Only one can walk the Earth at a time.
The Illumenae came about because some wise souls believed that those who cherish peace should not have to suffer those who relish war. They are individuals bred for one purpose, to renew the Promise that gives peace to the people of the Realm. It is a genetic promise, kept through propagation. And Sonny Preyer does not yet know that he is one of them.
Sonny is an instrument of power. He cannot defend himself, for deliberately harming another goes against his own life-giving energy. But harm finds those who provoke him, who threaten him, for his own power is confined within a fallible human adolescence, and has ways of escaping him.
Sonny is a brilliant, if troubled, student at Silver Springs High. Stigmatized by his fragile health, and medical secrets, his only consolation is a singing voice that makes even his bullies stop and listen.
The people in Sonny's life are not who they appear to be. Dr. Sanders, a prudent physician, has taken a special interest in him since birth, and limits his home practice to Sonny's needs alone. His school friend Brecca, and her cousin Elden, appear to have a sudden and inexplicable need for Sonny's companionship. Shore, the new school counselor, says very little to Sonny, but is careful to watch his every move. Cale is the friend Sonny cannot remember having. And even Sonny's parents, Amber and Dom Preyer, haven't been entirely honest with their son.
His dreams of going to college come to an end when he is violently recalled to a world he once knew. The Realm is a green and abundant land, long forgotten within the vaults of his soul's memory. It is a world of castles, of sorcery, and of deadly magic. Here, every stranger knows the intimate secret Sonny takes great pains to keep hidden, and either loves him or despises him for it. Here, warriors vow to protect him from an enemy whose desire for him is as powerful as Sonny himself.
It is up to Sonny to find his way home from this place, where so much is expected of him. But first he has to face the one entity who stands in his way. Dastas.
| At eighteen, Sonny doesn't want to remember who he is or the promise he made before his birth. He will die before he admits to being the source that ended all wars, all starvation, and all strife. In the guise of a troubled teenage boy, convincing to himself and the world around him, he has run from this truth all his life. But his body is a constant reminder, his aversion to intimacy a persistent defense, and everyone he knows is a conspirator to the lie that keeps him safe. But all of that fails when he is found by the only two forces that can make him keep his promise. One human, the other not. Both will fight to possess what he is. One will win. |
A modern eighteen year-old, Sonny Preyer, is lost in a world he doesn't understand, a kingdom needing his protection, a wizard pretending to be his doctor, and entire nations waiting for his return. For a withdrawn adolescent, the worst thing is that every stranger seems to know his deepest secret and either loves or hates him for it. Torn from his family, he is forced to live in a castle, subjected to a life of servants and responsibilities he knows nothing about. Beneath his extraordinary beauty, rage and power rise to the surface to confront those who dare try to force him to be something he doesn't want to be. Sonny's anger renders his enemies helpless and silences his critics, never to yield to their desires. That is, not until he finds himself face to face with the man who brought him here. And the only man capable of forcing him to use the power he claims he doesn't have. This is the second volume in the Sonny Preyer saga. |
The time has come for Sonny Preyer to admit who his is. After eighteen years of hiding in the existence of a frightened boy, he can no longer deny that he is a very powerful Illumenae. Too many innocent people need his help. But human fear, as well as the memory of what he suffered lifetimes ago - by the very people he loved - renders his heart heavy and his mercy slow. He takes his time forgiving, but time is running out as his power leaks, spilling into the clutches of Sonny's greatest enemy. A monstrosity called Dastas. Dastas is the only living soul who remembers the crime committed against Sonny a thousand years ago, and is responsible for it. Now he is bent on finishing what he started. After a thousand years, what has slept will awaken. What has been hidden will be revealed. And what gives life, will kill. Third volume in the Sonny Preyer saga. |