Cirrus@Austlit

'When demons kidnap Ariel's mother and drag her into a hidden realm, Ariel embarks on a rescue mission in a strange and magical world. Stalked by a demon lord who feeds on fear and seeks to enslave the human race, Ariel discovers that to defeat the demons, she must learn a secret esoteric wisdom to awaken the dormant, but potentially explosive, power of her mind.

'Walnut, a quirky old wise man, guides her through treacherous inner and outer landscapes, and Nick, the powerful Warrior who travels with them, proves a dangerous attraction.

'The stakes are high, death a real possibility. Fail now, and she fails humanity.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ariel hopes that the great library at Sheldra holds the key to rescuing her mother. But in order to get there, she must negotiate a forest of evil spirits, escape a mind-numbing city of sparkling towers, travel through the treacherous gullies of Minion Hills, and avoid an attack by a demon lord intent on killing her. At the same time, a battle rages between her heart and her mind. A relationship with her travelling companion, the enigmatic Nick, is just too tempting, but can they be together without Ariel losing her focus and falling to the demons? Her life is at stake, but also her heart. She risks encasing it in stone and denying herself the very sustenance she needs. Will they make it to the safe haven of Sheldra, or will Ariel die at the hands of the yellow-eyed demon?'

Source: Publisher's Blurb

'Demon slayer Ariel Malony thought she knew her friend and travelling companion, Nick, but she discovers that at the University of Sheldra, he is a respected translator with little time to spare. Now that he isn't at her side all the time, she wishes he was, and when she finally admits her love, powerful emotions sweep her away. The demon lord Emot takes advantage of her inexperience in matters of the heart and preys on her desire for pleasure, setting off a struggle with addiction that threatens to break Nick's heart and turn Ariel into the demon's mindless slave.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ariel and Nick face their deepest fears and their greatest challenge as they search for the Master Demon who holds the key to the future of mankind. Slay him and the world goes free; fail, and it falls irrevocably into violence and chaos. Guided by a wisdom master of a mystical tradition that uses mind power as the basis of powerful magic, the assault party travels from the ancient granite walls of the Hermitage, up the Steps of Death, and through a labyrinth of shifting gorges to the Palace of Skulls. Even if Nick wins his struggle with the scars of his past and defeats the green-eyed head of the Cogin clan, they still must cross the scree slope, where the bones of Ariel's father lie, to get to the ice caves beneath the summit where the Master Demon awaits. The journey is extraordinary, the enemies are deadly and the ending is mind-blowing.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.