From the Mystical Dark Fantasy author Brian White, who brought us, The Strands and In the Shadow of the Witch, comes a new surreal atmospheric adventure tale that examines the paradoxical roles that darkness, fear, and obsession play in the process of awakening. rnrnAn ancient darkness rises over the island of Erebos, threatening the destruction of the wonder and magic that lives there. Erebos is like no other place in the world, yet its creation, enlightenment, and destruction is intimately tied to the fate of Earth.rnrnA prodigal son returns to the island, called by the magical Lady of Erebos, a unicorn whose existence goes back to the earliest history of the island. She begs His return, for He is the first and only Shadow Monk of the Order of Kur, which places Him in possession of the power to stop the spread of the darkness and halt extinction. The Lady has used her own power to keep the energies in balance, but as the darkness grows stronger, her energy weakens.rnrnTo heal Erebos, the Monk must face the Engineer, whose alchemical manipulation of ancient technology has thrown the energies of Erebos out of balance. Using the Lady's excretions to create a substance known as Memory Glass he creates devices that control the minds of the populace and can even transform the radiation-sick inhabitants of the Waste into powerful assassins. One strives for power, the other for balance, and the third for peace; however, the dark power of the Norja, the sacred mushroom, may have its own designs.rnrnA being only known as the fox of extinction has arrived on Erebos, telling the Monk of the pattern of extinction, for he has seen the end of many worlds. There are always three players, he says, the unholy trinity, all of whom believe they are the savior. Among this trio is the Lone Deranger, who seeds the plant of destruction and cultivates it with absolute conviction. It is this belief in absolutes that brings about the end, before which time the Deranger must die. rnrnWho is the Deranger in this version of the extinction event? The unicorn, struggling to maintain the illusion of peace; the Engineer, leading Erebos to a new age of commercial prosperity; or the Shadow Monk, with his desire to understand the mysteries of the universe, complete the Great Work, and heal the world? Only death will reveal the true identity of the Deranger and bring about the end.rnrnHorn and Dagger is a tale of endings and new beginnings, of magic, and the search for meaning. A cautionary anecdote, it also warns against the darkening influence of passive consumerism and philosophical and religious absolutism.rn