About Voices in the Dark

Part 1: Darkness Falls
Part 2: A Voice in the Shadows

Synopsis:

In the country of Sraekin, magic has been believed to be the ultimate evil for centuries. In order to do her good deeds and not get killed by the general population she is ultimately trying to protect, Tania Roscin--a peasant who is more than what she seems--hides herself and her methods behind a screen of common thievery, acting from the shadows to watch over those friends and relatives across the country that make up her family.

Book 1: Conspiracy is brewing beneath the surface of peaceful Sraekin. With knowledge of the inner workings of the country, Tania does her best to prevent harm coming to her loved ones.

Book 2: With the country in turmoil, Tania's best hope lies in her goddaughter, Rhea. If she can teach Rhea how to survive on the streets, the pair might be able to solve the problems facing their friends, the city, and in the end, the country.

Setting:

Sraekin, fictional country in the late medieval era. Mostly in Hejje (Hezhe), the capital city. A feudal society, the current dynasty has been in power for more than two hundred and fifty years. Noble houses control the lands, and a commoner has the rights gifted him by his ruler. Though the common folk accept that women can (and usually need to) work as well as men, a noble woman is not much more than a pretty wallflower. This is changing, thanks to a very intelligent Baroness and very open-minded royalty, but changing slowly. (For 'complete' setting reference documents, click [here].)

Characters:

Tania Roscin - thief, assassin, and mage. {protagonist}

• born Tatyania niul'Cheis ki'Renni [='of the Rose-kin clan'], named Athenae Rosekin by her mother
• known by various variants of these: "Tani", "'Thenai"

Ezichiel "Zik" Detnik - Tania's boyfriend, apprenticed to an apothecary. {supporting protagonist}
"Master Egan" - Tania's teacher {supporting protagonist}
Daryll Benoi - King of Sraekin, not widely known to be Tania's cousin. {supporting protagonist}
Alysandrea "Rhea" Rolyn-Benoi - Tania's goddaughter. {protagonist}

Of the Conspiracy:
General Conat Hurcal - army general, part of the conspiracy to usurp the throne. {antagonist}
the Triad - three lesser nobility who take the place of the king in Part 2. {antagonist}

Of the Thieves' Guild:
the Thief Lords - seven leaders of the Thieves' Guild, believe themselves Tania's superiors. {antagonist}
Dylin Trekys - member of the Thieves' Guild, reports to Tania. {supporting protagonist}
Iohan Svaredd - ex-Guild turned merchant/Guild-ally. {supporting protagonist}
Irnan Svaredd - Iohan's son, unaware of his father's Guild ties. {supporting protagonist}

Of the Followers of the Voice:
"The Voice" - anonymous Thief Lord quietly opposing the Guild, Tania's true superior. {neutral/protagonist?}
"the Doorkeeper" - one of the Voice's two seconds-in-command (with Tania), a relative of Tania's. {supporting protagonist}
Ryf Torradyn - raised by Tania from toddler with sister Efi, thief, reports to his sister. {supporting protagonist}
Ifigeneia "Efi" Torradyn - raised by Tania from childhood with brother Ryf, thief and spy, reports to Tania. {supporting protagonist}

Of the Lower City: (Part 1)
'Count' DeBoule - trying to replace the Guild and the Voice, likes Tania. {antagonist}
Rytal  - Zik's cousin, works for DeBoule until his loyalties shift. {supporting protagonist}

Of the Nobility: (Part 2)
Duke Wellan of Nancute - one of three Dukes of Sraekin, becomes an ally against the Triad. {supporting protagonist}
Sir Robert of Nancute - son of Duke Wellan, an ally. {supporting protagonist}

Additional Information:

This book is written in two parts because there is a five-year gap between them. It is possible that it would do better as two novels, but for some reason Part 1 feels incomplete to me without the events of Part 2. Maybe reader feedback will tell me otherwise. I have so much going on in Part 1 that theoretically it's complete. I'd appreciate feedback when I post the revised chapters.

I have written several stories in this setting, telling the history of the country among them, but this is (and will remain) my core story. The other stories are generally incomplete, intended to be four novellas that have either stagnated or gone overboard length-wise. They'll require attention later on.