The Tarot Sequence
The Last Sun
In this debut novel and series starter, the last member of a murdered House searches for a missing nobleman, and uncovers clues about his own tortured past. Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam’s relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune’s Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family’s death and the torments of his past?
Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Edwards’s gorgeous debut presents an alternate modern world that is at once unusual and familiar, with a grand interplay of powers formed by family and the supernatural. Intriguing characters, a fast-paced mystery, and an original magical hierarchy will immediately hook readers, who will eagerly await the next volume in this urban fantasy series.” May 15, 2018
Publishers Weekly
K.D. Edwards. Pyr, $17 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-1-63388-423-6
Edwards’s debut combines swashbuckling action, political intrigue, and romance into a fast-paced and enjoyable adventure. New Atlantis is a self-contained nation of magic users, ensconced on Nantucket Island after a devastating war and ruled by courts named for the major arcana of the tarot. Rune St. John and his bound companion and bodyguard, Brand, are the last survivors of the fallen Sun Court; they make a living doing odd jobs involving varying degrees of danger, mostly for the formidable Lord Tower. After participating in an attack on the Lovers Court, Rune and Brand end up shielding the sheltered and abused grandson of Lady Lovers and searching for the missing son of Lady Justice. Their quest leads them to a conspiracy that involves undead monsters and murder, and may be connected to the fall of Rune’s court and the brutal assault he endured afterward. Rune is an entertaining narrator, and his bond with Brand provides a strong emotional cornerstone for their martial and magical skullduggery. Edwards’s intriguing worldbuilding and appealing characters set the stage and pique the reader’s interest for sequels. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (June)
“Jaw-dropping worldbuilding, fluent prose, and an equal blend of noir and snark make for that most delicious of fantasy adventures, an out-of-this-world tale that feels pressingly real. A smart and savvy joy.”
— A. J. Hartley, New York Times–bestselling author of the Steeplejack series and the Cathedrals of Glass series
“Absolutely sensational. Edwards takes all the familiar pawns of urban fantasy and makes royalty of them in his debut. We’re invited into an alternative, historical world of staggering breadth and realization. The central characters, Rune and Brand, combine the loyalty of Frodo and Samwise with the sacrilege of a pairing like Tyrion and Bronn. When thrown in beside fascinating magical systems, breathtaking prose, and a relentless plot—this is the tale of Atlantean magic we didn’t know we wanted.”
— Scott Reintgen, author of Nyxia
The Hanged Man
The last member of a murdered House tries to protect his ward from forced marriage to a monster while uncovering clues to his own tortured past. The Tarot Sequence imagines a modern-day Atlantis off the coast of Massachusetts, governed by powerful Courts based on the traditional Tarot deck. Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Throne, is backed into a fight of high court magic and political appetites in a desperate bid to protect his ward, Max, from a forced marital alliance with the Hanged Man. Rune’s resistance will take him to the island’s dankest corners, including a red light district made of moored ghost ships; a surreal skyscraper farm; and the floor of the ruling Convocation, where a gathering of Arcana will change Rune’s life forever.
Publishers Weekly
“Edwards skillfully blends rigorous characterization with political intrigue, action, and haunting worldbuilding in the exciting follow-up to 2018’s The Last Sun. Edwards conjures a believably dangerous setting filled with tarot imagery and supernatural menaces. Series fans and new readers alike will be hooked.”
“K.D. Edwards raises the bar for fantasy to incredible heights with The Hanged Man, a story full of life, thrills, and deep compassion, set within a world so utterly convincing and fabulous, it took my breath away.”
— Julie E. Czerneda, award-winning author of The Gossamer Mage
“Edwards takes a startling debut and plunges us headfirst into an even better sequel. All of our favorite characters are back, but now they’re evolving to face an even darker threat. The story is fueled by political intrigue, devastating consequences, and fascinating magic. “
— Scott Reintgen, author of Ashlords
“Edwards is able to masterfully interweave these plot points into the fabric of the larger narrative in a way that makes it one of the most compelling novels I’ve recently read.”
— Prismatica Magazine
The Hourglass Throne
As Rune Saint John grapples with the challenges of assuming the Sun Throne, a powerful barrier appears around New Atlantis’s famed rejuvenation center. But who could have created such formidable magic . . . what do they want from the immortality clinic . . . and what remains of the dozens trapped inside?
Though Rune and his lifelong bodyguard Brand are tasked with investigating the mysterious barrier, Rune is also busy settling into his new life at court. Claiming his father’s throne has irrevocably thrown him into the precarious world of political deception, and he must secure relationships with newfound allies in time to keep his growing found family safe. His relationship with his lover, Addam Saint Nicholas, raises additional political complications they must navigate. But he and Brand soon discover that the power behind the barrier holds a much more insidious, far-reaching threat to his family, to his people, and to the world.
Now, the rulers of New Atlantis must confront an enemy both new and ancient as the flow of time itself is drawn into the conflict. And as Rune finds himself inexorably drawn back to the fall of his father’s court and his own torture at the hands of masked conspirators, the secrets that he has long guarded will be dragged into the light—changing the Sun Throne, and New Atlantis, forever.
The climax of the first trilogy in the nine-book Tarot Sequence, The Hourglass Throne delivers epic urban fantasy that blends humor, fast-paced action, and political intrigue.
