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Every monster was once someone who believed themselves exceptional. He came seeking wisdom. But some knowledge demands a price no one should pay.
Barok Tana was once a promising Guild magician, until forbidden research and dangerous questions led to exile on an Island, where magic goes to die and desperate men make bargains they can't unmake.
When a shadow offers escape, Barok accepts without understanding the cost. Left hollow but functional, he forges credentials and climbs Drakenholt Mountain, home of the ancient vampyre clans who guard dangerous magical knowledge.
The seven elders welcome him as a humble student seeking redemption. They offer patience. Trust. Teachings forbidden to outsiders for centuries. In meditation chambers carved from ancient stone, they begin to share wisdom earned across millennia.
They don't realise he's come to harvest them.
As Barok's mask of humility conceals mounting betrayals, some vampyres begin to suspect the truth. But suspicion without proof changes nothing. By the time certainty arrives, it will be too late for everyone.
What readers are saying about morally complex dark fantasy:
• Perfect for fans of The First Law trilogy and The Broken Earth series
• A protagonist you'll watch fall despite knowing you should look away
• Magic with genuine consequences and psychological depth
• Explores how corruption happens gradually, one compromise at a time
The Scholar's Shadow is a standalone prequel to the Quest for a King series. A dark descent into the spaces between ambition and atrocity, trust and betrayal, seeking wisdom and becoming horror.
Content warning: This book contains graphic violence, morally grey/villain protagonist, and themes of psychological manipulation and betrayal. Not a redemption story.
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