About Assassin’s Paradox: Break the Empire (Breaking of Godslost) by James Hockley
Merciless; ruthless; cold. And faints at the sight of blood.
The silence is unbearable; this silence of the north. For generations, the north has railed against oppression, but the Empire has finally smothered its prey. The rules have been re-written.
But there are those who still remember, and in Alidinia, the north has cause for hope. He is destined to avenge his ma and free the North, but maybe not today. Because the problem with rebellion is that it’s more than a one-man job, and right now he is all alone. The silence of the north is absolute.
Finally, an opening. But just as his rebellion moves into view, so he is snared in the grip of the very people he is trying to crush. And yet, from the service of those he would topple, the scale of the game takes shape. Even the stories cannot prepare him for the murky truths lying hidden in plain sight.
The pieces are in place; the play is set; and he has one advantage over his foes: he is of the north. Properly of the north. Against all odds, he is on the cusp of unravelling a great conspiracy, but maybe that is not enough. Even a northman must respect the long game.
ASSASSIN’S PARADOX is the first book in the Breaking of Godslost series, itself the first series set in the world of Godslost. In this first novella, we follow Alidinia – a northern assassin – as he tries to crush the Empire that has brought so much misery to his people. But all does not go to plan, and in his darkest moment, Alidinia finds unlikely salvation in the very people he should have been trying to break. His world is changed.
Everything he thought he knew tumbles away to reveal the truth of Godslost – a world of unconstrained political power, all pointed at the reward that comes from the release of hidden magic. But alarming as this is, what is most concerning is the part he has in this political intrigue – a role he knows nothing about. Until now. Will he succumb to the impossible weight pressing down upon him? Or will he rise up and find a way – the only respectable path for a northman? Only one thing is certain – it will be good fun finding out.
THE WORLD OF GODSLOST
The world of Godslost tells a tale of hidden magic – an ancient gift lost to the wisps of time. But though this gift is lost, it is not gone, and there are those who retain their obsession with lost magic and will stop at nothing to rekindle this long-lost past.
But for most in Godslost, this is little more than nonsense – futile magic confined to children’s fairy tales. And yet the fight beneath the surface cannot be concealed forever, and when it erupts, it will devour those unfortunate enough to stand in the way. Eventually, that could be everyone.
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Author Bio:
Hey there – so this is where I introduce myself. Umm… [stands in corner with eyes to the floor].
Well, that’s what the introvert in me says, but I’m sure we can do better than that, can’t we?
First up, there’s a picture of me right up there, which is a good start. And yes, I’m the one at the back – where the arrow is pointed. The cut-off mop of blond hair at the front is my son, who always seems to make it into my photos these days. It seemed rude not to include him…
But a photo isn’t really getting to know someone, is it? So, that’s why I thought I’d lay my whole life in front of you in this handy breakdown:
1. Sleeping [33.3% of my life]
2. Working [23.8% of my life]
3. Tidying up after the kids [20.5%]
4. Having fun with the kids [7.1%]
5. Running (to escape from the kids) [3%]
6. Watching anything but kids’ TV [8%]
7. Writing [4%]
As you can see, there’s only a little slither of time for writing – right up there at the top. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but hopefully that explains why it has taken 17 years (yup, that’s seventeen) to get these stories down onto digital paper. Hopefully it’ll get quicker with practice…
In the meantime, if you fancy finding out more (or indeed saying hello), then please do. These are the best ways of getting in touch:
Website: jhockley.com
Email: jh@jhockley.com
It may alarm you to notice that there isn’t a link to a Facebook page at this juncture. Sorry about that. As you will see from the infographic, there isn’t any time put aside for social media, and so the Facebook page I did once setup became a desolate waste-ground that wasn’t helpful to anyone. So it got binned. Maybe one day it will get revived, but in the meantime come and visit me at the website or ping me an email – it’d be great to hear from you.