Dax Murray – författare

The birthright of every Ástfríður is to know each metal in the earth, command it, bend it to their desires. To hear metal singing, some of it waiting just beneath the surface, so much of it deeper in the earth. If they wanted, they knew they could pluck that metal from the earth, melt it with a thought, and shape it as they pleased with a breath of air and their will.Each Ástfríður must choose which metal they would wear upon their heads, denoting the path they would walk. They craft beautiful horns to wear on their brow, forged with the metal they wish to identify with.But Britt does not know if they can choose the path they want if they can overcome a past that has stolen their identity. The day has come for them to choose, and they have no idea if they have any right to even try to.And Astrid has never felt the pull of the metal at all. Wearing a forged circlet and horn, they try to navigate a world that they feel has rejected them, all the while fearing someone will learn their secret.The Veil of the Ástfríður has kept them hidden from the world and safe from intruders. Yet Britt and Astrid feel they are imposters in their own homes. Both must decide who they want to be or they risk losing the only place that they can call home.Shades and Silver is a collection of stories about identity, doubt, and acceptance set in the world of the Scions and Shadows universe. SHADES AND SILVER is Book #0.5 in the SCIONS AND SHADOWS series.

"e;I haven't been trying to build a weapon! I have been trying to prevent a war. Ellie, please don't make me do this."e;A short story about a brilliant mage and an insecure empress; of love and ethics, partnership and conflict. After generations of relentless expansion, Empress Eleanor is ready to put her family's habit of conquest behind her, content to cease her army's forward march and solidify her position as the ruler of the territories already in her possession. But these countries her fathers' conquered are eager to leave the Empire and willing to resort to revolution. Amalthea grew up poor, her homeland destitute after being invaded and occupied. But her new status as a citizen of the sparkling empire gives her access to the Academy of Mages and all of their teachings. However, once there, she defies their rules and pursues her own experiments with dangerous and forbidden magics. Despite this, she catches the Empress's eye and is soon the first official Imperial Scientist and the unofficial consort. Together, the two have the power to sow cohesion, spur innovation, and improve the lives of everyone in the Empire; or they could obliterate any resistance at a perilous cost.

Secure her crown or lose her heart.Saritrah cannot allow herself to fall in love with the Oracle, a woman who cannot hold a spear and who hesitates to kill. Before their deaths during the insurrection, Saritrah's parents taught her three things: loyalty is greater than love, trust no one, and only the strongest deserve to live. Saritrah is on a quest to take back her kingdom, and her people need a warrior queen—not someone weakened by love.The Oracle has given her a path back to the throne: find a lost city, obtain an ancient artifact with unimaginable power, and kill those standing in her way, even if it might set a disastrous prophecy in motion. But the insurrectionists are not her only enemies. Her brother also survived, and he wants the artifact. While Saritrah seeks to avert calamity, he is courting it.Saritrah must give up everything—her beliefs, her vision of the future, and perhaps even her crown—if she's to save herself, her kingdom, and the Oracle.Smoke and Steel is part of the Scions and Shadows series but can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. It is perfect for fans of Xena: Warrior Princess who enjoy morally gray lesbians on a journey of redemption with lots of action, romance, and intrigue. Note: This book contains characters that use singular they/them, neopronouns as well as lesbians who use he/him pronouns.