Hi everyone. Today I am featuring "The Staff of Beckoning" by Praneet Menon. We got a guest post, sneak peek, book details and a giveaway for you to enjoy. Check it all out in this post and purchase your copy today.
Uaqui, The Khasmia Shadow Operative
Character Confessions from The Staff of Beckoning
The author knows me. In a way, he created me. Yet he portrays me as some scarred violent villain with an unyielding zeal for duty. He presents me wrapped in darkness with no regard for the flesh and blood underneath this black clothing and veiled façade. My cracks are all that’s revealed to satisfy the reader’s thirst for an antagonist. It’s almost laughable, isn’t it? He claims to “paint human stories,” yet mine is drawn in shadows.
As with everything else in life, I must be the one to shine a light upon this darkness that the author so cruelly casts. I, Uaqui, wasn’t born into this. No, I was born into a decent life in Phucao with my mother and sister. My father, who was mostly away on “business”, seldom visited, but he did provide for us. At the time, I didn’t know he was a Shadow Operative. Much like me today.
As the man of the house, I had a duty to protect my mother and sister. But I failed them both. The scar and the crooked nose that the author describes to make me seem like an evil and menacing person are actually constant reminders of my failure. Mementos of a blood-soaked tragedy where I lost my family. I was too weak, too inexperienced, too cowardly to do anything but get myself maimed. No, these aren’t marks of villainy; they are marks of my shame and guilt. But I suppose that would not make for a compelling narrative, would it?
I have killed. I have cut down many who stood in the way of the Khasmia Shadow’s sacred purpose. Is that evil? The author certainly wants to paint it as such for the reader. But if I am seen as evil, that is because they have no idea what is at stake. The venna, destructive creatures of doom, are not just figments of imagination. They are real and their threat to our existence is greater than any man-made conflict. Shadow Operatives like me are Daroon’s sentinels who stand between civilization and the end of all we know. But of course, that doesn’t matter when you look like me or sound as if “speaking through a mouthful of molasses.” The author’s only goal is to paint me as an other—a monster the readers can revile.
So yes, I am violent. I admit it. When words fail or I need to tie up loose ends, mercy becomes a weakness the world cannot afford. I do what’s necessary to protect our world and maybe be redeemed for my failures of the past. Even if that means I lie awake some nights haunted by the weight of my choices. At least I acted with purpose.
But the author doesn’t seem interested in my truth. He’d much rather paint Adir, the real antagonist, with multilayered sympathetic struggles. My every choice…is reduced to one dimension. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to beg for sympathy. No. All I ask is for you to understand. There is more behind this mask and blades.
There is always more.
Muhain walked up, eyes determined, but Adir was not perturbed. He felt a strong determination within himself. Something in him seemed to have clicked.
As Adir proved the distance and assumed the ready stance, a surge of energy radiated through him, ready to burst out. He could hear his heart beating. He could feel the staff in his grip. He could smell the dirt underneath his feet. He dug in his front foot.
“FIGHT!”
Adir charged forward, pushing off his front foot, staff raised. As he closed in on Muhain, he brought it down in an overhead strike. Muhain spun, sidestepping the attack, swinging his staff around him, almost hitting Adir’s thigh. With an awkward jerk, Adir abruptly changed direction, hopping away from the incoming staff. Landing a few paces away, he spun around and faced Muhain. They paused.
Muhain looked surprised, his earlier arrogance slowly draining away. Then his face hardened. He let out a roar and charged at Adir, lashing out with a flurry of quick jabs and short swipes. However, Adir had no trouble tracking each attack. Muhain certainly was strong, but all that bulk came at the price of speed. Who knew being lanky could be an advantage?
Adir dodged and parried successfully as if he knew exactly what Muhain was about to do. None of Muhain’s attacks succeeded. However, each attack did push him closer to the ring’s boundary, eventually pinning him against it. If he stepped out, it’d all be over.
Again, they paused for a moment. Adir stood his ground, staff held defensively, blocking his chest. Listening to his breath.
Muhain leapt forward, guiding his staff in a downward diagonal arc from the left. Adir ducked and threw himself to his left. He felt the air stirred up by the whipping staff cool his scalp. Crashing onto the ground, he rolled away.
Muhain, carried forward by the momentum of his unsuccessful charge, now teetered at the ring’s boundary. The tables had turned— one step and Adir would win.
Muhain strained against himself, arching backward, arms outstretched and flailing, desperately attempting to keep himself from crossing the boundary. Anxious murmurs spread through the crowd but were soon hushed as Muhain started to tip outward. But just before he tipped beyond the point of no return, Muhain kicked off and, with the grace of a drunk toddler, managed to tumble backward, falling into the safety of the ring. The crowd let out a collective breath.
Realizing that the bout wasn’t over, Adir swung and struck Muhain’s arm.
“HALT!” bellowed the official, and some of the crowd broke out in cheers and applause.
“Adir Nathar moves on to the melee!”
When the world is not what it seems, what will Adir do when his identity collides with the destiny existence has in store for him?
The Staff of Beckoning
A Symphony of Spheres Book 1
by Praneet Menon
Genre: Epic Fantasy
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BLURB:
"Menon’s storytelling is sharp and deliberate, blending high-stakes action with introspective moments ... Addictively readable!" —BookView Review
The more we know, the less we understand ...
Adir Nathar craved more than what he was born into. And existence obliged.
A mysterious death … an act of revenge! Adir flees Marafel, abandoning friends and family for safety and a fresh start. But, unbeknownst to him, he is pursued by the Khasmia Shadow, a secret society charged with a sole divine purpose—eliminate the destructive venna with the sacred Staff of Beckoning. The world of Leakarha itself is undergoing a seismic shift. Rakhor, terrible demonspawn, are emerging farther south from the Precipice than ever before.
Caught in the middle of it all, Adir is driven deeper into his own shadows, forced to face truths he never knew existed.
But this isn’t just Adir’s story.
From Naven to Ostarium to Cayan, this story unfolds through the eyes of a troubled father, a ruler fighting to secure her legacy, an heiress obsessed with knowledge, a woman torn by love, an archer chasing glory, a man harboring a hidden past, and a noblewoman caught between two worlds—each holding a piece of a greater truth waiting to be uncovered.
The Staff of Beckoning, the first book in the series A Symphony of Spheres, is an epic fantasy tale of identity, destiny, and purpose. Blending elements from science fiction, mythology, and dark fantasy, this gripping narrative is perfect for readers who enjoy complex characters, intricate world-building, and expansive sagas. If you've enjoyed series like The Wheel of Time, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and The Prince of Nothing, then this book is for you.
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Praneet Menon
Born and raised in India, Praneet’s life began immersed in a medley of cultural, linguistic, and spiritual traditions that sparked his passion for storytelling. Then, he moved to the United States and has now spent more than half his life there. The two cultural backgrounds have led him to embrace a fusion of Eastern and Western philosophies that deeply influence his writing.
Praneet also spent the better part of two decades working as an engineer and flight instructor, which instilled in him a precision that he brings to his existence-building, pursuing that perfect blend of reality and fantasy. His exploration of philosophy and psychology at an early age allows him to imbue his stories with age-old themes of identity, purpose, and destiny. These themes play a central role in his debut novel, The Staff of Beckoning, Book 1 of the series A Symphony of Spheres.
Praneet lives in Vermont, embracing a homesteading lifestyle, community involvement, and writing while pursuing a master’s in counseling.
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