71 Results in the "A Weave of Ambition" category
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Dear Readers, And so the second book about Valentina and Vyxara comes to an end. In a sense, it was more challenging to write because two new settings (and, above all, social spheres) were added with Palewood and Dusktown, but that's also exactly what made it so much fun. It gave me the opportunity to incorporate even more of the things I have in mind for the Valentinaverse. The book was characterized by Valentina venturing further and further into morally grey territory and – of course, always…
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Chapter
Chapter 9 – Dusktown
Chapter 9 – Dusktown Valentina leaned forward to peer through the curtains. Through the grey haze, she saw only shadows at first, but then the fog lifted a little, revealing a view of Dusktown. The town stretched over several gentle hills, its grey stone buildings rising in steps from the valley. The permanent haze that hung over the town – a mixture of coastal fog drifting in from the coast not too far away, smoke from countless chimneys and the remnants of the Scorching – probably gave even…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 8 – The Scorched Lands
Chapter 8 – The Scorched Lands The wheels of the wagon crunched on the dusty road as they left the last houses of Palewood behind them. Valentina turned around in her seat to catch one last glimpse of her home village. The familiar thatched roofs grew smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared around a bend. "Don't twist your neck," Vyxara mocked in her head. "This miserable pile of huts has never been a suitable home for you." Valentina just sighed and admired the astonishing splendor…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 7 – Goodbye
Chapter 7 – Goodbye Valentina lay awake in bed, unable to delay the moment she both longed for and dreaded. Dawn was already creeping in. In a few hours, the Duke's carriage would pick her up. "You're nervous, little Weaver," Vyxara stated softly. "A little," Valentina admitted in her thoughts. "What if I'm not ready? What if I make a complete fool of myself at the Duke's court?" "You summoned a demon, seduced a professor, robbed Bridgewater University's Distilled Essence storage, won the…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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Chapter
Chapter 69 – Summer is Coming
The mood was excited among the second-year students as they gathered for the grading ceremony. The main hall of Bridgewater University filled up quickly. Valentina stood between Innogen and Crispin, their hands clasped tightly together. "I think I wasn't this nervous even before the Greystone competition," thought Valentina. "Oh, you have a very short memory," Vyxara mocked in her head. "You were a bundle of nerves." The Decan Valemont stepped up to the podium, followed by a number of…-
374.8 K • Ongoing
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A soft knock on her door made Valentina look up from her notes. "Come in," she said quietly. Innogen slipped through the door, carrying a small linen-wrapped parcel in her hands. "I thought you might need this." She sat down on Valentina's narrow bed and handed her the package. "My father sent it to me, but I want you to have it." Valentina carefully unwrapped the linen cloth. It was a beautifully bound journal, the cover made of the finest leather, the pages of cream-colored paper. "That…
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374.8 K • Ongoing
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The next few days were a heyday for rumors and all the gossips in town were having the time of their lives. Valentina sat silently in the corner of the Burning Quill, sipping her ale as she amplified the hastily whispered conversations around her with her Essence Listening. "I swear bythe flame of the Martyr," a market woman hissed to her neighbor, "my brother-in-law saw him. In Golden Fields! The young Boarfend galloped right past his cart, his hair wild in the wind." "It's so fascinating to watch…
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Faustus' cell was at the other end of the corridor. Valentina had to take out two more guards with her pattern before she reached the heavy iron door. The door swung open with a soft creak. Faustus crouched on a narrow cot, his expensive nightgown torn and bloodstained. His face was marked by blows, but nowhere near as badly battered as Gladder. The Illumination had held back on him – probably because they thought the spoiled nobleman would break faster. When he looked up and saw her, his eyes…
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374.8 K • Ongoing
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When it got dark, Valentina wrapped her darkest cloak around her and pulled the hood low over her face. She had bought the cloak at the market a few months ago to get incognito to Violet Delights – a simple but well-made piece without any conspicuous features. Perfect for not standing out at night. "A few extra precautions can't hurt," Vyxara muttered in her head. "The Emberwardens may think they've caught their evildoers, but never underestimate the vigilance of fanatics." Valentina nodded…
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374.8 K • Ongoing
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A black… thing… shot out of the shadows, so fast that it was barely more than a dark streak in the air. Valentina felt the back of her neck tense – she knew thiscat, but not like this. Not in this form. It was still a normal-sized cat, but any natural movement had given way to an abnormal smoothness. Its eyes glowed with an inner, hellish fire, and as it snarled with a hair-raising howl, it revealed several rows of needle-sharp teeth dripping with a corrosive venom. The first Emberwarden didn't…
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374.8 K • Ongoing
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