The Death Master Chronicles

This is the second book of the Death Master Chronicles series. The author has written this story about the principle character, Henri Madariaga, who is the son of H. E. Rasske, the hero of The Ultimatum, Book One of The Death Master Chronicles. It tells the tale of what he learns about himself and the discovery that he will never be as proficient in the field of martial arts as the man who fathered him. He also realizes he can never attain the level of expertise required to be a Death Master, and accepts the fact his father was one of a kind and a legend in the world of martial arts. That world is difficult to define, but is touted to exist by some martial arts experts. Henri jr., then concludes there must be something more to life, but not knowing what it is, reasons the search for enlightenment must come from not only the further study of martial arts but also from within himself. This is about his search to find out who he really is.

The old sailor pulled out a stub of a pencil from a soiled shirt pocket and began to cross out letters on the drink coaster. The circular piece of paper had the words The Brass Monkey in a nice scroll at the top and then a picture of three monkeys in the center, with the additional worlds, see, hear, speak, no evil underneath. He first removed, no evil, and then began to systematically pencil out all the letters in The Brass Monkey which were not contained in see, hear, speak. This left H. E. Rasske on the face of the coaster. An alert waitress soon picked up the empty drink glass and paper coaster returning both items to the bartender. In this manner, word reached Rasske quickly that someone needed to talk to him.

Edwin stood on the bank for a long while watching the elder gentleman splash in the water. He waited patiently for some time, hoping the old man would return to the edge of the stream to reclaim the tunic lying on the rocks. Finally, he realized the old monk was waiting to see if this newcomer would enter the cold stream to join him. Edwin gritted his teeth and removed all his clothing except for a loincloth and stepped slowly into the cold water. He sucked in his breath quickly, as the cold was immediate; piercing him to the bone as he moved forward into the stream. He finally reached the old man and voiced an incoherent hello in a Tibetan dialect. There was no reply and the oldster turned toward the bank and the clothing; ignoring Edwin; giving no indication he'd heard his words. Rasske called out again as the old man slowly continued his way among the boulders toward the bank to reclaim his tunic. Finally, he splashed and stumbled to reach the old monk and grasped his arm and cried out, "Old man, please do not walk away from me. I have travelled halfway across the world to find you and to learn truth from you. Please," he begged, teeth chattering uncontrollably from the penetrating coldness of the water. The aged monk turned swiftly and grasped Edwin by the nape of the neck in a fierce grip, forcing his head under the water of the stream. As he thrashed about in the water, he could not break the grip of steel. Soon his life flashed before his eyes and he could feel his life ebbing away. The old man loosened the hold on his neck and held Edwin's head up as he retched and gagged for air.......

After barely escaping from captivity to find a cure for her illness, she, Vincent, and rest of the other Reapers team up to defeat the ancient dark creature Legion, whose sole mission is to destroy the earth. But in the midst of the ongoing chaos, the brothers unearth a dark prophecy that may lead to the apocalypse. What's worse for Aramis is that it involves the man whom she realizes she still has feelings for: Vincent. While suffering from an illness that may cost her her life, Aramis must do everything to end the madness once and for all. Now she must choose: Save the world, or save the man she loves.

'Mel Starr has done it again with another brilliant Sir Hugh de Singleton medieval mystery to keep readers guessing until the very end. [.] I was there at the Queen's College, dining on pottage, getting soaked in the rain in fourteenth-century Oxford - Mel always draws you into the experience.' Toni Mount, author of the Sebastian Foxley murder mystery series One of Master John Wycliffe’s scholars is found dead after a thunderstorm. Was he struck by lightning, or was there something more sinister to his death? Scholar Richard Sabyn, a particularly obnoxious fellow, was believed to have been struck by lightning. However, Master Wycliffe believes otherwise and calls upon Sir Hugh de Singleton for help. Sir Hugh shares Wycliffe’s suspicions and launches a private investigation, learning that it might indeed be possible to make it look as though a man has died from a lightning strike. But who would go to all that effort, and why? When fellow scholar Simon Duby dies, it raises even more questions and suspicions. What is the connection between the two men? Sir Hugh believes a bronze pot, a bucket of urine, and a small quantity of charcoal and brimstone may hold the answer. During a bleak 1375, can he survive the insidious plague and several attempts on his life as he continues his quest for truth?