A Latticework Shrine
The Saga of Queen Shakti and her Aradian Sisters Tala and Mayari Continues on a desolate Earth Bereft of Men.
Parker J. Duncan’s ‘A Latticework Shrine’ is his second book in ‘The Winds of the Immortals’ trilogy which has fast acquired a legion of followers. Readers will be spellbound by the events of this follow-up tale that sees an endless struggle to survive in a post-eruption world shaped by the Immortals. Humanity itself is threatened after rife genocide by the Zurvan Sisterhood. Centre of this riveting delivery is Queen Shakti’s quest to find the young and elusive Michael Beller who could offer the answer to finding the prophecy the Aradians have been waiting for. But where are all the men anyway? The hunt is on!
As Queen Shakti's domination over Earth is imminent, she dispatches her sister Tala to find and retrieve the young man Michael Beller who may hold the answer to the prophecy which governs the fate of all in this latest episode in ‘The Winds of the Immortals’ trilogy: ‘A Latticework Shrine’ by Parker J. Duncan. But who is the green faery with ancient powers unearthed from the tundra? What secrets is she hiding and what are her intentions? Shakti intends to lure the faery out of hiding ahead of the fiery Ingrid, Michael’s mother, who may just be the incarnation of Mother Nature herself in all her beauty, magnificence... and ferocity.
Synopsis:
The Earth is cold and desolate. All life struggles to survive in the post-eruption world shaped by the Immortals. Even humans are a threatened species. Two decades of genocide orchestrated by the Zurvan Sisterhood has nearly eradicated all males, with Queen Shakti and her infamous Aradian sisters Tala and Mayari at its nucleus. Some men are spared from the slaughter but this creates a paradox for the Queen. She cannot find men that are both submissive to enslavement and willing to rise to their higher selves at once.
The Queen obsesses over finding young Michael Beller, whose whereabouts remain unknown but may be the key to the prophecy they've been waiting for. As Shakti's domination over Earth is imminent, she dispatches Tala to find and retrieve the young man lest his mother Ingrid locates him first. But whispers of a green faery with ancient powers spread; a pagan sorceress unearthed from the tundra after a five-year metamorphosis. Shakti intends to lure the faery out of hiding but secretly fears Ingrid is truly the incarnation of Mother Nature in all her beauty, magnificence... and ferocity.
In the author’s words:
“Book 2 of the trilogy is the second half of Ingrid’s tale which began in Book 1 with her and Ezra’s plight to save their son. While the themes of Book 1 persist, ‘A Latticework Shrine’ is more of a fantasy tale with atomic sci-fi themes dotted throughout as the protagonists fight to survive in the post eruption world which has killed most humans on Earth. Ingrid finds her son in The Northwest Territories and tells him to meet his uncle in the warring southern territories, beginning Michael’s own hero’s journey.”
“This follow up story is much more of a dielectric as Ingrid, Shakti, Michael, Melody, and Will all have their own story lines which the book follows and jumps between storylines. The book is unique because it brings a typically bitter ‘end of the world’ story to life, with the animals of North America joining the humans to defeat Shakti and her Aradians, and because the villain Shakti has similar goals as Pavonis (Ingrid) who share an odd symbiosis in their adapting world.
“The key messages and ideas in the book are based in environmentalism, a-typical gender roles, rites of passage, the role of humans on Earth, the importance of cultural identity, and the philosophy of war vs. peace. Black magic and ancient sorcery are interwoven with lessons of the natural world, as are war tactics with moments of both cruelty and compassion as the characters struggle to retain hope in their quests. The overall theme is the process of the healing stages of Mother Earth, as Pavonis (Ingrid) takes the role as both the symbolic disciple of our Planet and the Goddess of life herself.”
Praise for ‘Winds of the Immortals’ to date:
'eloquent, beautifully descriptive, dynamic and cohesive, with enjoyable forays into philosophy'
'The suspense is inescapable... to the unexpected twists and turns toward redemption or damnation.'
About the Author:
Parker J. Duncan was raised in the rugged mountains of Montana where he grew up hunting and hiking in the outdoors while developing a love for books and poetry at a young age. He won the Authors of the Flathead poetry competition in 2008 and was published in several local poetry publications.
As a budding writer and musician, Parker carried his talents to music school in Los Angeles where he studied bass guitar and met different people from all over the world. His friends in school offered several unique perspectives from their various locations on the globe, giving Parker a window into the unknown while challenging his own beliefs and opinions.
After school, he began writing the epic ‘Winds of the Immortals’ trilogy while fighting wildfires and traveling through the vast lands of the North American west.
Journeying through wilderness's such as the Cascades, Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, and New Mexican deserts gave Parker the time and settings to formulate this dystopian saga between his long stints on the front lines in the war against nature. His writing is influenced by mythology, folklore, epic poetry, Gothic literary fiction, stories of people facing adversity, modern and ancient military history, and multi-cultural perspectives.
‘A Latticework Shrine’ by Parker J. Duncan is published by Cranthorpe Millner and released on 24 th August.
Price £10.99.
Social Media handles:
Facebook @parkerduncan
Instagram @parkerjduncan
