{"product_id":"the-mask-of-ares-paperback","title":"The Mask of Ares - Paperback","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\u003eRyk E. Spoor\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn epic fantasy adventure for fans of classic quests and mythic battles, where heroes must face assassins, ancient gods, and a world on the brink of chaos.When Ingram and Quester had seen their clients, Lady Victoria Vantage and her young niece Urelle Vantage, safely to their new home, they had thought their work finished, the time come to find new Adventures - despite the not-well-hidden interest between Ingram and Urelle.Then Ingram receives an impossible message: he, a fugitive and exile from Clan Camp-Bel, is desperately needed by the Clan in distant Aegeia, a thousand miles and more away, for a mission so secret it cannot be included in the recall. And the very night he and Quester set out, Urelle discovers there are assassins already on their trail and rushes to warn them - and following her, Victoria, a retired Adventurer forced once more into the field.But more is at stake than they can realize, for the ancient Cycle of Aegeia - the living morality play between the Reason of Athena and the Passion of Ares - is in peril of destruction; a monstrous impostor has taken the place of the God of War, and begins to orchestrate an ending to Aegeia itself.And the false Ares knows that one of the four travelers is the only thing standing between him and the downfall of the gods...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in Omaha, Nebraska, Ryk moved with his family to Vermilion, South Dakota, then Atlanta, Georgia, and later to Latham, NY, before settling in Schenectady, NY. As an effort-induced asthmatic, he was often confined indoors, spending much of his time reading and, eventually, writing--getting those first million words out of the way early! While he enjoyed science books, particularly on volcanology, his favorite childhood reads were the \u003ci\u003eOz\u003c\/i\u003e novels by L. Frank Baum. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn junior high, a teacher gifted him a battered, slightly scorched copy of E.E. \"Doc\" Smith's \u003ci\u003eSecond-Stage Lensmen\u003c\/i\u003e, which permanently sparked his sense of wonder and set him on an inevitably geeky quest to become a science fiction writer. In high school, he discovered computers and RPGs, running the very first play-by-email (PBEM) roleplaying campaign from 1977 to 1980. It was during this time that he adopted the online alias \"Sea Wasp,\" which he continues to use today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOver the years, Ryk earned degrees in mathematics and science, psychology, and information science. His diverse work experience includes everything from fast-food jobs to an internet-bubble filesharing company to Borders Books. He currently serves as the R\u0026amp;D Coordinator for International Electronic Machines. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlong the way, he became a Usenet fixture, an RPG consultant and writer, an anime fan, and--ultimately--achieved his dream of becoming a science fiction author when Baen Books published his debut novel, \u003ci\u003eDigital Knight\u003c\/i\u003e. Since then, he has published over 25 novels across multiple genres, including: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe grand-scale space opera \u003ci\u003eGrand Central Arena\u003c\/i\u003e and its four sequels \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe hard-SF \u003ci\u003eBoundary\u003c\/i\u003e series \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe epic fantasy \u003ci\u003eBalanced Sword\u003c\/i\u003e trilogy (\u003ci\u003ePhoenix Rising, Phoenix in Shadow, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePhoenix Ascendant\u003c\/i\u003e) \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eGodswar\u003c\/i\u003e duology (\u003ci\u003eThe Mask of Ares\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Spear of Athena\u003c\/i\u003e) \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe magical girl novel \u003ci\u003ePrincess Holy Aura\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCollaborations with his wife Kathleen on her \u003ci\u003eFall of Veils\u003c\/i\u003e series \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRyk E. Spoor now lives in Troy, NY, with his wife Kathleen, their four children, a flock of chickens, and two dogs.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 300\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.73 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 03, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53521904795955,"sku":"9781592116904","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/GEhDAgoWqE9781592116904.webp?v=1781960227","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/the-mask-of-ares-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}