Jack Serpent - (The Scriver Archives) by E a Field (Paperback)

About the Book

"Jack Serpent is the only person to have survived the Scriver Trials. With that, he became a lore keeper for the origin of monsters, a spy, and hybrid soldier able to withstand crushing magic. Ever since a coven of Strygan murdered his family, he's set out to discover and record what plagues the continents. It's the sort of highly valuable knowledge that could change wars and divide kingdoms. In the dark places of Ocrana, an uprising of Strygan has begun. They use stolen magic to take over the realms. No one knows how to effectively kill the monsters summoned by Strygan, let alone the High Stryga herself. The military general only knows how to kill with bullets and fire, but he'll need more to challenge the encroaching threat. He'll need a Scriver's help. Jack is recruited to kill the High Stryga before she tips the balance of magic and takes the throne. To locate and destroy the High Stryga within a swamp poisoned with corrupted magic, Jack must reluctantly accept the help of others. As a man accustomed to working alone, cooperating with the ragtag group of soldiers, an old nemesis, and a tracker might prove more challenging than the monsters themselves. When Jack finds more than a kindred spirit in the feisty tracker, he will have to choose between the mission and saving lives. There's more to the Strygan than they understand. Jack discovers a secret in his past that will either lead to a Stryga on the throne and the enslavement of humans, or the unraveling of his mind. Sometimes knowledge is worth dying for.

Book Synopsis

Book One of The Scriver Archives, Jack Serpent introduces readers to a brooding anti-hero and a rich worldbuild that is reminiscent of The Witcher and One Dark Window.

Created by monsters to be destroyed by men.

Jack Serpent is the only person to have survived the Scriver Trials. With that, he became a lore keeper for the origin of monsters, a spy, and hybrid soldier able to withstand crushing magic. Ever since a coven of Strygan murdered his family, he's set out to discover and record what plagues the continents. It's the sort of highly valuable knowledge that could change wars and divide kingdoms.

In the dark places of Ocrana, an uprising of Strygan has begun. They use stolen magic to take over the realms. No one knows how to effectively kill the monsters summoned by Strygan, let alone the High Stryga herself. The military general only knows how to kill with bullets and fire, but he'll need more to challenge the encroaching threat. He'll need a Scriver's help. Jack is recruited to kill the High Stryga before she tips the balance of magic and takes the throne. To locate and destroy the High Stryga within a swamp poisoned with corrupted magic, Jack must reluctantly accept the help of others. As a man accustomed to working alone, cooperating with the ragtag group of soldiers, an old nemesis, and a tracker might prove more challenging than the monsters themselves.

When Jack finds more than a kindred spirit in the feisty tracker, he will have to choose between the mission and saving lives. There's more to the Strygan than they understand. Jack discovers a secret in his past that will either lead to a Stryga on the throne and the enslavement of humans, or the unraveling of his mind.

Sometimes knowledge is worth dying for.

About the Author

Emily lives in the Midwest where she struggles to escape the humid summers every year. While there are no official credentials to list for why she's an expert on fantasy worlds, she has gotten lost in so many, she assumes that experience will speak for itself. She's written a few short stories in the Through the Aftermath and Classic Conversations anthologies. She's also published under Anne Bourne with a mermaid romantasy Blue Moon. She loves to blend genres with science fiction and fantasy being her favorites. She's an avid cosplayer, animal rescuer, horseback rider, reader, and baker.