Book excerpt: Break the shackles of the mind. Leo is a boy grieving his twin. Nea is a girl living as a boy to escape her past. Two slaves, carrying the scars of abuse. They form a connection, only to be split apart when their ship arrives in a mysterious and fragmented land, cut off from the rest of the world. Leo becomes apprentice to a vagabond swordsman and together the two set out to find a stolen weapon locked away in a catacomb city. But what is his new teacher hiding? Tormented by a crippling injury and an anxious heart, Leo must find the strength within himself to keep going despite all that he has lost. Meanwhile, Nea is conscripted by the Captain of the Royal Guard, who ropes her into the search for a group of men hunting a boy matching Leo's description. But to Nea's dismay, the Captain is a woman and Nea must fight past her hateful and damaged mind if she ever hopes to earn her freedom. When a former child soldier threatens to spark a revolution, Leo and Nea will choose sides. Will they fight to save this cruel land, or punish it? To find the answer, they must confront the horror of the past and fight for the greatest freedom of all, freedom from the fear that rules their hearts. The Crimson Spark is an emotional and captivating fantasy adventure. A story about innocence lost and righteousness found. The Black Cauldron meets Berserk in a story about how even the most broken souls can be whole together.