QSFer James E. Honaker has a new queer urban fantasy book out (gay, non-binary): Shadowcaller.
In New Philadelphia, demons would walk the streets.
Nathaniel has dealt with his fair share of demons. Using the powers afforded to him by his bonded shadow spirit, Umbriel, he and his associates, Xane and Rebecca, work hard to drive off the demonic threats that would wreak havoc
This time, though, is different. In the midst of an election campaign, the Coven of Unholy Nocturnal Terror seeks to make manifest their patron deity, Astaroth. Nathaniel finds himself embroiled in a maelstrom of political intrigue as they race to unravel the attempt to summon a demon and figure out how politics plays into this particular brand of malfeasance.
Even in the shadows, trouble sometimes finds you all the same.
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Excerpt
Nathaniel drew his jacket tight around him as the brisk fall air met him. It was the time of year where the trees were festooned in red and yellow livery, and where the jackets started getting heavier by the day. He’d never taken well to fall and winter, coming from where they were markedly milder.
All the same, it was an eminently walkable day, and the cafe he was supposed to make his way to for their meeting wasn’t too far away…a couple of blocks, he recalled. The city streets were bustling with activity, throngs of people making their way up and down them, so it would at least be a leisurely stroll.
He settled in with the rest of the passers-by and joined with the crowd as they streamed down the street. It was a clear, largely cloudless day, albeit with rain forecast in the late afternoon. He hoped to be home by then, though, and it did seem like the storms were a good ways away, even if an odious cloud peeked out from around a building.
Through busy intersections and bustling thoroughfares he wound, making his way towards the heart of the city. Finally, he came upon the cafe he’d agreed on as a meeting place; they didn’t seem to be here yet, so he had time to settle in. He ordered a hot chocolate and sat back in a chair, watching the people of the city while he waited for his company to arrive.
As he waited, he alternated between taking drinks of his hot chocolate and twiddling with his ring, turning it around his finger. It wasn’t a compulsion, so to speak, but it did help him feel more at ease. He could feel a strange warmth from beneath the surface, a sort of humming of energy. It was weirdly placating at times, running his fingers along the glyphs and murmuring the sounds they connoted.
He had to stop himself from going too far, though. To speak the words on his ring in public, right now, would invite more attention than he would like. He thrived on people not knowing who he was or what he could do, and he wasn’t keen on spilling everything in the middle of the coffee shop.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting. The streets were quite congested today.”
Nathaniel looked up and saw his company had arrived. They were a tall, lithe, and androgynous figure, with electric blue hair and a surfeit of piercings. They were definitely on the “conspicuous” end of the spectrum of appearances, and he wondered if they had gotten more piercings than the last time the two had met up.
“You weren’t keeping me waiting, Xane,” he said, standing to meet them. “Not too long, at least.” The two parties shook hands as a sort of perfunctory greeting.
“I’m going to go ahead and grab myself something,” they said. “I’ll be right back.”
As they queued up, Nathaniel finished off his hot chocolate and leaned back. Xane was eccentric, but definitely an astute person who kept an ear to the ground and eyes open towards anything particularly noteworthy. Someone like them was a good person to associate with, even if their proclivity towards attention-grabbing appearance clashed with his more muted sensibilities.
In this city, he thought, it’s good to have all the friends you can. Especially ones who understand you.
“All right, got some food,” Xane said, slipping into the chair across from Nathaniel, croissant in hand. Nathaniel noticed that Xane had applied a nail polish that matched their hair, which he found amusing.
“I ate before I came here, so I just went with the hot chocolate,” he said, tapping the side of his cup to emphasize the point.
“Always a good choice,” they answered. “We can talk and eat, though. Well, I’ll eat and talk, at least.”
“Suits me just fine,” he said.
Author Bio
James Honaker is a writer, a small independent game developer, and a peddler of bespoke cardboard. He presently lives in North Carolina with three cats and a parakeet, and he hopes to use book sales to fund the purchase of top-shelf kibble for his felines.
| Author Website | https://jehonakercom.wordpress.com/ |
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| Author Bluesky | https://bsky.app/profile/acktar.bsky.social |