Spy. Traitor. Soldier. Savior.
Trained from childhood to hone her unnatural blessings to become the perfect spy for the East, Marta Childress instead fought for the West in the civil war that tore the nation of Newfield in two. Able to rend flesh without severing a single stitch of clothing, Marta proved instrumental in ending a war where daemons stalked the land, assassins armed with glass daggers killed from afar, and airships rained down devastation. By her bloody hand, a tentative peace was forged.
But all that may shatter two years later if Marta cannot deliver a catatonic child deep into enemy territory and assassinate the girl’s father. True, Marta may plunge the nation into a second civil war. But it is her last chance to earn her family’s forgiveness.
Think Mark Lawrence's edgy characters mixed in with Brandon Sanderson's excellent world-building skills and you will have an exact answer to what awaits within this amazing debut. --Fantasy Book Critic
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One of the most thought-provoking and one of my overall favorite reads of the year. --Fantasy Book Review
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In addition to a wildly entertaining story full of nuance, Presley's world building, on par with Branden Sanderson, has created a rich and vibrant world where the magical and mundane merge seamlessly. An easy 5/5. --The Nerd Book Review
One of the finest magic systems I've come across --Booknest
I don't think I've had a main POV as bleak as this since Best Served Cold. --Paper Plane Book Reviews
Outcast. Even Among Outcasts.
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Nothing is despised more than a Dobra. Except those of the Ikus tribe, and even they look down upon the grubbers. Born into the lowest caste of the lowest caste, even Luca’s telepathy cannot spare him from scorn. But his greatest curse proves to be an ambition equaled only by his love of the matriarch’s daughter. For her love alone, Luca earns his imbued lockblade to become the tribe’s bloody right hand.
Aided by the mute Isabelle, Luca leads Marta and the catatonic Caddie deep into the East. Yet the relentless Render Graff and an unstoppable glassman nip at their heels, and it will take all of Luca’s tricks to see them safely through.
But Luca harbors secrets of his own, secrets that may doom all of Ayr.
Presley knocks it out of the park again with this entertaining and deeply-affecting novel. --Fantasy Book Review
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The Imbued Lockblade was a better book than its predecessor, building up the world and characters in all the right ways, and throwing one curveball after another! --Booknest.eu
Some Monsters Keep Us Safe.
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Everyone fears a Render, those chosen by Sol to sever the bonds of life with their glass blades. And no Render is more feared than Graff, who single-handedly held the line at Stone Cleaver. Hundreds died by his hand during the Grand War, and hundreds more in the intervening years, despite Graff not spilling a single drop of blood. A relentless monster, Graff has set his sights on the child Caddie, and not even Marta can stop him.
And now Luca doubts if she even should.
Their band shattered and original mission scattered to the winds, Marta must ally with old enemies as new friends betray her. Worse still, Marta now suspects something dark dwells deep in the child she now considers her own.
The world Presley has created becomes more immersive with each book. --The Nerd Book Review
Everything ends. Even the endless flow.
Marta only wanted to keep her surrogate daughter safe. And she gladly paid the price, even if it meant betraying her friends, family, and fleeing her homeland.
But now they face a new threat: the Mynian god-kings, who encourage Caddie’s delusions of being the second coming of Sol.
Yet as Caddie performs greater miracles by the day, Marta wonders if the child might be right.
Far from home, she must untangle the glassmen’s brutal intrigues and uncover their terrible secret before war breaks out between nations. Or worse: between mother and daughter.
Don't miss this thrilling conclusion to this complete epic fantasy series that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.