The Children of the Black Moon

Praise for The Series "This book did everything right for me when it comes to what I’m looking for in a fantasy novel. More people need to read this book. Seriously." –Sadir S. Samir, author of The Crew"Excellently written...really ambitious in its craft." –Jamreads.com "Different from typical fantasy novels in all the good ways." –Escapist Book Co."Emotional and heartbreaking." –James Harwood-Jones, Goodreads Review"Who could ask for anything more?" –Belinda Richee, Goodreads Review"A complete, engrossing story...which packs real emotion and leaves you wanting to find out more." –Nick Proctor, Goodreads Review "An amazing debut and I can't wait for the follow-up." –Amazon Review Also by Joseph John Lee The Spellbinders and the Gunslingers The Bleeding Stone Spellbinders Novellas Pale Night, Red Fields The Children of the Black Moon Book Two of The Spellbinders and the Gunslingers Joseph John Lee Eclipseborn Publishing Copyright Copyright © 2023 by Joseph John Lee All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Cover art by Felix Ortiz Cover Design by STK Kreations Dedication For Annie The Story So Far The Memories That Have Come to Pass In the year 1534 Anno Salvatoris, an Eclipse struck fear in the hearts of the Stone Tribe. During this Eclipse, an event carrying with it an ill omen, a baby girl was born to the Stone Chief Fannalhen and his wife Dennalhir. The girl was given the name Sennalhat, which in the Stone tongue meant “Child of Light.” Sennalhat, bearing the nickname “Sen,” spent much of her childhood carousing with her close friends, Narva and Fann, as well as her older sister, Tez, and younger brother, Brin, unaware of the circumstances resultant from her birth. One day, however, during an adventure through the mountain ranges to the north of the Stone Tribe village, Sen inadvertently triggered a rockslide that horribly broke Fann’s arm. Fann’s mother, Koelhe, denounces Sen as a “Curseborn” and forbade her son from ever associating with Sen. Perplexed, Sen was given no clarification as to the meaning behind the label from her parents, and as the years go on, her friendship with Fann deteriorated into a rivalry of extreme animosity, often manifesting in Fann berating and bullying Brin. One such occasion led to Sen violently breaking Fann’s nose. Upon reaching eighteen years of age, Sen ventured into the mountain ranges of the Heart of the Land to undergo her Trial, a coming-of-age ceremony whereupon children of the Tribes passed into adulthood and were granted Boons associated with the Animal Deity under whose Sign they were born—either the Bear, the Wolf, or the Owl. Sen, however, still unaware of her being born during an Eclipse, was subjected to a strange non-Trial in which she was belittled by two entities acting as envoys of the Moon, revealing to her the nature of her birth and her status as an Eclipseborn, a being looked upon with disdain in Tribal society for the supposed calamity they were meant to bring. The Eclipseborn were meant to be shunned from society, banished from their Tribes, but due to her parents’ intervention, Sen was permitted to remain within her village and Tribe, despite the implications that would inevitably arrive. The two entities offered Sen a choice between life and death, elaborating no further on the offer. Sen chose neither and instead opted to reflect on the good fortune with which she was blessed to have been permitted to remain among her people. However, at seeing the horror upon the faces of those conducting her Trial, Sen realized that she would never be accepted among her people and admonished her parents for keeping her true nature secret to her. She ventured off on her own until finding herself at a tavern and taking up playing a card game with a stranger, a game based entirely on chance that Sen suddenly won with ease, a consequence of the new power of Luck that was just awakened within her. The Events Now to Come In the year 1556 Anno Salvatoris, Brin, accompanied by his family, underwent his Trial. Brin completed his Trial, bestowing upon him the Boon of Memory associated with the Owl, and turned to face his family, but realized Sen had disappeared. Sen was found drinking at a tavern by Fannalhen, who angrily led her back to the Stone Tribe village. As the family returned to the village and Brin was granted his abilities, Sen once again wandered off to a tavern, where she met with Narva and lamented that she was an outcast for the accident of her birth, admitting her own jealousy at the adulation that Brin was receiving, none of which she was ever able to receive herself. Meanwhile, as the festivities continued, Fannalhen’s celebration at his son’s success was interrupted by the Sun Chief Han’e, who came to plead with Fannalhen for the Stone Tribe’s assistance in reclaiming the lands of the Sun Tribe. Fifteen years prior, an army of Invaders came from across the eastern sea and claimed for themselves all lands to the south of the Forest, which displaced the Sun and Arrow Tribes while also nearly wiping out the Haunted Tribe. The Sun and Arrow Tribes since relocated and were permitted to settle in the territories belonging to the Stone Tribe. For years, though, Han’e had been attempting to employ Fannalhen and the Stone Tribe to reclaim the Sun lands from the Invaders, but Fannalhen, once again, declined, much to Han’e’s frustration. The next day, Sen was admonished by Tez not only for her frequent drinking but also for her shirking of responsibilities pertaining