My ears are ringing with all the Jingle Bells, and Ave Maria’s, my eyes are wide of all the glitter, red, gold, silver and white around me… don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas! I really do. But once in a while it’s nice to add a pinch of black on it…or at least a hint of grey… So, I give you the Sacred Band of Stepsons. A four book series full of heroic fantasy. Enjoy!
From Book 1: An immortalized cavalry commander joins forces with the high-priest of the god of war…. Where myth meets legend, two men kiss and Tempus’ world changes forever. Meet and mourn the Slaughter Priest in “A Man and His God.” In this canonical short novel, the Sacred Band begins when Abarsis, Slaughter Priest, brings his Sacred Band to Tempus and dies in his arms.
In this pivotal story, the Sacred Band is formed from love and death….
“Tempus put an arm under Abarsis’ head and gathered him up, pulling the wounded priest across his lap. “Hush, now.”
“Soon, soon,” said the paling lips. “I did well for you. Tell me so… that you are content. O Riddler, so well do I love you, I go to my god singing your praises. When I meet my father, I will tell him… I… fought beside you.”
“Go with more than that, Stepson,” whispered Tempus, who leaned forward and kissed him gently on the mouth; and Abarsis breathed out his soul while their lips yet touched.”
This landmark short novel contains what may be the first male/male kiss in modern fantasy, and was widely reprinted, after appearing in somewhat different form in Thieves’ World(r), in the Science Fiction Book Club, two Issac Asimov collections, and the Baen Book “Tempus” by Janet Morris.
Purchase the series here!
AUTHOR JENNIFER LOISKE 
Reblogged this on sacredbander and commented:
Four short fictions from the Sacred Band series take you into a world of thieves. Be there when Tempus forms the Stepsons; fight on their first mission; go north to Wizard Wall, and meet the Commander’s warrior daughter.
Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.