Under the rule of House Darkhunter, Throndor has transformed as a kingdom. Once a land of brilliant wizards, the practice of magic has now been banned under punishment of death. King Finlay Darkhunter and his son Prince Ranulf rule Throndor with an iron fist, using bounty hunters to enforce their strict law and stamp out any remnant of magic.
But one man continues to evade them: Lord Alistair Highnar, whose noble family has practiced magic for generations. Though he was once a close friend of Prince Ranulf, he is now a refugee and known wizard. He travels the lands of Throndor, avoiding the bounty hunters and guards sent after him, never staying in one place for longer than a day... until he meets Ida Walsh, a recently orphaned teenager who has magical powers unlike any he has ever seen. He vows his life to protect her and her quest to overthrow the tyrannical Darkhunters and restore magic to Throndor.
Only the best assassin could stop two wizards on the run, and Esme Nameless is the best. Hired by Prince Ranulf himself, she is ordered to do what others have not done in over a decade: find and kill Lord Highnar and his new protege. With the assistance of a forest tracker and her druid slave, Esme should have everything she needs to bring in Highnar and Walsh, but she needs to move fast, as the bloodthirsty annual Witch Hunt is about to begin.
The Witch Hunt is the first in a five book series I am calling The Curse Chronicles. I have already written one draft and a year and a half later I am now working on the second. It takes place in the fantasy world Eirondor, though this particular series centers around just two of the thirteen kingdoms: Throndor and its neighbor the Sakarran Empire. It has themes of overcoming oppression, free will vs. destiny, the weight of loss, love, and mental illness. Please do not read if you don’t like to read about some heavier issues, including but not limited to abuse, rape, slavery, mental illness, and loss/grief.
The main characters are nobleman Alistair Highnar, assassin Esme Nameless, orphan Ida Walsh, and druid Annora Barrett. The antagonist is Prince Ranulf Darkhunter, who is slowly being driven insane by an ancient family curse.