In the wastes of an abandoned world, there is no escape…especially from yourself.
In the tradition of dark, gritty fantasy like The Witcher, The Dresden Files, and Monster Hunter International, Mason Manthous launches The Desolate series with a gripping military paranormal urban fantasy where magic has returned, civilization has fallen, and survival belongs to the ruthless. In the ashes of the modern world, soldiers hunt monsters, dark powers rise, and humanity fights to survive in a land that no longer belongs to them.
"It shows a world where victories are never perfect, and trust is rare and valuable. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy dark fantasy novels with monsters, magic, and fast-paced action." --Mary Clark for Readers' Favorite
In a decaying world, it takes a monster to defeat one.
Aaron White is a soldier, a weapon, and a secret waiting to destroy him. In a countryside ravaged by supernatural creatures, he fights alongside a military unit tasked with hunting horrors born of magic and darkness. But Aaron hides a truth that would make him their next target instead of their ally—he is a vampire, sustained by flesh and blood, gifted with terrifying strength, and feared by the very people he protects.
To his commanders, Aaron is not a man. He is a tool. Disposable. Useful only as long as he can kill what others cannot.
When Aaron and his squad are forced to flee after provoking a powerful foreign lord, they are reassigned to hunt a brutal murderer harvesting body parts in the capital city. As the body count rises and fear spreads through the streets, the mission becomes more than a hunt—it becomes a race to stop a monster before the city collapses into chaos.
But the deeper Aaron goes into the darkness, the more he is forced to confront a truth he cannot escape:
He may be hunting monsters… but he is one of them.
Torn between what he is and what he wants to be, Aaron must decide whether he will become the weapon the world fears—or the man who stands against the darkness, no matter the cost. In a broken world full of monsters, the hardest battle isn’t survival—it’s deciding what kind of monster you’re willing to become.
"If you like stories with squads of hardened soldiers, grotesque monsters, and heroes who are not quite human, this book will grip you and not let go." --Literary Titan
Perfect for readers who enjoy dark urban fantasy, military fantasy, supernatural warfare, monster hunters, morally gray heroes, post-apocalyptic worlds, squad-based action, and fast-paced fantasy filled with magic, danger, and hard choices where victory always comes at a cost.
