What Is My Book About?

The still night is shattered by the sound of breaking glass. When the storm of unexpected violence is over, the Empress finds herself on the run from the scene of the crime as the Royal Palace burns to the ground behind her. In hiding from the political enemies that have assasinated her husband and marked her for death, she relies on the former Commander of the Royal Guard to help her unravel the mystery at the center of this conspiracy. They follow the clues to a startling conclusion that climaxes in a battle that neither of them had started but both become bent on finishing. She not only endeavors to seek revenge for the slaying of her husband but she learns to delight in the sexual awakening she experiences as she plays a dangerous chess game against an anonymous adversary. In the dark streets, the dim taverns, and extravagant estates of a long forgotten realm, she struggles to unveil the pawns in the game and identify the dark hand that moves them all.

"He had once read the Marquis de Sade's "Philosophy in the Boudoir", and found it entertaining enough in its carnal fashion, but something was lacking. For all his iconic status among the most unrepentant libertines, his "philosophy" amounted to little more than mechanical fornication and crude outrage against religion. The words of the Empress, however, had burned a timeless spell upon the parchment that was their canvas, and had spoken so intimately to the truth of Love and Pleasure that it made the meanderings of the Marquis as shallow as an open grave." -Thomas (Editor)