Mythos of the Hollowed Souls · Side Quests Series by Ariana August

In a world built on necessary lies, loyalty is the sharpest weapon of all. When a missive from Etan’ash—Evermate of Empress Thelyrah—summons Demuter back to Corestone, he knows the request is far from simple. A “delicate matter” in the dwelling of Empresses can only mean one betrayal. Demuter, once Thelyrah’s most trusted Fa’loom and now her covert agent, returns to Corestone, plunging into memory, desire, and danger... moreIn a world built on necessary lies, loyalty is the sharpest weapon of all. When a missive from Etan’ash—Evermate of Empress Thelyrah—summons Demuter back to Corestone, he knows the request is far from simple. A “delicate matter” in the dwelling of Empresses can only mean one betrayal. Demuter, once Thelyrah’s most trusted Fa’loom and now her covert agent, returns to Corestone, plunging into memory, desire, and danger. Old bonds flare, forbidden secrets whisper through crystal corridors, and Demuter finds himself walking the same razor’s edge that cost him so much over twenty annums ago. But even as Corestone trembles from within, the greater danger presses ever closer. The nightmarish realm of Ihatithre bleeds at the edges of reality. Every betrayal inside Nuama risks widening the cracks that hold Ihatithre at bay—and one wrong step could ignite a fire that consumes them all. *Note from the author—Demuter has become one of my favorite characters! He's strong, tall, and endlessly devoted to Thelyrah and her reign. He appears in other Side Quests, as well as the main series! less

In a reality built on lies, some truths are worth fighting—and dying—for. Rathoma has always known Ihatithre is wrong—its skies too empty, its air too dull. When Etan’ash, Evermate of Empress Thelyrah, parts the firma between worlds to visit her, Rathoma glimpses the Nuama, the radiant realm her soul was meant to inhabit... moreIn a reality built on lies, some truths are worth fighting—and dying—for. Rathoma has always known Ihatithre is wrong—its skies too empty, its air too dull. When Etan’ash, Evermate of Empress Thelyrah, parts the firma between worlds to visit her, Rathoma glimpses the Nuama, the radiant realm her soul was meant to inhabit. Trapped as a Hollowed Soul, bound to endless cycles of incarnation, Rathoma is offered a dangerous training in the ways of Nuama, and the chance to help rescue others imprisoned in Ihatithre—and all it requires is being willing to commit what some would call unforgivable atrocities. Alongside Etan'ash and her lover Orinho, as well as their crewmate Cedricke, Rathoma begins to carve a path of rebellion through raider villages and poisoned docks, where every choice bleeds into eternity. But the firma itself is unraveling, and soon Rathoma must face a truth more perilous than her someone is tampering with the very laws that hold the realms apart. And not even Etan'ash knows who it is. Note from the author—Rathoma has gone through so much, and I’m excited for you to read about her journey to find herself in a very broken reality. She is the murderous little angel of my heart, and her ferocity and devotion to her chosen family know no bounds <3. less