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THE STANDING DEAD by RICARDO PINTO
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SummaryAt the heart of The Three Lands, there is a paradise,
filled with beauty and wonders of all kinds. A lush and
vibrant place, it stands in sharp contrast to the baseness
and squalor of the world outside the walls of Osrakum. But
this beauty comes at a cost. The Masters who rule the world
are driven by sadistic dreams and mythic charms. They use
their vast powers to leech the resources of the world unto
themselves, to create an artificial haven where they play
out twisted games of power amid a decadent splendor. Within
the inner circle of power lies a glittering court where the
royal houses plot vile atrocities, and madness and
bestiality hold sway. The Masters are nothing less than
gods in this realm and their plans (or whims) can bring
either perfect pleasure... or death.Young Carnelian has
spent his entire life in exile with his father, a nobleman
who rejected the evil ways of his people and fled to the
ends of the known world. But forces conspired to change all
that, and Carnelian returned to his homeland. He is a sheep
among wolves, and it has taken every ounce of his strength
to resist the temptations of power that threaten to seduce
his very soul.What Carnelian could never have imagined was
that he would fall in love with none other than Osidian,
one of the twin Gods, ruler of his world--or that forces
far darker than he thought possible would use him as a
weapon. When the young lovers are kidnapped by the Empress
Ykoriana and forced from the safety of the empire, it
appears that their lives are forfeit. But Carnelian and
Osidian fall into the hands of barbarians from the southern
plain they call the Undersky. These raiders manage to elude
the legions of the Masters, and after enduring terrible
hardships, they succeed in bringing their prizes home to
their tribe.Carnelian comes to realize that the world is
much more bizarre than he could ever imagine, that love can
sometimes blind you to things that may destroy you, that
the simple things the heart can teach you will prove to be
the most true....And that he holds in his hands the
potential to save or doom all of his world.The Standing
Dead is the powerful sequel to Ricardo Pinto's first novel
The Chosen, and it continues this unique fantasy series
about power, eros, and madness...and the depths a man will
go to for love. It is the second volume in The Stone Dance
of the Chameleon series, and he is currently at work on the
third. Ricardo Pinto resides in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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