Masks

Mark Seaton's mother is dead, and his father is missing. Gutter, a famous masked courtier, saves Mark from going to war in the king's navy, but it's not out of pity or love. Gutter has uses for Mark, things that must be done that no young man should have to do. Brutality, lies, debasement and murder ... all done for the most noble of reasons, Gutter says, but Mark refuses to be Gutter's pawn anymore.

He flees the world of masks and intrigues, only to discover an ominous design against a nation as young and raw as his own heart.

Another war is coming, and Mark is caught on both sides of it.

"Prazeman has crafted a magnificent, credible fantasy where noble lords symbiotically bond with masked jesters whose machinations and assassinations further their ambitions without imperiling their souls. She does a uniquely wonderful job of honoring her reader's intelligence, parsing out little hints and nibbles, barely enough information to figure out what is going on as her hero navigates the intrigue. The result is a swift and satisfying read that leaves us begging for a sequel. Whole-heartedly recommended!" – Lawrence Kane, ForeWord Magazine

"Prazeman's jesters dance fine lines through a world of byzantine politics. Real, fallible people lie behind complex masks. The subtle weave of influences, and the dangers they produce, will keep readers hooked." – Sara Mueller, Endeavor Award Committee Member

"The world of MASKS is a fantasy world unlike any other I've encountered, rich with mystery, intrigue, and danger, and its hero Mark is complex and unusual – a young man trying to solve the riddle of his parents' deaths while concealing dangerous secrets of his own. No one in this book is exactly what they seem, Mark least of all. We all have our masks, and MASKS lifts the façades of its characters and its world to expose the ambiguous truths behind them." – David Levine, Hugo Award Winning Author