Part of Series
Originally published in Hath No Fury edited by Melanie R. Meaders. Djaga Akoyo left the grasslands of her homeland long ago and rose to prominence in Sharakhai's fighting pits as the famed Lion of Kundhun. What Djaga revealed to no one, however, is the terrible secret that drove her to leave Kundhun in the first place. That secret is brought back to the fore when her sister tribeswoman, Afua, comes to Sharakhai unannounced and threatens to reveal her shameful past, a thing that would upend the life Djaga has worked so hard to build for herself. Djaga and Afua's pasts are linked. Afua tells her that with one final bout in the killing pits, both their demons will be excised. But Djaga has more to worry about than Afua's demons, or even her own. She has Nadín as well, a woman she hopes to share a life with once she's left the pits for good. But how can she start a new life with Nadín when the terrible acts she committed in her homeland still haunt her? Djaga must decide once and for all whether she'll face them, but in doing so she may lose the one she loves.
Author
Bradley P. Beaulieu began writing his first fantasy novel in college, but life eventually intervened. As time went on, though, Brad realized that his love of writing and telling tales wasn't going to just slink quietly into the night. The drive to write came back full force in the early 2000s, at which point Brad dedicated himself to the craft, writing and learning under the guidance of writers like Nancy Kress, Joe Haldeman, Tim Powers, Holly Black, and many more. Brad and his novels have garnered many accolades including two Hotties—the Debut of the Year and Best New Voice—on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo and more: * Top Ten Book and Debut of the Year for 2011 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for The Winds of Khalakovo * Best New Voice of 2011 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist * 2011 Gemmell Morningstar Award Nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo * Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Ranting Dragon's Best of 2011 * Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Mad Hatter's Best of 2011 * Top Five Book for 2012 on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist for The Straits of Galahesh * 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on Staffer's Book Review * 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on The Ranting Dragon * 2013 Most Anticipated for The Flames of Shadam Khoreh on The Ranting Dragon Brad continues to work on his next projects, including an Arabian Nights epic fantasy and a Norse-inspired middle grade series. He also runs the highly successful science fiction & fantasy podcast, Speculate, which can be found at speculatesf.com. Novels THE LAYS OF ANUSKAYA * The Winds of Khalakovo * The Straits of Galahesh * The Flames of Shadam Khoreh Short Story Collections * Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten & Other Stories Novellas * Strata (with Stephen Gaskell) Contact Information Website: www.quillings.com Twitter: @bbeaulieu Facebook: facebook.com/bradley.p.beaulieu
