Besieger
Book one of Altars duology.
Greed needs little to fester. When you have starved for so long, all you can see is hunger.
A Vampire Coven is thrown into chaos after its maker and master is found dead under mysterious circumstances. With the assassin hiding among them, the Vampire Council must choose a new Coven Master, and who better than the man who wants the throne the least. A deserter from the First Crusade, Silvio is saved by Dulior, a vampire determined to turn and bind him at the altar. In the midst of a cycle of arranged marriages to mortals, Dulior uses Silvio as her escape from her domineering maker, and a promise, finally, of a true love match. Although granted immortality, Silvio sees no value in eternity if he cannot share it with Emerick, the man he has sworn to protect. Husband to a woman he despises, bound to a man he wants to drown in pleasure, Silvio will have to become a pawn in the Coven’s schemes if it helps him break free from his wife and mistress.
A Gothic romance with elements of historical fiction, perfect for fans of Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, S.T. Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood, and Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone.
Book cover design and illustration by Therese Andreasen.
**Content Warnings** Vampirism, Lycanthropy, Toxic marriage of convenience, Domestic abuse, Grooming, Blood and gore, Body horror, Graphic sex, Blood play, Cannibalism, Mind control, Kidnapping and torture, Suicide, Religious fanaticism, Murder of children and animals, The Crusades, Nazi Germany
FAQ
Is this a standalone? Besieger is book 1 of a duology. I like single word titles, so I decided to simplify things and call the series “Altars”. Throughout book one there are many allusions to altars (church, pagan, metaphorical, lyrical, you name it). You’ll see “altars of flesh” thrown in there a lot, as reference or description. Which makes sense. After all, the main characters are crusades who are disillusioned by the Holy War, and later, when they’re vampires, they turn into these obsessive and hungry things. I can’t wait for you to read at what altar they worship and how their prayers are answered.
What is the POV? Third person, multi POV. Like multi-multi. Think ASOIAF (Game of Thrones) number of narrators.
What is the genre and themes? Fantasy. Gothic romance with elements of historical fiction. It’s a novel about vampires, so of course it deals with immortality, lust, corruption and unbalanced power dynamics.
What is the setting? Real world. Switching between France, Germany and Bulgaria.
Is the timeline linear? For the most part. But whenever there’s a change in the timeline, it’s indicated as part of whose POV this is. I’ve tried my best to make this as easy to follow with all the back and forth narratively. Please take the time to thank my editors when you get to the last part of the book. I had initially intentionally removed the dates there – experimentalism! – but had to add them back, because we were all getting lost in the sauce.
Spicy level? Two red hot chilly peppers. Open coffin door. Lord, they be suckin’ and fuckin’.
Are all the POVs vampires? The vampire POV is the main one, but you get to see the lycan side and a third secret POV!
Will Besieger be e-book only? A paperback version will be available soon! The moment it’s up for grabs, I’ll scream it from the rooftops. The front cover is gorgeous but when you see the back, phew! And the spine! Warickaart is a master at her craft, she never misses!
You keep saying “all queer cast minus that one guy” – who is it??? Hmmm. I’ll let you figure it out on your own.