A Rap of Blood and Smoke

Book excerpt: Welcome to the wondrous yet sinister land of KlaTei! An immense continent full of whimsical entities, their advancements, and the people who govern them. One of those vast institutes would be the far-reaching and ever-omnipresent criminal underworld of Auvadeth. An ever-flourishing web of illegal rackets and robbery peppered with double-dealing machinations that often have murderous outcomes. An organized crime ring long maintained by a wicked wizard and his five underlying bosses strewn throughout the land. Join Lance in recanting the tale from the very beginning. His tale of Casaniel Donavon, the boss of the most powerful and influential family, the Meknisto Dynasty of Phoydan City. The man who irrevocably changed his life forever. A narcissistic, spoiled trust fund baby with raging psychotic quirks, Lance gets entangled with Casey, not knowing the dangers that come with the veiled monster. He's certainly in for more than he bargained for, but is Casey truly a monster? And can he learn to love once more? Meanwhile, Aghanim Luproteza, boss of Nessex City, whom Casey has named false brethren, continuously strives to divide the criminal enterprise that entwines the Sister Cities for good and all. Little does he realize his own naivety has made him a thrall to his own vicious underboss who'd seek to undo everything the Sister Cities have strived to achieve. Recorded within are testimonies from those who suffered and triumphed during perilous battles and tragic happenstance. This is A Rap of Blood and Smoke.