The Cycle of the Red Moon Volume 1: The Harvest of Samhein

Book excerpt: The book that took Europe by storm . . . winner of the highest fantasy literature award in Portugal! 2023 winner, Adamastor Prize for Foreign Fantasy Literature at the Fórum Fantástico in Lisbon, Portugal. Twelve teenagers from around the world fall under the spell of a demigod and journey to a mystical realm of devastation and cruelty where they must survive until the Red Moon returns. Despite the perils, these kids do not intend to surrender--they have magic on their side, and the time has come to take initiative! But an evil older than the kingdom itself awakens among the ruins, and the Red Moon approaches... Welcome to Rocavarancolia Welcome to the Kingdom of wonder and fright, of monsters and nightmares. Welcome to the Kingdom at death's door. After a long, hard-fought war, Rocavarancolia languishes, a city in ruins. There are no more dragons in the skies; vampires are dying of thirst; and magic is no longer strong enough to hold the Kingdom together. There is a sliver of hope, however. This year, same as every year, Rocavarancolia's demiurge plans his Harvest. He travels to Earth, where he masterfully cons a group of teenagers to return with him to his world, where they are then left to fend for themselves. They are told they must survive the many dangers of Rocavarancolia until the Red Moon appears in the sky. And that, for the last thirty years, no one has ever made it that far. Why was this group chosen? What makes them special? Why are they so important? And should they survive, what will happen once the Red Moon arrives? Hector, Alex, Marina, Bruno and the others search for answers while fighting for their lives in the crumbling city. Soon they will realize they are so much more than they seem: Natalia sees hidden creatures in the shadows; Marina glimpses into the future; Bruno wields magic with astounding talent... The old inhabitants of the city watch anxiously from a distance. This Harvest is Rocavarancolia's only chance. But one by one they fall. Death awaits in every shadow and Rocavarancolia has no mercy, no place for the weak. The city is made of darkness and, slowly but surely, its nature infects the survivors. Rocavarancolia poisons them, transforms them and tears away all remnants of humanity.