The Initiate Brother
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Plague and warfare have swept across the Orient, ravaging the ancient kingdom of Wa, devastating the royal line, and leaving a new dynasty on the throneтАФa new emperor, Akantsu, filled with fear of all who might seek to wrest the empire from his grasp.
Among those out of favor with the new liege is the Order of the Botahist Monks, whose mystical powers have enabled them to hold positions as spiritual advisors to the imperial court for nearly ten centuries.
But Emperor Akantsu fears none so greatly as he does Lord Shonto, the brilliant leader of the most important of the old families, whose influence could rally the great houses against the throne and whose adopted daughter, the beautiful and talented Lady Nishima, is the last surviving member of the old royal family.
Sent to be military governor of a northern border province long threatened by barbarian invaders, Lord Shonto knows he is being lured to his death. But Akantsu has underestimated his foe, for not only is Lord Shonto the greatest military genius of the age but he has with him a spiritual advisor from the Botahist orderтАФa young man gifted with extraordinary martial arts skills and magical abilities, Initiate Brother Shuyun.
Yet even Lord Shonto does not realize the true potential of this young monk. Only time will reveal that ShuyunтАЩs magical powers have not seen their equal in nearly a thousand yearsтАФnot since the Perfect Master himself walked the paths of the empire.
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Sean Russell, born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1952, decided he wanted to be a writer at age ten and was later heavily influenced by J. R. R. TolkienтАЩs The Lord of the Rings. He began writing fantasy novels in 1991 and then historical fiction under the name of S. Thomas Russell.
Elijah Alexander has worked professionally as an actor for over fifteen years. He has worked and lived in New York, where he performed in numerous productions, including the Tony AwardтАУwinning play Metamorphoses. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company for two years and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for two seasons, as well as regionally at various other theaters. In Los Angeles, he has worked on critically acclaimed productions of Sleuth, produced by Garry Marshall, and other works. His film and television credits include Mr. and Mrs. Smith, EmilyтАЩs Reasons Why Not, JAG, Summerland, So NoTORIous, and Guiding Light. He was the voice of Vayne Solidor in Final Fantasy XII and has done several commercial voiceovers. He is currently the voice of Kenmore and has narrated more than ten audiobooks, including James JonesтАЩ acclaimed novel From Here to Eternity.
