City of Cayn

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Series: Cayn Trilogy #2
Published by: Parlatheas Press
Release Date: August 13, 2021
Authors: Jason McDonald, Stormy McDonald, Alan Isom
Genre:
Pages: 288
ISBN13: 978-1736823576
ASIN: B09C8YDDN3

 
Sickness runs rampant in Pazard'zhik, capital city of Trakya, and healers are powerless to stop it.

Grendel has done his job for Marcus Marchenkov, perhaps too well.  He finds himself alone on the road east with Aleksandra Madasgorski-Krakova, surrounded by dangerous strangers who won't think twice about killing her or him.  He must walk a precarious path where a single wrong move could be his last.

With Marko Madasgorski in control of the caravan, Jasper Thredd can no longer hide behind his guise as a simple cook.  Fearing he, too, has contracted the deadly sickness, Jasper seeks help from Trakya's White Circle.  However, enemies appear at every turn, and Jasper soon finds himself hunted through the streets of Pazard'zhik.  Desperate, he seeks the aid of his few remaining friends in the city, putting into motion a plan of last resort — a plan that could get them all killed.

It’s a race against time as Xandor, Jasper, Chert, and Grendel chase the poison-laden caravan all the way to the White River and Bregu Kraagor, a crafty orc chieftain who controls the city of Chernigov.  Hope — as fleeting as it is — comes in the form of a small band of relic hunters from Michurinsk, but they, too, are trapped within the territory of the orc horde.

Can the team of investigators save them and find the cure?

This Second Edition of City of Cayn is newly re-edited and reformatted for improved readability and story clarity.

 
Music Inspiration

Jason, what song makes you think of City of Cayn?

"I was so looking forward to this question with this next book. There’s a scene in my head where Jasper, my rotund mage, walks down a busy street wearing a disguise. In the background is the outer wall of the palace compound and the first chords of the song strike up. Tears come to my eyes every time. The song has to be “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” by Aerosmith.

I remember this scene, and once again, YES. This is THE PERFECT song for that scene!" Read the entire blog here."
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Praise

"Every so often a sequel comes along as good as the original."  Jimbo's Awesome SF/F Reviews - Read the entire review here.

"I enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading the concluding volume of this trilogy, Blood of Cayn, due out soon."  Gary David Gillen Reviews - Read the entire review here.

"In all honesty I bought this because I'm a friend of one of the authors, so I might be a bit biased. But it's actually a good book. The first one introduces the main characters too fast, but once past that, it's absorbing reading, a really good job of world building. Somewhat reminiscent of some of David Eddings' works, but not as padded."  Amazon review

"I think they've got a real future at this, if this series is any indication. Well worth reading!"  Amazon review

"This second segment of the Cayn saga picks up where the first left off. Though there was some time between the two, the story picked up where it left off without any feeling of a pause. The twists and turns of the fascinating plot kept me guessing what would be next.  This story of good, evil, magic, intrigue, and perseverance resonates in many ways with the present “political” landscape though the present doesn’t have as many sharp edged weapons involved…or magic either for that matter. In any case it’s an excellent read and well worth the time."  Amazon review

"These new writers are growing in all kinds of great ways. The second book in this series is better than the first (and I liked that one a lot). I like how we are being allowed to unravel the threads to find out where the story is going. It was very frustrating when I reached the end of the book. *sigh* No amount of cajoling could get my computer to cough up more pages in the story. Some people have wondered about how well three authors can work on a single story? The answer is very well. I like the subtle shift in style, in different parts of the story. It's nothing jarring or anything you can put your finger on. It's a very natural thing as the POV shifts. Very nicely done. Now to wait for the next book."  Amazon review

"The second installment in the series picks up where it should. No crazy jumps like some authors do. More good development, well worth the read. I can't wait to see what they do to wrap it all up in the third book."  Amazon review

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