Only a young healer stands between a dark god and the destruction of the Overworld...

When the dark god Arkonen, imprisoned in the Underworld for a millennia, learns the secret of his release, he steals a mortal woman, heavy with child, from the Overworld, and rips the infant from her womb. Thus Bane, the Demon Lord, is born. Two years later, a girl child who possesses the power of light is born among the healers.

After eighteen years of torturous training, Bane emerges through the World Gate. A dark army gathers to serve him, and he sets forth to conquer the Overworld and break the seven blue wards that bind Arkonen below.

When Mirra, innocent of her destiny, is placed in Bane’s path, he takes her with him on his bloody rampage, defying Arkonen’s order to slay her.

Bane has never known kindness, and Mirra has not known cruelty until now. He spurns her attempts to ease his suffering, unaware that the dark power that he wields is killing him. If Mirra cannot turn Bane from his dark purpose, the Overworld is doomed, and Bane is not what he seems …

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Demon Lord is now available in all the major book shops in South Africa. The author particularly wishes to support Reader's Paradise Bookshop in Cape Town. Signed copies of Demon Lord can be purchased there.

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Bane

Bane, the Demon Lord, made into a mortal god before he was stolen from his mother's womb by the Black Lord ...

The inner fire threw red light onto the tortured stone ceiling from the cracks that crazed the floor. The magma river that flowed under the cavern heated it to an unbearable temperature, but Bane was the only one who sweated. It was not true that the scars were self inflicted. On his sixteenth birthday, the runes had been cut into him by his father. Bane had been chained to a bulbous rock column, his arms spread.

The Black Lord stood before him and warned him not to cry out. "Only cowards feel pain, boy. You will learn to enjoy this, and do it to yourself. It gives power. Blood must flow, and yours is the most powerful blood of all."

Bane panted harshly as his father cut the runes, and the Black Lord did it with exquisite slowness, enjoying every moment of his son's pain. Bane did not cry out, grinding his teeth as the sweat rolled down his face. After that, he had been made to do it himself, and although he not learned to enjoy it, he did learn to bear it.

Prejudice Against Local Authors In South Africa

A letter from T C Southwell
I'm still struggling with the publicity for "Demon Lord", and meeting with excessive resistance from the bookshops now. They say they will order it and then don't, and people are contacting me because they want to buy it and can't find it in the shops, it's ridiculous.

As a South African author, I find the perceived prejudice or at least lack of interest in local authors from local bookstore chains like Exclusive Books to be overwhelming and disheartening. That, on top of the attitude of local magazines that won't review the book or even have their reviewers read it, makes it impossible for a local author to get the kind of exposure they need to promote their work. What is wrong with media people and bookshops in SA?

How is a local author supposed to succeed against those kinds of odds? My agent will be sending my next book overseas, South Africa is just not the place to get ahead as an author, especially for local ones, apparently. Isn't that sad? The sales of my book have been horrible because of this. Must all South African talent be forced to go overseas to find the kind of exposure and appreciation that they deserve? Will South Africa never be able to claim that it has produced good fantasy or science fiction authors because the local media and bookshops appear to be so prejudiced against local authors?

My advice to budding local authors is, don’t waste your time in South Africa, go overseas if you want to succeed.

T C Southwell