In the Shadow of Dragons (Aftermagic Book 1)
by Sonya Bateman
IN THE SHADOW OF DRAGONS
Magic wasn’t real — until the dragons
happened. Since then, our world has
never been the same.
Now, magic is an insidious infection
leaving some people untouched, others scarred, and more slowly transforming
into mythological creatures. But once a year, on the anniversary of dragons, a
worldwide Eclipse and an intense surge of magic puts everyone at risk for
Changing completely — with deadly results.
The
Bishop Corporation was a small, unremarkable drug company until they released HeMo,
a drug that combats the magic infection and prevents people from turning into
monsters. Most of the time. Now a rising global power, BiCo patrols the
population to detect and detain those who show Magesign — and the elite BiCo
Knights ride forth to slay the monsters and protect the people from themselves.
But
not everyone believes in BiCo’s benevolent stranglehold on magic. The Darkspawn, a small
group of rebels, fight to destroy HeMo and allow magic to take hold naturally.
For better or worse.
When BiCo sends Teague
Harlow, one of their Knights, to join the Darkspawn as a spy, she soon uncovers
dark secrets — but not those she was sent to find. Because BiCo’s rule isn’t the
beneficial security blanket they claim to provide.
And the real danger may
lie in the drug that’s supposed to save the world.
* * * * * * * * *
MEET
THE MAIN CHARACTERS
Dr. Naomi Talbot runs a HeMo
clinic in Casper, Wyoming. Like most people, Naomi tries to carry on with
normal life, save for the one day a year when normal is impossible. But her
tentative grasp on ‘normal’
is shattered when a colleague who vanished years ago contacts her with a
cryptic message: The world is headed for permanent darkness, and only the
Darkspawn can stop it…
Teague Harlow is one of
the elite, a Knight who works directly with BiCo CEO Julian Bishop. She refuses
the spotlight, preferring to remain in the shadows. This makes her the perfect
candidate for Julian’s
bold new campaign against the resistance: Join the Darkspawn as a spy and
discover their hidden location in the Badlands, so the Knights can wipe them
out in a single blow…
Noah Delaney was an investment banker before magic invaded the world and
BiCo destroyed everything he loved. Now the reluctant leader of the Darkspawn,
his life consists of hiding in the desert from BiCo patrols, destroying HeMo
shipments, and saving as many Changers as possible. But their passive
resistance movement is thrust into active rebellion when Noah has a vision involving
the key to toppling Julian Bishop’s rule. One that requires a direct attack
on the Knights … and risks obliterating the world.
Magic wasn’t real — until the dragons
happened. Since then, our world has
never been the same.
Now, magic is an insidious infection
leaving some people untouched, others scarred, and more slowly transforming
into mythological creatures. But once a year, on the anniversary of dragons, a
worldwide Eclipse and an intense surge of magic puts everyone at risk for
Changing completely — with deadly results.
The
Bishop Corporation was a small, unremarkable drug company until they released HeMo,
a drug that combats the magic infection and prevents people from turning into
monsters. Most of the time. Now a rising global power, BiCo patrols the
population to detect and detain those who show Magesign — and the elite BiCo
Knights ride forth to slay the monsters and protect the people from themselves.
But
not everyone believes in BiCo’s benevolent stranglehold on magic. The Darkspawn, a small
group of rebels, fight to destroy HeMo and allow magic to take hold naturally.
For better or worse.
When BiCo sends Teague
Harlow, one of their Knights, to join the Darkspawn as a spy, she soon uncovers
dark secrets — but not those she was sent to find. Because BiCo’s rule isn’t the
beneficial security blanket they claim to provide.
And the real danger may
lie in the drug that’s supposed to save the world.
* * * * * * * * *
MEET
THE MAIN CHARACTERS
Dr. Naomi Talbot runs a HeMo
clinic in Casper, Wyoming. Like most people, Naomi tries to carry on with
normal life, save for the one day a year when normal is impossible. But her
tentative grasp on ‘normal’
is shattered when a colleague who vanished years ago contacts her with a
cryptic message: The world is headed for permanent darkness, and only the
Darkspawn can stop it…
Teague Harlow is one of
the elite, a Knight who works directly with BiCo CEO Julian Bishop. She refuses
the spotlight, preferring to remain in the shadows. This makes her the perfect
candidate for Julian’s
bold new campaign against the resistance: Join the Darkspawn as a spy and
discover their hidden location in the Badlands, so the Knights can wipe them
out in a single blow…
Noah Delaney was an investment banker before magic invaded the world and
BiCo destroyed everything he loved. Now the reluctant leader of the Darkspawn,
his life consists of hiding in the desert from BiCo patrols, destroying HeMo
shipments, and saving as many Changers as possible. But their passive
resistance movement is thrust into active rebellion when Noah has a vision involving
the key to toppling Julian Bishop’s rule. One that requires a direct attack
on the Knights … and risks obliterating the world.