{"product_id":"ballad-of-the-blade-hardcover","title":"Ballad of the Blade - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAndrew P. Meritt\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBallad of the Blade is a dark, gritty, multi-pov epic, with a dash of horror, and a dollop of gallows humor. It is the debut novel of Andrew P Meritt and the first story of many in A Serenade of Smoke.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMagic is dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Order made sure of that. They gathered it up, and what they couldn't destroy, they hid. Now, noble houses squabble over the realm, civil unrest smolders in the east, slavery and injustice run rampant, all while mankind hides behind their two-faced gods.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, the truth is, magic isn't dead. It's just been sleeping, and I intend to wake it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnder the light of a sinister moon: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA promising initiate struggles to conform in an organization that wants to exterminate the very magic running in his blood. A hired assassin fights to stay one step ahead of shadows, betrayals, and past mistakes. A musician in over his head tries desperately to trade debt from one group of killers to another. A slave of blood and sand claws his way toward freedom, one corpse at a time. An irreverent Justiseer struggles with a particularly obstinate severed head. A man wakes with no memory, only to discover a community with problems far greater than his amnesia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach of them is forced to question if magic truly is dead and wonder...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShould it be?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContent Warning: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe language and imagery depicted in this novel are graphic in nature. If you have any triggers related to violent imagery or explicit language, please proceed with caution. If you would like a more extensive list of trigger warnings that include spoilers, please go to https: \/\/andrewpmeritt.com\/content-warnings\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 556\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.38 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 14, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52692980891955,"sku":"9798999537119","price":50.18,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/muhyiZeh0C9798999537119.webp?v=1763034839","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/ballad-of-the-blade-hardcover","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}