Library Journal (Starred Review)
Rune Saint John has finally assumed the Sun Throne and now must deal with the political machinations that run throughout the rest of the ruling Arcanum and New Atlantis. Rune and his bodyguard Brand struggle with the past as much with the present as they search for allies among those who watched Rune be tortured while his father’s court fell. They are also investigating a powerful barrier created around the rejuvenation center—one that hides its own bloody, painful aftermath. As Rune and Brand uncover a formidable enemy tied to New Atlantis’s history, they find time is against them to protect their growing found family, including Rune’s lover Addam. Everyone will have to face their past transgressions, long buried secrets, and the flow of time itself, as Rune continues to make choices that will forever change his future. High stakes and humorous dialogue continue to highlight the slow reveal of the long-game plotlines. The ending of this first trilogy (in a planned nine-book series) creates a spectacular story arc, leaving readers with as many questions as answers.
VERDICT Edward’s third “Tarot Sequence” novel (after The Hanged Man) builds on an intriguing alternate Earth filled with magic and political intrigue. This urban fantasy series is immersive and entertaining.
Reviewed by Kristi Chadwick, Mar 01, 2022
“Edwards expertly blends magic, technology, a pandemic isolating New Atlantis from our world, and a keen sense of humor as he wraps up the first trilogy of this proposed nine-book series.”
— Frances Moritz, Booklist Online Review
“A runaway train ride in the dark… The Hourglass Throne is a book of 100% economy. The balance of character and story development is perfect. Every thought, spoken word, and surprise has its purpose. It may not come to mean what the reader might anticipate it to mean, but it all comes together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle.”
— Ben Ragunton, TGG Podcast
“Weaving intricate politics, fast action, and high magic with the powerful themes of loss and found family, K.D. Edwards’ Tarot Sequence burns even hotter in the Hourglass Throne. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on where the plot is going he detonates another surprise or reveals a game-changing secret in his long game. Don’t sleep on this series. I can’t wait to see where it goes.”
— David Slayton, author of the Adam Binder novels
The Magnus Academy Series
The Eidolon
In the epic conclusion to K.D. Edwards’ first blockbuster trilogy in The Tarot Sequence series, readers followed Rune on a race against time as an age-old threat rose to threaten the city of New Atlantis. Now, for the first time, The Eidolon tells what really happened to Max, Quinn, and Anna as prisoners in the Hourglass Throne’s base of operation.
The Eidolon is the first in a brand new collection of novels and novellas in the Magnus Academy Series. These stories will be told through the various points of view of Rune’s found family, ultimately leading to a planned arc of novels set at the new Magnus Academy.
Extra Content
Tales from New Atlantis
A collection of free stories taking place outside of the main novels
The Atlantean Archives
The Tarot Sequence Timeline, Wiki, Map of New Atlantis, Content Warnings, and more
Tarot (French Editions)
Le Dernier Soleil
Rune Saint-John, dernier descendant de la cour déchue du Soleil, se voit engagé pour enquêter sur la disparition d’Addam, fils de dame Justice, en Nouvelle-Atlantide, la ville-île où les Atlantes se sont établis après la destruction de leur terre d’origine par les humains.
Accompagné de son Acolyte et garde du corps, Brand, il infiltre les plus hautes sphères de la noblesse néo-atlante pour interroger les proches et les associés du disparu. Très vite, cependant, leur enquête va les mener sur une piste imprévue: celle d’une créature légendaire liée au secret du massacre de la cour de Rune. En cherchant Addam, Rune pourra-t-il lever le voile sur l’assassinat de sa famille et sur son passé?
Le Pendu
Rune Saint-John, dernier descendant de la cour déchue du Soleil, s’efforce de protéger coûte que coûte Max, l’adolescent qu’il a recueilli, d’un mariage contracté de force avec le Pendu. Ce faisant, il s’enlise dans un conflit mêlant magies arcaniques et intrigues politiques.
Sa quête le mènera dans des recoins improbables de l’île, tels qu’un quartier chaud aménagé sur un quai de navires fantômes, une étrange ferme en gratte-ciel, ainsi que l’hémicycle du Concile, où une session d’Arcanes changera à jamais son destin.
Le Trône de Sablier
À peine monté sur le trône de Soleil, Rune Saint-John apprend que le célèbre centre de rajeunissement de la Nouvelle-Atlantide est prisonnier d’une puissante barrière magique. Qui se cache derrière cet impressionnant fait de magie? Pourquoi cibler la clinique de l’immortalité ? Qu’est-il advenu des dizaines de personnes piégées à l’intérieur?
Chargé de mener l’enquête avec Brand, son garde du corps de toujours, Rune n’en oublie pas pour autant sa nouvelle vie de cour. La revendication de son trône l’a précipité dans les eaux dangereuses des manigances gouvernementales. Il devient impératif de consolider ses relations avec ses nouveaux alliés afin de protéger sa famille de cœur grandissante, tout en évitant les écueils politiques que pose son idylle avec Addam Saint-Nicholas. Cependant, Brand et lui ne tardent pas à découvrir que la mystérieuse barrière magique cache une menace plus grande et insidieuse qu’ils ne l’imaginaient. Une menace qui pèse non seulement sur sa famille, mais aussi sur son peuple, voire le monde entier.
Les Atlantes devront affronter un ennemi à la fois nouveau et ancien dans un conflit qui affectera jusqu’au cours du temps. De son côté, inexorablement ramené au massacre de la cour de son père et aux tortures que lui ont infligé des conspirateurs masqués, Rune n’aura d’autre choix que de révéler des secrets longtemps enfouis qui changeront à jamais le trône de Soleil et la Nouvelle-Atlantide.
Point d’orgue de la première des trois trilogies Tarot, Le Trône de Sablier offre une histoire palpitante de Fantasy urbaine dans laquelle se mêlent humour, action et intrigues politiques.