The Shrine of the Scorpion: Featuring Onyx the Tigerheart

by Shephard W. Mcilveen

Overview

Tragedy has befallen Rykote. First there were the omens; the evanescing of the very moon from the sky followed by such violent quaking of the earth that the thunderous echo of cracking stone could be heard from within the island's heart. King Amonkar, ever the adventurer, formed a band of chosen men and women to investigate, only for he and his entire horde to vanish without a hint of what became of them. Then came the outlander who appeared on their uncharted shores, nestled at the very edge of the world, who set fire to their homes in an act of drunken degeneracy. Queen Phirtra contemplated killing the barbarian who now slept in her dungeon when a far better use for her prisoner came to her half sane mind.

Forced into servitude to pay for his crimes, Onyx finds himself in the tepid company of the queen's elite fighters. As they follow in the footsteps of the king, the islands shifting sands reveal an ancient and deadly enemy that was believed to have been vanquished long ago.

For those who enjoy Robert E. Howard's groundbreaking stories featuring Kull, the Exile of Atlantis and Conan the Cimmerian, The Shrine of the Scorpion is sure to be worth the read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798823144650
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	11/09/2022
Series:	Onyx the Tigerheart
Pages:	68
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.16(d)

About the Author

At age seventeen, Shephard W. McIlveen moved with his mother and father across the country from their home in the rural town of Brenham, Texas to Paso Robles, California. There, in his bedroom the summer before his senior year, his interest in writing and literature truly began. Upon graduating high school, he was accepted into California Polytechnic State University, but chose to attend Cuesta Community College. After taking several creative writing classes at Cuesta and California State University Monterey Bay, he entered Southern New Hampshire University’s post graduate program to earn his master’s degree in creative writing. During the program, he discovered the work of fellow Texan author Robert E. Howard and immediately became drawn to the fantasy sub-genre of Sword & Sorcery. He became a published writer at the age of twenty-six, and his greatest creative ambition is to bring into existence the next generation of pulp-style anti-heroes.

In addition to living in five cites in five years (2013 to 2018), he has travelled to three continents, five countries, and twenty states. Currently, he lives in the Monterey area of California with his wife, Desiree, and his three cats, Persephone, Puddles, and Squishy. He has worked in restaurants on historic Fisherman’s Wharf, and hotels on Pacific Grove’s Ocean View Boulevard, Carmel-By-The-Sea, and John Steinbeck/Doc Ricketts’ famous Cannery Row. Along with writing, and when he’s not at work, he’s an avid reader of fantasy and historical fiction. He also enjoys playing video games and listening to classic rock and metal music.

To stay up to date with his work, visit his website at www.shephardwmcilveen.com and follow him on Instagram: @shephard_w_mcilveen