The Unseen Hand
by Narcisse Navarre & Marzio Ombra
The City of Reyza, the Jewel of Ibea, is known for its colorful markets, exotic courtesans, and its underworld where lives are as short as a gossip’s silence.
Renowned jewel thief, Jarle ‘Jars’ Jadien, has had it with the parsimonious gray-haired harpy whom he serves. Seeking to escape her clutches, he embarks on the heist of a lifetime. He infiltrates the home of Avaren Ensther, the king’s bride, and steals her dowry gifts. Jarle is about to escape a rich man, when a hired assassin breaks into the girl’s bedroom and threatens her life. Unable to stand idly by while Avaren is brutalized, Jarle saves her life.
Together, Jarle and Avaren flee to a hidden grotto deep in the wilds where terrible secrets are revealed. Avaren is not some hothouse flower, but a Naera-a mythical creature born of a mortal and a mermaid with the power to bend men’s wills. And she wants revenge.
As three moons begin a cataclysmic alignment that floods the streets of Reyza, legacies topple, romance blooms, and a faceless terror is unveiled.
In the end, no one can escape the tendrils of fate.
“Your introductory chapter/author’s note is so well written and all the work you have done is incredibly professional, starting from the cover photo to the illustrators you hired. At the same time you summarized the main plot points real well.”
–Wattpad Comment by Evelyn Hail
Praise for The Unseen Hand
“This a really wonderful start to what I envision will be a truly magical read. Though this is just the prologue, your descriptions are beautiful and eloquently put together, helping to build a clear picture of the world in which the story takes place. It’s refreshing to find another book where so much forethought has been put in to the world building, allowing the scene to be thoroughly set before the actors take to the stage. The map is stunning and I am also completely in awe of the charts, all very inspiring!”
–Wattpad Comment by Ellena Scott
“Delightful. I love how you’ve brought your characters to life with a feathered cap here, a quirk of an eyebrow there. Very nice start. I’m looking forward to more. –Wattpad comment by JWCMaher
“This is fantastic so far and I can’t believe you’re having any trouble getting it published. I was only going to read one chapter and now I have read three. Just great.” –Wattpad Comment by Leed21
“Beautiful vocabulary! I’m always rapt by how you weave your sentences and paragraphs. I like Avaren a lot. I’m glad to have found a story where characters don’t seem to fit into any kind of pre-existing cliché. They’re just themselves.” –Wattpad Comment by VenomousKitsune
“I love how you take time away from what I perceive to be the primary POV’s (Jars and Avaren) and explore the inner workings of the sociopolitical structure in Reyza, it is an utterly fascinating culture you two have created. Bravo! –Wattpad Comment by Sharon Tolhurst
“If you guys roleplay like you write, it would be some epic rpg’ing! Great writing and very engaging. I thought you handled the interaction and innuendo between Jarle and Marcella brilliantly.”–Wattpad Comment by Kelly J. Burke
