The Onyx Prince: The Journals of Ravier, Volume III (3)

Fairytales and the Norse Gods have infiltrated The Journals of Ravier series. Read along as true identities slowly unfold within this broad retelling of familiar faces from the past. - J.R. Vaineo

A FATE TRULY WORSE THAN DEATH . . . Is there such a thing? Before traveling through a portal to the world of Muraine with my friend Gemma Galloway, I would've said no. But now? I've come to realize that there is. So many things are worse than death, here on this world with magic.

One matter at the forefront is his desire for me. The King of Vitiosus, Zymarc, desires me for his next apprentice. I've managed to resist him, thus far. That decision, however, is harder and harder to hold to. There is nothing he will not do to get to me, to tempt me, to break me. And he means to break me. But if he cannot have me, well . . . as I said, there are fates truly worse than death itself. And I've seen death too, a spirit most terrifying and powerful. Yet it is Zymarc whom I fear more than death, more than Soren, more than anything.

I didn't know why, either. Why should I, Tyler Malik Ravier, fear him? Then I saw his true face. Not the face of the Vitiosyn King. But the face he had before the change, before the corruption of that vile magic, when he was simply an Onyx Warrior. His features are familiar. On and on, I agonize over who he reminds me of. Can it be true? Could he really be who I think he is? And what if he is? Do I hold the strength and courage to put that creature down? Or simply will I hand over the dragon-horse to appease him?

Or, worse . . . will I join him?

J.R. Vaineo is a self-published indie author, residing near Salt Lake City, UT. In 2018, she published her first book: Kings of Muraine. When she's not writing, she and her partner, Jessie, have many adventures together. Mostly in cooking, hiking, analytical talks, and fawning over their adorable fur-babies. While Julie Rae writes mostly fantasy fiction-combining elements of epic, portal, paranormal, and dark fantasy-she enjoys reading all genres; except, perhaps, for horror stories. After finishing a creative writing program, through the Institute of Children's Literature, she continued to improve her craft of writing. In 2013, she graduated with her AA degree in psychology. During that time, she expanded on many things, especially focusing on what would prove invaluable for fleshing out characters and plot twists. What started out as a writing prompt, in 2005, has now become a nine book series she is currently working on: The Journals of Ravier. Sometimes, she is quite jealous of the characters' abilities, found within her own writing. If that is a sign of anything, it is this: Obsession.