Christopher Keene
Fantasy Romance
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My first novel, Stuck in the Game, was published by Future House Publishing in August 2016 with the sequel, Back in the Game, scheduled for 2017. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature with Honors in Creative Writing. I have received two honorable mentions in the Writers of the Future competition and won first place in a creative writing competition for the University of Canterbury Gazette.
5 STARS
Read this one!
This book's action is fun and thrilling, making it difficult to put down.
All in all, this is an extremely well-written book that leaves you wanting more.
Reviews
4 STARS
A Different Kind of Fantasy
Rather than magic or swords, Holt Gnarl is a master of poison. Well written, immersive world building, strong characters, and plot twists to keep things interesting. I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next one.
I'd recommend this series to anyone who enjoys low fantasy romps or DND style adventures
The Wandering Poisoner
Book 1 of the Toxicology Trilogy
Holt Gnarl is a professional poisoner, wandering from master to master, perfecting his deadly trade. Despite his skill with toxins and antidotes, his heart has been poisoned against love, and for that he has no cure. He wants nothing more than to collect his fee and move on to the next job, with no strings attached.
But when the Duke of Midair’s heir is poisoned, Holt must head north to find a rare flower that is the only antidote. Besides the brutal conditions, highwaymen, and renegade mercenaries, he rides into a plague sweeping over the countryside. Even worse, the duke’s daughter, Riva, has followed him, set on seeing his task completed.
To keep her alive, he must teach Riva what he knows. Showing her the formulas is easy, but ignoring his growing attraction to her is not. As they struggle to create a remedy for the plague, he discovers an ancient sickness that destroyed the old empire and is on the verge of spreading again.
Will Holt save the kingdom and its heir, or will opening his poisoned heart to Riva doom them and leave the kingdom in ruin?
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The Wanted Poisoner
Book 2 of the Toxicology Trilogy
On the return journey to Midair City with the ardakis lily for Riva’s poisoned sister, Holt Gnarl becomes caught up in the schemes of the family who originally sent him on his quest.
After several delays in the Mobius Pass, Holt and Riva are back on the road, but when the plight of a plague-ravaged village along their way forces him to help an old friend, Holt finds himself swept up in a convoluted scheme of intrigue and blackmail, leading him to not only being hunted by those he hoped to help but also entangling him in a country-wide trade dispute.
Matters turn from bad to worse when he discovers that the one at the heart of the dispute is his old mentor, the famous General Pascal. Can Holt make it through his old grudges and new ‘wanted’ status and return with the cure for Riva’s sister, or is she doomed to die at the hands of those scheming to ruin their family?
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The Washed-Up Poisoner
Book 3 of the Toxicology Trilogy
Holt and Riva have narrowly escaped the clutches of Duke Marat and the conniving Poultney family. Their next destination, the Aktanoc, is the great academy where they hope to find the knowledge to develop a cure for the plague and halt the spread of the Demos pathogen before it can turn the Roinal into a country of ravenous monsters. However, with two new untrained members added to their group in the form of Riva's sister and her Anesian lover, the perils of crossing the Divide Sea to the Tarkus capital have grown twofold.
They must now contend with Tarkus's underground network of criminals and spies while also navigating a culture and political system entirely foreign to them. To add to this, an old mentor from Holt's past has resurfaced and is pulling the strings from the shadows, manipulating events to transform Tarkus into his personal utopia. Can Riva guard her sister and save Holt from the demon of his past, or will his ambition drive him to a place where she can no longer follow?
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