desert awaken a power older than worlds, one that will not let them leave alive.
In The Raising of Ermog Grei, a weary doctor confronts a necromancer’s plague and must embrace forbidden power to save the living and the dead.
In Desolate, a hunted mother becomes a warrior-nun to protect her child, caught between holiness and her own damnation.
In Blood of Anak, Ursus—now crowned Slaughterlord—faces legions, demons, and the storm of blood within that threatens to consume his throne.
In Einherjar, the Wolves of the North march into Ravenholme to slay a demon lord and uncover the monstrous truth buried in their brotherhood.
And in the haunting Ember Knight, Gideon’s endless death on the eve of Natalis becomes a lesson in sacrifice, and in how even in darkness, a star may be born.

From the desolate wastes of the Hellscape to the frozen ruins of the North, these are the beginnings—the choices, curses, and crucibles—that forged the world of Shades of Black.

These are the Origins.

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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!