John Palladino Before the End: Stories from the World of Cedain

Edelbrock Brendis fights to save his country from the rampaging Camel Clans before the events of The Trials of Ashmount. Captain Decklin Hoarst-otherwise known as Royal-battles alcoholism, friendship, and a questionable order from his superior. Duke Velturo seeks solace and comfort with his favorite foods while feeling the pressures of a family who doesn't respect him. And in Rivane, an up-and-coming group of ragtag rebels fight to secure equal rights by murdering their countrymen and drawing attention from their king. Before the End contains these stories and more, all set in the world of Cedain. Praise for The Trials of Ashmount: "In creating this complex world, brimming with nefarious characters, political backstabbing, and personal deceit, the author proves himself to be a promising new voice in grimdark fiction." - Grimdark Magazine "Combining grit, drama, humor and tragedy, The Trials of Ashmount is a very promising debut and solid start to this series. Fans of Joe Abercrombie, Rob J. Hayes, and Ed McDonald, this is for you." - FanFiAddict "Palladino's debut novel is a promising start to his fantasy series, and he has created a deliciously brutal, grimdark world, filled with a whole horde of colourful characters. If you are a fan of grimdark fantasy, you will lap this up like a cat to milk." - Before We Go Blog "The Trials of Ashmount was a great read with plenty of action, skulduggery, and skulfuckery, and one that I enjoyed from start to finish." - Queen's Book Asylum "There is not one single thing I would change about this book, hence the 5 star rating." - The Nerdy Narrative "And what a magic system. There are so many of these in epic fantasy these days that it's tough to really make a standout one. But with this, Palladino hits the target and then brutally eviscerates said target." - E.L. Crocker, Goodreads Reviewer "This debut novel does all the right things: immerses you in a fresh and new fantasy world, develops a new magic system, describes action in fluid and thrilling ways and keeps the reader turning pages, leaving us wanting more." - J. H. Sageman, Goodreads reviewer.