Hidden in my hood
Forgotten in my skin
A self imposed prisoner
Your words carefully placed tranverse the not insurmountble space
Space between us
Yet I do not have the hubris or the unjaded hope that you speak them for me
I comort myself half way asleep
That that sense
Of intensity and masterpiece
Is better held forever in blue that crushes vividly
The Thieves of Fate https://www.amazon.com/dp/153778210X/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_EfujybMWRKTQ9
You can order a physical book or kindle version above but if you would like a signed copy or one of the beautiful prints drawn by James Burton II please conact me at iconoclastgrey@gmail.com
My first short novel Thieves of Fate is a psychological tale with moments of horror that envelope you like a nightmare, themes of identity and consequence that send the mind into a spiral, and scenes of very human dark humor in the form of wit and sarcasm that help you whistle past the graveyard.
The protagonist Jack is a legend in his own mind even if he has no idea who he is and as his story progresses he is growing more fearful that he is losing what little grip he has on reality.
Jack spends half his time in the Territories Psychiatric Hospital and the other half in places and memories that he cannot be sure are real. And yet the more he visits these places that his mind says are only dreams and these memories that a voice in his head says are false the more he starts to wonder where the truth really lies.
He meets a cast of characters. At Territoties they are other patients, therapists, psychiatrists, and orderlies. In the other places he meets supernatural beings called Thieves that look like children but are absolutely not. And there are more things in the other places. Things that Jack does not understand. Things that Jack is scared to understand.
When I created Thieves of Fate I went imto a dark alley and roughed up Greek and Christian mythology taking what I wanted and leaving the rest. I added what odd bits of allegory and indiscriminate eavesdroppings of lore that I could pick from the pockets of superstition and black market beliefs.
So no matter where Jack is or who he meets he is never quite sure who is trying to help him and who is trying to hurt him. At times he is even forced to wonder that about himself.
Jack’s story is one that will leave you unsettled. It is a story that always has a new secret to reveal but never tells them all. But if you are willing to see it through to the end you will find that it has a pulse, it has a beating heart. What you find within that heart is up to you.
Which truth is the honest one? Which reality is real? Who exactly is Jack? Not even I can answer those questions… but you can.
Thieves of Fate was written by Kira Burton. My other published work is Spilled Ink a book of poetry that you can find on lulu.com and will be coming to Kindle soon. Spilled Ink is a book filled with honesty and vulnerability and you will find certain pieces in it that appear no where else
Thieves of Fate was ilustrated by the incredible artist James Burton II. Creator, writer, artist for the amazing superhero comic with a twist Damage Inc. Character driven and unbelievably fun Damage Inc is worth reading. He has also worked as a collaborator on several other comics. He is currently working with SCATTERED INC. Check out some of his work at Angrybrainartworks.com In 2017 James and I will be collaborating on The Ballad of Nod, a breathtakingly beautiful comic that brings together dark fantasy and children’s dream worlds. With incredibly vibrant, complex story telling and rich, vivid visuals Nod brings to life a child’s dreams and nightmares in such a way that will make you want to return again and again no matter what age you grow to be.
What if you were given the chance to have the answer?
Any answer
Would you take it?
What if you didn’t like it?
What if it wasn’t what you thought?
And you were faced with undeniable proof
That you were wrong
We build these straw men
Then we research
“Proof”
That agrees with what we think
Or destroys what goes against it
We don’t want answers
We want to be right
And even more than that desire
We want to do battle
We want others to be wrong
And to be punished for being so
Why are we so scared to take a chance
And say “I don’t know”
Why is the unknown more terrifying
Than dying
For a belief
A belief
An idea
A concept
We grasps at straws
Because with nothing to hold onto
We would drift away
Like milkweed in the wind
All we have is what we hold dear
Real or not
Proven or not
Belief
Take a risk
Listen
Question
And just for a moment
Imagine a world where we could all believe
Without the war that it wages between us
And that being wrong
Does not bring about inevitable destruction
If reality is perspective
Then anger is elective
And we have a choice
To see through a million eyes
To live in a million realms
And in each one
What is right
Is a question
Do you want the answer?
Iconoclastgrey Word Artist 